One of the last living hard bop tenor masters, George Coleman, is unfortunately known for his career move of leaving Miles Davis’ classic quartet with Ron Carter/b, Tony Williams/dr and Herbie Hancock/p, a team that is captured on a series of “live” albums that are a must in anyone’s catalogue.
Coleman still has had an impressive career on his own, still releasing impressive albums. This one is a “live” recording from May 23, 1971 in Baltimore, MD, before he’s even put out a solo album of his own as a leader, having been a sideman for Horace Silver, Harold Mabern and Elvin Jones before this gig. To my knowledge, this is the only recording of this band of Danny Moore/tp, Albert Dailey/p, Larry Ridley/b and Harold White/dr, as he used a completely different group for his 1975 debut. Still, the sound, groove and vibe is impressive, and red meat for hard bop fans.
The classic tenor/trumpet front line works perfectly with the team stretching out on the MJQ classic “Afternoon In Paris” with Coleman in a rich and beefy mood, and Dailey getting some nice solo space. There are a pair of Clifford Brown tunes, the hip blueser “Sandu” and the bouncy “Joy Spring” that has Moore in a sparkling mood. The best is when Coleman is in the spotlight, giving a gorgeous solo intro to “Body And Soul” and a nocturnal read of “Body And Soul”. This is what a hard bop tenor is supposed to sound like: macho, lyrical, bold and confident. Can we have today’s guys give this a few listens?