87-yr-old George Coleman groovin' at Smalls this week.

[BillF]

 

[Holy Ghost]

Can't get this link to work, tell me that's not George Coleman out front playing. 

[sidewinder]

Kicking off with ‘Amsterdam After Dark’ - which I remember seeing him play in 1979.

[BillF]

49 minutes ago, Holy Ghost said:

Can't get this link to work

Go to YouTube. Typing Smalls George Coleman into the search box should get it.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

The last time I saw George, he was still "Big George". Man, he looks so frail up there. But then again, my mom is 85 and she can barely walk, never mind play a saxophone, so George is doing something right.

Joe Farnsworth is a damn fine drummer.

[sidewinder]

I’m glad this has been posted - I’d wanted to check out those Small’s shows but the timing is incompatible with office working hours next day in the UK.

Quite a contrast with 1979 - long powerful runs and the circular breathing missing but the great lyricism and blues feel still very much there.

I think the last time I saw him would have been mid-2000s in London and I have a feeling it was with Bobby Hutcherson (or maybe I am getting him confused for that one with Johnny Griffin - or maybe it was both of them with Hutch).

There’s also that ‘Coleman Family’ documentary on Amazon Prime on that site at present with more from George.

Edited June 9, 2022 by sidewinder

[BillF]

2 minutes ago, sidewinder said:

I’m glad this has been posted - I’d wanted to check out those Small’s shows but the timing is incompatible with office working hours next day in the UK.

 

Everything from Smalls is now on YouTube and accessible at any time.

I take a look each day to see what's been on the previous evening.

[jlhoots]

Houston Person is still good too - sorry to go "off thread".

[BillF]

5 minutes ago, jlhoots said:

Houston Person is still good too - sorry to go "off thread".

Agreed - also 87.

Here he is at Emmet's place a few months ago:

 

[Gheorghe]

12 hours ago, sidewinder said:

Kicking off with ‘Amsterdam After Dark’ - which I remember seeing him play in 1979.

Me too, it was early in 1979 and the band was Hilton Ruiz, Ray Drummond and Billy Higgins.

 

[Holy Ghost]

On 6/9/2022 at 1:58 PM, Holy Ghost said:

Can't get this link to work, tell me that's not George Coleman out front playing. 

Sorry, just remember him looking so robust, he looks so frail there. 

[sidewinder]

On 10/06/2022 at 7:51 AM, Gheorghe said:

Me too, it was early in 1979 and the band was Hilton Ruiz, Ray Drummond and Billy Higgins.

 

Yes, Ruiz and Higgins. Bassist was Herbie Lewis so must have been the next European tour (Wim Wigt?), late ‘79 or early 1980. 

One of the most enjoyable Coleman performances I witnessed was a free open-air one, near MacArthur Park, LA. That was with Cedar Walton, David Williams and Billy Higgins and I have photos taken of it somewhere.

[Gheorghe]

Now I saw the  video.

It´s quite a sad aspect from 2000 on for us who witnessed greatest tenorists in their prime, to see him in the latest stages of their splendid careers. 
There were dozens of them. I all saw them when they were in their prime, mostly in the 1970´s maybe early 80´s....
Well, when I saw Wayne Shorter in 2004 or so, he still was full in action and looked much younger than past 70.
Johnny Griffin in the same year was a frail old man with a weak sound, having to sit down while playing.
Sonny Rollins also was short of breath in later years. 
Pharoah Sanders also had slowed down and was in obvious discomfort when I saw him.
Archie Shepp the same. 

Others lost their abilities due to booze and drugs and died in their 60´s like Dexter Gordon and Sonny Stitt.....really sad.....

Here, George Coleman has to be led on stage and has to sit down. He is short of breath which is mostly obvious on ballads, where he tries to play fast runs to cover his breathlessness. 

But what shocked me most was that fact that he seemed so isolated, paying no heed to the rousing rounds of applause, with a vacant look when not playing. But they shouldn´t have filmed the whole intermission with that bald headed guy with the photo camera, who is always standing there....

Edited June 17, 2022 by Gheorghe

[BillF]

1 hour ago, Gheorghe said:

 

But they shouldn´t have filmed the whole intermission with that bald headed guy with the photo camera, who is always standing there....

This is a live stream that automatically films all that happens. I've heard musicians say "Careful what you say.The live stream is listening"! 

It means, of course, that by searching Smalls on YouTube you can see what's happening every night and watch anything that appeals to you. It's the next best thing to live jazz which, round here anyway, seems to have faded out since the lockdown.

Edited June 17, 2022 by BillF

[sidewinder]

1 hour ago, Gheorghe said:

But they shouldn´t have filmed the whole intermission with that bald headed guy with the photo camera, who is always standing there....

He’s always there at every gig blocking the view in front of me. 

[Coda]

He's playing again tonight.   George Coleman Quartet - Live at Smalls Jazz Club - New York City - 10/10/22 - YouTube
 

[Gheorghe]

On 10/11/2022 at 1:32 AM, Coda said:

He's playing again tonight.   George Coleman Quartet - Live at Smalls Jazz Club - New York City - 10/10/22 - YouTube
 

He sounds much better on this occasion than the video from summer. Really astonishing.

But why did they let him sit alone on stage for so long time ? 

He still has astonishing power from the moment he blows his horn and listens to his fellow musicians, but seems to have that really lost and vacant look on his face while not playing. 

How he sits, the position of his head and his look reminds me so much of a cover photo of Bud Powell. By the way: This is on a Paris Studio album, but not the original cover, and I´m sure it was made later than his Paris sojourn. Maybe at Carnegie or Townhall in 1965 ? 

[optatio]

On 6/9/2022 at 10:02 PM, BillF said:

Agreed - also 87.

* November 10, 1934 - already 88! 

[Kevin Bresnahan]

More George from last night (20June2023). Note that the music doesn't start until after the 35 minute mark.

George is playing at Jimmy's in Portsmouth, NH in August. He's bringing Eric Alexander to help out with the sax-playing duties and Mike LeDonne on piano. No Farnsworth though - his son George Jr is in the drum chair - and the $75 ticket price is a bit steep. I may go if only because I wonder how many more times George will tour.

 

 

[Justin V]

I was there last night.  Big George has still got it.  

Edited June 22, 2023 by Justin V

[Gheorghe]

5 hours ago, Justin V said:

I was there last night.  Big George has still got it.  

Wonderful !