The George Coleman Quartet will appear at Dizzy’s Club on Thursday, August 22 at 7:00 PM and 9 PM. The tenor saxophonist, named an NEA Jazz Master in 2015, is living history, who, for more than half a century, has steadily influenced generations of soloists, band leaders and collaborative musicians.
His sound resonates through the eras, including those he’s spent working alongside from Herbie Hancock, Freddie Hubbard, Ron Carter and Tony Williams to Elvin Jones, Charles Mingus, Betty Carter and Cedar Walton. With his quartet, expect an evening of soulful incantations, personally crafted vocabulary, and beautiful interpretations of standard tunes.
Coleman, born March 8, 1935 in Memphis,where in the late ‘40s and early ‘50s he grew up alongside such notables as Booker Little, Harold Mabern, Frank Strozier, Jamil Nasser, Hank Crawford and Phineas Newborn Jr. He began to teach himself to play the alto saxophone in 1950, upon being profoundly affected by the music of Charlie Parker. So remarkable was his talent that he was soon performing locally and in 1952, at the age of 17, was invited to tour with B.B. King after the guitarist heard him in a local club.
In the early 1960s, now New York-based, Coleman began focusing on his own composing and arranging, laying the foundation for his octet, formed in 1974 (still active today), and also working in quartet and octet settings, adding the soprano saxophone to his arsenal in 1990.
For full cover and ticketing information, click here.
Dizzy’s Club is located on the 5th Floor of Jazz at Lincoln Center, Columbus Circle at West 60th St., NYC
