Steve Coleman and Five Elements

In the 1980s alto saxophonist Steve Coleman presented his own vision of jazz, based on soul, funk and the new rhythm of the street, hip-hop. As the band leader of Five Elements he co-founded the M-Base collective, which included famous jazz singer Cassandra Wilson. Its influence can still be felt today in the music of such progressive band leaders as Jason Moran, Vijay Iyer and Ambrose Akinmusire.

As a composer Coleman investigates the spiritual connection between contemporary Afro-American culture, Egyptian antiquity and folk music from all over the globe. Rhythm and flow in nature and language are important points of interest. The recent live album PolyTropos/Of Many Turns is a good example of Coleman’s non-linear composition style, allowing band members to build the music spontaneously through pre-composed modules.

Steve Coleman alto sax, Jonathan Finlayson trumpet, Rich Brown bass, Sean Rickman drums