鈥淪teve Coleman is coming! Have you heard?鈥 The rumble of excitement among the young jazz students at Birmingham Conservatoire is almost audible in Chamberlain Square. And the anticipation is felt in the jazz clubs around the city and further afield too.
This is not only because the Chicago alto saxophonist hasn鈥檛 played here in the last decade, but also because his work has huge significance for the newer generations of jazz musicians.
In his blog series called 50 Great Moments In Jazz, the journalist John Fordham included, at 49, rhythm. His argument was that Coleman鈥檚 merging, back in the 1980s as one of a collective known as M-Base, of the rhythms of dance forms like hip-hop with earlier jazz rhythms like swing has been the inspiration for many younger musicians.
While in some ways, Steve Coleman could be described as 鈥渁 musician鈥檚 musician鈥 there is also a much wider appeal in his music, both for its exciting rhythms and its attempt to get deeper into the unconsciousness.
Coleman was born in Chicago and he has spoken before of the city鈥檚 great saxophonists who have influenced him, especially Von Freeman and Bunky Green, so I wondered if there was a definable Chicago sound or ethos?
鈥淚 believe that there is something that I hear in the regional sound of the area, in certain time periods,鈥 he says.
鈥淏ut I have no idea how I would describe something like this in words. In general, the further back you go in the past, the more different regions had particular sound characteristics. Chicago has a strong blues base, so this is something that is in the sound.鈥
Coleman, now 58, was also inspired not only by the bebop jazz of Charlie Parker but also by the funk mastery of James Brown鈥檚 lead altoist Maceo Parker.
He got his first big break back in 1978 when he joined the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra. Four years later he joined bassist Dave Holland鈥檚 Quintet, but he had already formed his own band, Five Elements, and has been most active as a band leader ever since.
A visit to Ghana in the early 90s further expanded the rhythmic element of his music, and over the years he has explored complex and esoteric theories, influenced by Ancient Greek and Egyptian ideas as well as mathematics.
For his concert at the CBSO Centre on Saturday, November 22 Five Elements will consist of trumpeter Jonathan Finlayson, bassist Anthony Tidd and drummer Sean Rickman. They have been with . So what does he look for in the musicians he gets to play his music?
鈥淥f course finding compatible people to create with is very, very important,鈥 he says.
鈥淭he basics are a general fluency in the primary elements of music; the ability to negotiate rhythmic and tonal resources.
鈥淭hen there is familiarity with the history of the particular lineages that I come out of, and finally there are cultural considerations. The main thing I am trying to accomplish with music is communication, and so there should be some familiarity with the particular dialects of the language that we are using.
鈥淔inally, the willingness to learn and a general open-mindedness is necessary. And I also look for individuality.鈥
Steve Coleman has recently been awarded a prestigious MacArthur Foundation Fellowship grant, known as a 鈥淕enius鈥 award. What did that feel like and what might it mean for his work?
鈥淭he use of the term 鈥榞enius鈥 is most unfortunate. It鈥檚 always great to receive some kind of recognition for what we do, but in my case it will not change what I am doing. I will continue to do what I have been doing before. Maybe I can get a few more gigs, or have the opportunity to be involved in some larger projects, but no award has ever changed anyone鈥檚 music. Music comes from within us; money or recognition does not change this, and frequently, these things can even have a negative impact on creativity.鈥
of the last 30 years 鈥 he hasn鈥檛 been overly prolific but he has been consistent 鈥 shows a coherence but also a remarkable development, or concentration, of style. Had there been some wrong turns?
鈥淚鈥檝e made many mistakes 鈥 after all, I am part of the human species,鈥 he explains. The early days of M-Base have nothing to do with what I鈥檓 doing (now)鈥 I鈥檝e been trying to learn how to spontaneously compose since 1974, about 40 years, and I still feel that I have a very long way to go yet to even come close to the level I believe this music should be performed on.鈥
* Steve Coleman & Five Elements play CBSO Centre, Berkley Street, Birmingham on Saturday, November 22 at 8pm. Tickets cost 拢15. Book via
Peter Bacon鈥檚 pick of the December jazz gigs
Thursday, December 4: Arun Ghosh 鈥 Inventive Indo-jazz from the clarinettist. Presented by Jazz At The Arena at Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton, 8pm. 拢12. More at
Wednesday, December 10: John Etheridge/Chris Garrick 鈥 Guitar and fiddle jazz with gipsy overtones. Presented by Stratford Jazz at No. 1 Shakespeare Street, Stratford-upon-Avon, 8pm, 拢15. More at
Thursday, December 11: Laura Jurd Quartet - Brilliant young trumpeter and her band. Presented by Jazzlines at Bramall Music Building, University of Birmingham, 5pm, Free. More at
Friday, December 12: Midland Youth Jazz Orchestra 鈥 The sound of jazz鈥檚 tomorrow today. Presented by Birmingham Jazz at The Barton Arms, Aston, 7.45pm, 拢12. More at
