1979 George Coleman “Amsterdam After Dark” on Timeless

Man, do I love George Coleman, for my money one of the most underrated tenors of the post-bop scene across the board. Dude just kills it on every outing, none of the them grails, many pretty modest lineups and labels and set lists. “Soul Crib” with Charlie Earland kills. And of course “Eastern Rebellion”, but he doesn’t get a ton of credit on that one. “Revival” is pure cheap heat, and check out this lineup for the Coleman Octet! : Azzedin Weston, Danny Moore, Frank Strozier, Harold Mabern, Idris Muhammad, Junior Cook (!!!), Lisle Atkinson, Mario Rivera. With the exception of Idris, they kind of all fit the Down-low George Mode. And I’m going to go out on a limb and say 2020’s “George Coleman In Baltimore” is one of the best RE’s of the last 5 years. Which brings us to Amsterdam, where we’re all perpetually in the dark. Yeah, this record rules. I really LOVE the addition of Hilton Ruiz on piano, and he totally kills it. Likewise the mighty battery of Sam Jones and Billy Higgins, and what more could you ask for a rhythm section? Seriously, friends, this record rules. Oh yes.