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Author:  David Luebbert Posted:  1/20/13; 2:47:48 PM Msg#:  5921 (top msg in thread) Prev/Next:  5920/5922 Reads:  479019

George Coleman should be recognized as a Jazz Master

Every year since 1982, the National Endowment for the Arts honors a small number of jazz musicians as NEA Jazz Masters. The great tenor saxophonist George Coleman has reached his 76th year, and has still not been accorded this honor.

Remember that George was the tenor who blew sublimely on Herbie Hancock's Maiden Voyage album with Freddie Hubbard at his elbow and with Herbie, Ron Carter and Tony Williams stretching time underneath his lines in wondrous ways.

And remember how he played during the celebrated NAACP benefit concert of February 1964, when the Miles Davis Quintet (Coleman, Hancock, Carter and Williams with Miles) recorded the music for the My Funny Valentine and "Four And More" albums, an incandescent evening in the history of jazz performance.

His mastery has been undeniable since those early career recordings nearly a half century ago, and has not diminished. As a mid career checkpoint, listen to what happened when he joined the Eastern Rebellion collective in the mid-80's.

On Change.org there's been a petition effort organized over the past few days to collect signatures to support the idea that George Coleman be named one of this year's NEA Jazz Masters.

I signed early this morning, and hope that you'll consider adding your name to the list.

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