GEORGE COLEMAN, George Coleman with Strings

Like a warm, silky and loving caress from a longtime friend, legendary saxophonist George Coleman caps an extraordinarily diverse nearly 50-year solo recording career (at age 90!) with the perfectly titled George Coleman with Strings, a lush, exquisitely rendered collection featuring soul stirring/awakening string arrangements by veteran arranger/conductor Bill Dobbins and the elegant, seductive backing of his longtime quartet of bassist John Webber, drummer Joe Farnsworth and pianist David Hazeltine, who took the place of Coleman’s childhood friend and longtime collaborator Harold Mabern upon his passing in 2019.

Though his almost seven-decade career included extensive work with adventurous jazz movers and shakers like Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Chet Baker, Elvin Jones and Slide Hampton, the collection is less about showcasing explosive chops than cool, emotional, sensitive playing (with some exotic rhythmic touches) that reflects the art of aging creatively and gracefully. The unique repertoire includes classics by Sammy Cahn (“Dedicated to You”), Henry Mancini (“Moment to Moment”), Victor Young (“Stella By Starlight”), Johnny Mandel (“A Time For Love”) and Thelonious Monk (Monk’s only known waltz “Ugly Beauty”).