Colemangeorge - The Quartet [CD]

"When you hear the tenor sax of George Coleman, you know it's him within a few notes. That deep spark of a tone evokes a time and place" - DownBeat magazine Tenor saxophone legend George Coleman finally leads his longstanding group into the studio on his majestic new album, showcasing two decades of scintillating chemistry. NEA Jazz Master George Coleman has wielded his powerful tenor with notable bands throughout his remarkable career as both a leader and sideman alongside some of the most legendary artists in Jazz: Miles Davis, Max Roach, Elvin Jones, Lee Morgan, Herbie Hancock, Charles Mingus, Cedar Walton and B.B. King among many others. So when the saxophone giant christens an album 'The Quartet', those two simple words speak volumes about the esteem in which he holds the musicians that make up his band. Coleman's latest album more than backs up that typically understated compliment with a captivating session of bristling swing, lively interplay and deep communication. Coleman is joined by pianist Harold Mabern, bassist John Webber and drummer Joe Farnsworth to make up a quartet that has been sharing the bandstand for the better part of two decades, even though this release marks their debut recording as a unit! This fact alone lends considerable heft to that seemingly straightforward title. It captures a stellar band at the height of its powers and is a tantalising glimpse of an extraordinary quartet only previously enjoyed by those who have been awestruck by seeing them in person. 'The Quartet' is released as a deluxe 8-panel CD digipak.