Steve Coleman and Five Elements
“Whether performing solo or with his regular ensemble, Steve Coleman and Five Elements, Coleman delivers signature performances of notated works and brings a masterful facility to intricate and complex improvised pieces.” – MacArthur Foundation
Growing up in Chicago’s south side, surrounded by funk, rock, soul and blues music, Steve Coleman learned the violin in school, but abandoned it for the alto saxophone at the age of 15. He moved to New York in 1978 to join Mel Lewis-Thad Jones Big Band, later playing in the Cecil Taylor Orchestra and Sam Rivers’ Winds of Manhattan group. Active and articulated, Coleman and kindred spirits – including singer Cassandra Wilson – formed M-Base, a self-help organization for black musicians, seeking to integrate all forms of black music into a new ecumenical style. Although he has led several groups over the years, which include Renegade Way (with Greg Osby and Joe Lovano), Mystic Rhythm Society, the Metrics, and the big band Council of Balance, his main group, Steve Coleman and Five Elements, began in 1981 and is still active today.
