George Coleman with Strings unfolds as a graceful late-career statement from a jazz master whose tenor voice has long embodied both wisdom and warmth. Backed by his longtime rhythm section of pianist David Hazeltine, bassist John Webber, and drummer Joe Farnsworth, Coleman’s richly expressive tone finds new resonance alongside the elegant, understated orchestral flourishes arranged […]
George Coleman with Strings unfolds as a graceful late-career statement from a jazz master whose tenor voice has long embodied both wisdom and warmth. Backed by his longtime rhythm section of pianist David Hazeltine, bassist John Webber, and drummer Joe Farnsworth, Coleman’s richly expressive tone finds new resonance alongside the elegant, understated orchestral flourishes arranged and conducted by Bill Dobbins, with Café da Silva providing wonderful percussion color on select tracks. Recorded at the legendary Van Gelder Studio, the program draws from timeless works by composers like George Gershwin, Jimmy Van Heusen, Cole Porter, and Michel Legrand, offering a luminous canvas for Coleman’s lyrical ingenuity. The result is a collection that celebrates conversational intimacy between saxophone, strings, and quartet, revealing fresh life in familiar songs.
