George Coleman - Big George (1977)

"It is perhaps impossible to capture on record the dynamic impact of this remarkable octet's live performances. This excellent record comes near to it, however, and catches most of the sidemen at the top of their game. The choice of tunes, including some originals, is varied and there is not one dud track. The rhythm section, augmented by Randy Weston's son on Joggin', is outstanding and it implies no disparagement to Atkinson and Muhammed to observe the tremendous impact made by Maburn throughout.
Coleman is at his unqualified best on Body And Soul, with a reading that owes nothing to other great performances of this 'tenor vehicle'. On it he builds a solo with an architect's logicality and a painter's passion. None of his solos on the record are anything less than good, however, and he sets standards that must have proved daunting to his sidemen. Thankfully, they rise to the occasion. Strozier, outstanding on Frank's Tune, outstrips his Bracknell performance by a mile, while Cook lives up to his name on Dolphin Street. Moore also has fine comments to make on this track as well as on Body And Soul, and Rivera trundles along to very good affect. Rather than waste time with details it might be more productive to guess if any section of our readership could dislike this fine offering. I suspect the answer is — no!"
Barry McRae ~ Jazz Journal, April 1981

01 - Green Dolphin Street
02 - Frank's Tune
03 - Big George
04 - Joggin'
05 - Body And Soul
06 - Revival

Danny Moore (t/flh); George Coleman (ts); Junior Cook (ts); Frank Strozier (as); Mario Rivera (bs); Harold Maburn (p); Lisle Atkinson (b); Idris Muhammed (d); Azzedin Weston (p).
NYC, November 2 & 3, 1977.