To call American saxophonist and composer Steve Coleman “influential” is an understatement. In the eighties, he co-founded the groundbreaking M-Base Collective. Later, he formed his group Five Elements, with whom he released the much-acclaimed albums Rhythm People and Black Science. New York, where he went on a whim from Chicago in the late seventies, and started playing with Thad Jones, Cecil Taylor and Abbey Lincoln, continues to be a source of inspiration. His virtuosity and the power of his illustrious predecessors in the history of jazz resonate in his playing, as does big-city life. Coleman’s pieces are characterized by their complicated cyclical structure, resulting in an irresistible groove. Apart from that, Coleman doesn’t categorize his music as jazz, but prefers the term “spontaneous composition.” He is returning to Rotterdam Ahoy for the ninth time!
