# George Coleman

George Edward Coleman (born March 8, 1935) is an American jazz saxophonist known for his work with Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock in the 1960s. In 2015, he was named an NEA Jazz Master.

## 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.

## 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 on his album House Party (1957), along with Lee Morgan, Curtis Fuller, Kenny Burrell, and 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 Herbie Hancock (piano), Ron Carter (bass), and Tony Williams (drums)) are Seven Steps to Heaven (1963), A Rare Home Town Appearance (1963), Côte Blues (1963), In Europe (1963), 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", "Blue in Green", "81", "Freddie Freeloader", "My Funny Valentine", "If I Were a Bell", and "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 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 October 2024.

## Discography
### As leader/co-leader

| Year recorded | Title | Label | Notes |
| 1977 | Meditation | Timeless | Duo, with Tete Montoliu (piano) |
| 1977 | Revival | Catalyst; Affinity | Octet; released in Europe as Big George |
| 1978 | Amsterdam After Dark | Timeless | Quartet, with Hilton Ruiz (piano), Sam Jones (bass), Billy Higgins (drums) |
| 1979 | Playing Changes | Jazz House | Quartet, with Hilton Ruiz (piano), Ray Drummond (bass), Billy Higgins (drums); in concert at Ronnie Scott's |
| 1985 | Manhattan Panorama | Theresa; Evidence | Quartet, with Harold Mabern (piano), Jamil Nasser (bass), Idris Muhammad (drums); in concert at the Village Vanguard |
| 1989 | At Yoshi's | Theresa; Evidence | Quartet, with Harold Mabern (piano), Ray Drummond (bass), Alvin Queen (drums); in concert |
| 1990 | Convergence | Triloka | Duo, with Richie Beirach (piano) |
| 1991 | My Horns of Plenty | Birdology/Verve; Birdology/Dreyfus | Quartet, with Harold Mabern (piano), Ray Drummond (bass), Billy Higgins (drums) |
| 1995 | Blues Inside Out | Jazz House | Quintet, with Peter King (alto sax), Julian Joseph (piano), Dave Green (bass), Mark Taylor (drums); in concert at Ronnie Scott's |
| 1996 | Danger High Voltage | Two & Four | Octet, Harold Mabern (piano), Ray Drummond (bass), George Coleman Jr. (drums), Jim Rotondi (trumpet), Adam Brenner (alto sax), Ned Otter (tenor sax), Gary Smulyan (baritone sax), with Daniel Sadownick (percussion) added on several tracks |
| 1998 | I Could Write a Book: The Music of Richard Rodgers | Telarc | Quartet, with Harold Mabern (piano), Jamil Nasser (bass), Billy Higgins (drums) |
| 2002 | Four Generations of Miles: A Live Tribute To Miles | Chesky | Quartet, with Mike Stern (guitar), Ron Carter (bass), Jimmy Cobb (drums); in concert |
| 2016 | A Master Speaks | Smoke Sessions | Quartet, with Mike LeDonne (piano), Bob Cranshaw (bass), George Coleman Jr. (drums); one track quintet, with Peter Bernstein (guitar) added |
| 2018 | Groovin' With Big G | SteepleChase | Quartet, Brian Charette (Hammond B3 organ), Vic Juris (guitar), George Coleman Jr. (drums) |
| 2019 | The Quartet | Smoke Sessions | Quartet, Harold Mabern (piano), John Webber (bass), Joe Farnsworth (drums) |
| 2020 | The George Coleman Quintet in Baltimore | Reel To Real | Quintet, Danny Moore (trumpet), Albert Dailey (piano), Larry Ridley (bass), Harold White (drums); in concert May 23, 1971 |
| 2020 | On Green Dolphin Street | Blue Jack; Solid | Quartet, with Rob Agerbeek (piano), Rob Langereis (bass), Eric Ineke (drums); in concert April 9, 1974 |
| 2023 | George Coleman Live at Smalls Jazz Club | Cellar Music Group | Quartet, Spike Wilner (piano), Peter Washington (bass), Joe Farnsworth (drums) |
| 2024 | Big George | Smoke Sessions | Septet, Jim Rotondi (trumpet), Steve Davis (trombone), Eric Alexander (alto sax/tenor sax), David Hazeltine (piano), John Webber (bass), Joe Farnsworth (drums) |

### As sideman

With Chet Baker
* Smokin' with the Chet Baker Quintet (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, 1970 [rel. 1972])
With Paul (PB) Brown
* Paul Brown Quartet Meets The Three Tenors (Brownstone, 1998)
With Brian Charette
* Groovin' with Big G (Steeplechase, 2018) – with Vic Juris, George Coleman Jr.
With Miles Davis
* Seven Steps to Heaven (Columbia, 1963)
* Miles Davis in Europe [live] (Columbia, 1963)
* Live at the 1963 Monterey Jazz Festival (Monterey Jazz Festival/Concord, 2007)
* My Funny Valentine [live] (Columbia, 1964)
* Four & More [live] (Columbia, 1964 [rel. 1966])
With Joey DeFrancesco
* Organic Vibes (Concord, 2005)
With Charles Earland
* Soul Crib (Choice, 1969)
* 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 (Galaxy, 1979 [rel. 1981])
With Slide Hampton
* Slide Hampton and His Horn of Plenty (Strand, 1959)
* Sister Salvation (Atlantic, 1960)
* Somethin' Sanctified (Atlantic, 1961)
* Jazz with a Twist (Atlantic, 1962)
* Drum Suite (Epic, 1962)
* Exodus (Philips, 1962 [rel. 1964])
With Herbie Hancock
* Maiden Voyage (Blue Note, 1965)
With Johnny Hartman
* Today (Perception, 1972)
With Ahmad Jamal
* The Essence Part One (Birdology/Verve, 1995)
* Ahmad Jamal à l'Olympia [live] (Dreyfus, 2000)
With Elvin Jones
* Live at the Village Vanguard (Enja, 1968)
* Poly-Currents (Blue Note, 1969)
* Coalition (Blue Note, 1970)
* Time Capsule (Vanguard, 1977)
With Booker Little
* Booker Little 4 and Max Roach (United Artists 1958)
* Booker Little and Friend (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 (Atlantic, 1966)
With Charles Mingus
* Three or Four Shades of Blues (Atlantic, 1977)
With Lee Morgan
* City Lights (Blue Note, 1957)
* Sonic Boom (Blue Note, 1966)
With Idris Muhammad
* Kabsha (Theresa, 1980)
With One for All
* Big George (Smoke Sessions, 2022 [rel. 2024])
With Don Patterson
* Oh Happy Day (Prestige, 1969) – reissued on CD as Dem New York Dues
* Tune Up! (Prestige, 1969)
With 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 (Atlantic, 1966)
With Max Roach
* The Max Roach 4 Plays Charlie Parker (Emarcy, 1958)
* Max Roach + 4 on the Chicago Scene (Emarcy, 1958)
* Max Roach + 4 at Newport (Emarcy, 1958)
* Deeds, Not Words (Riverside, 1958)
* Award-Winning Drummer (Time, 1958)
* The Many Sides of Max (Mercury, 1959)
With Shirley Scott
* Lean on Me (Cadet, 1972)
* Queen Talk: Live at the Left Bank (Wienerworld/Cellar Live, 1972 [rel. 2023)
With Jimmy Smith
* House Party (Blue Note, 1957–58)
* The Sermon! (Blue Note, 1958)
With Louis Smith
* Just Friends (Steeplechase, 1982)
With Melvin Sparks
* Akilah! (Prestige, 1972)
With Charles Tolliver
* Impact (Strata-East, 1975)
With Roseanna Vitro
* Reaching for the Moon (Chase Music Group, 1991)
* Softly (Concord, 1993)
With Mal Waldron
* Sweet Love, Bitter (Impulse!, 1967)
With Cedar Walton
* Eastern Rebellion (Timeless, 1975) – with Sam Jones, Billy Higgins
* Eastern Rebellion 5: Live (Timeless, 7/26/76 [rel. 2021])
* Eastern Rebellion 6: Live (Timeless, 7/20/76 [rel. 2024])
With Reuben Wilson
* Love Bug (Blue Note, 1969)