George Edward Coleman (born March 8, 1935) is an American jazz saxophonist known for his work with Miles Davis and

Herbie Hancock Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, and composer. Hancock started his career with trumpeter Donald Byrd's group. He shortly thereafter joined the Miles Davis Quintet, where he help ...

in the 1960s. In 2015, he was named an

NEA Jazz Master The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), every year honors up to seven jazz musicians with Jazz Master Awards. The National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Fellowships are the self-proclaimed highest honors that the United States bestows upon ...

Early life

Coleman was born in Memphis, Tennessee. He was taught how to play the alto saxophone in his teens by his older brother Lucian Adams, inspired (like many jazz musicians of his generation) by Charlie Parker. Among his schoolmates were Harold Mabern, Booker Little, Frank Strozier, Hank Crawford, and Charles Lloyd (jazz musician), Charles Lloyd.

Later life and career

After working with Ray Charles, Coleman started working with B.B. King in 1953, at which point he switched to tenor saxophone. In 1956 Coleman moved to Chicago, along with Booker Little, where he worked with Gene Ammons and Johnny Griffin before joining Max Roach's quintet (1958–1959). Coleman recorded with organist Jimmy Smith (musician), Jimmy Smith on his album ''House Party (Jimmy Smith album), House Party'' (1957), along with Lee Morgan, Curtis Fuller, Kenny Burrell, and Donald Bailey (musician), Donald Bailey. Moving to New York City with Max Roach in that year, he went on to play with Slide Hampton (1959–1962), Ron Carter, Jimmy Cobb, and Wild Bill Davis (1962), before joining Miles Davis' quintet in 1963–1964. His albums with Davis (and the rhythm section of

(piano), Ron Carter (bass), and Tony Williams (drummer), Tony Williams (drums)) are ''Seven Steps to Heaven'' (1963), ''A Rare Home Town Appearance'' (1963), ''Côte Blues'' (1963), ''Miles Davis in Europe, In Europe'' (1963), ''My Funny Valentine (Miles Davis album), My Funny Valentine'', and ''Four & More'', both live recordings of a concert in Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City in February 1964. Shortly after this concert, Coleman left the band and was replaced by Wayne Shorter. Nevertheless, Davis retained a high opinion of Coleman's playing, stating that "George played everything almost perfectly...He was a hell of a musician." Coleman played with Lionel Hampton (1965–1966), also in 1965 on Chet Baker's ''The Prestige Sessions'', with Kirk Lightsey, Herman Wright, and Roy Brooks. Clark Terry, Horace Silver, Elvin Jones (1968), Shirley Scott (1972), Cedar Walton (1975), Charles Mingus (1977–1978), Ahmad Jamal (1994, 2000), and many others. Coleman also appeared in the science-fiction film ''Freejack'' (1992), starring Emilio Estevez, Mick Jagger, and Anthony Hopkins; and 1996's ''The Preacher's Wife'', with Denzel Washington and Whitney Houston. Coleman recorded into the 2020's. His CD as co-leader, ''Four Generations of Miles: A Live Tribute To Miles'', with bassist Ron Carter, drummer Jimmy Cobb and guitarist Mike Stern was released on Chesky Records in October 2002, and it concentrates on the 1960s working repertoire of Miles Davis. Tracks include: "There Is No Greater Love", "All Blues", "On Green Dolphin Street (song), On Green Dolphin Street", "Blue in Green", "81", "Freddie Freeloader", "My Funny Valentine", "If I Were a Bell", and "Oleo (composition), Oleo". He was featured on Joey DeFrancesco's 2006 release ''Organic Vibes'', along with vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, Billboard's Top Jazz Album Chart, peaked to No. 17. Coleman was married to jazz organist Gloria Coleman. They had two children, including jazz drummer George Coleman Jr., and divorced. He was named an NEA Jazz Masters, NEA Jazz Master and to the Memphis Music Hall of Fame in 2015, and received a brass note on the Beale Street Brass Notes Walk of Fame. Coleman continues actively performing and recording as of September of 2024.

Discography

As leader/co-leader

As sideman

With Chet Baker *''Smokin' with the Chet Baker Quintet'' (Prestige Records, Prestige, 1965) *''Groovin' with the Chet Baker Quintet'' (Prestige, 1965) *''Comin' On with the Chet Baker Quintet'' (Prestige, 1965) *''Cool Burnin' with the Chet Baker Quintet'' (Prestige, 1965) *''Boppin' with the Chet Baker Quintet'' (Prestige, 1965) With Roy Brooks *''The Free Slave'' [live] (Muse Records, Muse, 1970 [rel. 1972]) With Paul H. Brown, Paul (PB) Brown *''Paul Brown Quartet Meets The Three Tenors'' (Brownstone, 1998) With Brian Charette *''Groovin' with Big G'' (Steeplechase Records, Steeplechase, 2018) – with Vic Juris, George Coleman Jr. With Miles Davis *''Seven Steps to Heaven'' (Columbia Records, Columbia, 1963) *''Miles Davis in Europe'' [live] (Columbia, 1963) *''Live at the 1963 Monterey Jazz Festival'' (Monterey Jazz Festival/Concord, 2007) *''My Funny Valentine (Miles Davis album), My Funny Valentine'' [live] (Columbia, 1964) *''Four & More'' [live] (Columbia, 1964 [rel. 1966]) With Joey DeFrancesco *''Organic Vibes'' (Concord Records, Concord, 2005) With Charles Earland *''Soul Crib'' (Choice, 1969) *''Smokin' (Charles Earland album), Smokin''' (Muse, 1969/1977 [rel. 1977]) *''Mama Roots'' (Muse, 1969/1977 [rel. 1977]) With Red Garland *''So Long Blues'' (Galaxy, 1979 [rel. 1981]) *''Strike Up the Band (Red Garland album), Strike Up the Band'' (Galaxy, 1979 [rel. 1981]) With Slide Hampton *''Slide Hampton and His Horn of Plenty'' (Strand, 1959) *''Sister Salvation'' (Atlantic Records, Atlantic, 1960) * ''Somethin' Sanctified'' (Atlantic, 1961) * ''Jazz with a Twist'' (Atlantic, 1962) *''Drum Suite (Slide Hampton album), Drum Suite'' (Epic, 1962) *''Exodus (Slide Hampton album), Exodus'' (Philips, 1962 [rel. 1964]) With

* ''Maiden Voyage (Herbie Hancock album), Maiden Voyage'' (Blue Note Records, Blue Note, 1965) With Johnny Hartman * ''Today (Johnny Hartman album), Today'' (Perception Records, Perception, 1972) With Ahmad Jamal *''The Essence Part One'' (Birdology/Verve, 1995) * ''Ahmad Jamal à l'Olympia'' [live] (Disques Dreyfus, Dreyfus, 2000) With Elvin Jones *''Live at the Village Vanguard (Elvin Jones album), Live at the Village Vanguard'' (Enja Records, Enja, 1968) * ''Poly-Currents'' (Blue Note, 1969) * ''Coalition (album), Coalition'' (Blue Note, 1970) *''Time Capsule (Elvin Jones album), Time Capsule'' (Vanguard Records, Vanguard, 1977) With Booker Little *''Booker Little 4 and Max Roach'' (United Artists Records, United Artists 1958) *''Booker Little and Friend'' (Bethlehem Records, Bethlehem, 1961) With Harold Mabern *''A Few Miles from Memphis'' (Prestige, 1968) *''Rakin' and Scrapin''' (Prestige, 1968) *''Workin' & Wailin''' (Prestige, 1969) With Jack McDuff *''A Change Is Gonna Come (Jack McDuff album), A Change Is Gonna Come'' (Atlantic, 1966) With Charles Mingus * ''Three or Four Shades of Blues'' (Atlantic, 1977) With Lee Morgan * ''City Lights (Lee Morgan album), City Lights'' (Blue Note, 1957) * ''Sonic Boom (Lee Morgan album), Sonic Boom'' (Blue Note, 1966) With Idris Muhammad *''Kabsha'' (Theresa, 1980) With Don Patterson (organist), Don Patterson *''Oh Happy Day (Don Patterson album), Oh Happy Day'' (Prestige, 1969) – reissued on CD as ''Dem New York Dues'' *''Tune Up! (album), Tune Up!'' (Prestige, 1969) With John Patton (musician), John Patton *''Memphis to New York Spirit'' (Blue Note, 1969) With Nicholas Payton * ''Smoke Sessions'' (Smoke Sessions Records, 2021) With Duke Pearson * ''Honeybuns'' (Atlantic, 1965) * ''Prairie Dog (album), Prairie Dog'' (Atlantic, 1966) With Max Roach *''The Max Roach 4 Plays Charlie Parker'' (Emarcy Records, Emarcy, 1958) * ''Max Roach + 4 on the Chicago Scene'' (Emarcy, 1958) * ''Max Roach + 4 at Newport'' (Emarcy, 1958) *''Deeds, Not Words'' (Riverside Records, Riverside, 1958) * ''Award-Winning Drummer'' (Time Records, Time, 1958) * ''The Many Sides of Max'' (Mercury, 1959) With Shirley Scott *''Lean on Me (album), Lean on Me'' (Cadet Records, Cadet, 1972) *''Queen Talk: Live at the Left Bank'' (Wienerworld/Cellar Live, 1972 [rel. 2023) With Jimmy Smith (musician), Jimmy Smith * ''House Party (Jimmy Smith album), House Party'' (Blue Note, 1957–58) *''The Sermon!'' (Blue Note, 1958) With Louis Smith (musician), Louis Smith *''Just Friends'' (Steeplechase Records, Steeplechase, 1982) With Melvin Sparks *''Akilah!'' (Prestige, 1972) With Charles Tolliver *''Impact (1975 Charles Tolliver album), Impact'' (Strata-East Records, Strata-East, 1975) With Roseanna Vitro *''Reaching for the Moon (album), Reaching for the Moon'' (Chase Music Group, 1991) *''Softly (Roseanna Vitro album), Softly'' (Concord, 1993) With Mal Waldron *''Sweet Love, Bitter (album), Sweet Love, Bitter'' (Impulse! Records, Impulse!, 1967) With Cedar Walton *''Eastern Rebellion'' (Timeless Records, Timeless, 1975) – with Sam Jones (musician), Sam Jones, Billy Higgins With Reuben Wilson * ''Love Bug (Reuben Wilson album), Love Bug'' (Blue Note, 1969)

References

External links

*
George Coleman as Sideman
{{DEFAULTSORT:Coleman, George 1935 births Living people Hard bop saxophonists Mainstream jazz saxophonists American jazz saxophonists American male saxophonists African-American jazz musicians African-American saxophonists Miles Davis Quintet members Musicians from Memphis, Tennessee 21st-century American saxophonists American male jazz musicians Smoke Sessions Records artists 20th-century American saxophonists