George Coleman: With Strings

Sooner or later (usually later), a jazz saxophonist (or other instrumentalist) will entertain a desire to leave his or her normal comfort zone and record an album with "class." In other words, cue the string section and get ready to score some ballads. Tenor virtuoso George Coleman, who likely needs no introduction to even the more casual jazz fan, is the latest to take the With Strings plunge, diving headlong into a number of sumptuous, string-laden arrangements by Bill Dobbins.

There are five songs in all, the last two of which—Thelonious Monk's "Ugly Beauty," Johnny Mandel's "A Time for Love"—are repeated "with full orchestra intro." It should be noted that even when the do-overs are logged, the album's playing time is a mere thirty-six minutes. The session opens with "Dedicated to You" and includes Henry Mancini's "Moment to Moment" and Victor Young/Ned Washington's well-traveled "Stella by Starlight." Coleman is smooth and eloquent on every theme, as would be expected, while pianist Matt Hazeltine adds a couple of pleasing solos.

Aside from that, there's not much to report except that Coleman was a spry eighty-seven years old when his part of the album (with quartet) was recorded at New Jersey's Van Gelder Studio in December 2022 (the strings were recorded more than three months later, in early April 2023), and that the reason given for Coleman's move to strings is that he was still growing and searching for new means of expression as he neared his ninetieth decade. Which is probably as sound an argument as any. Besides Hazeltine, the members of Coleman's core group are bassist John Webber and drummer Joe Farnsworth, with percussionist Cafe Da Silva added on three numbers.

Those who are accustomed to hearing the "old" George Coleman (read: flat-out swinger) may have to adapt to the "new" version (read: peaceful balladeer). But as it is never too late, at least in his eyes, to learn and share new tricks, longtime fans may indeed welcome and warm to the change in climate, from hot and humid to to cool and frosty. It is, after all, still George Coleman, whose merit has been proven on many roadways and in many climes.