George Coleman is one of the great, under-appreciated tenor giants. Possessor of an encyclopaedic knowledge of music and of the art of improvisation, he has provided wise counsel to countless saxophone players, including many names, who have sat at his feet to benefit from his wisdom – not least the UK's Iain Ballamy. The New Yorker was on the money when it said, “Coleman is a marvel; there isn’t a sax player who knows his instrument better, or one who imparts so much knowledge in every marathon solo.”

This double LP set is possibly the finest example of his playing on record, and hold that thought about imparting knowledge with every solo. There are two fine examples of this, ‘They Say It's Wonderful’ and ‘Good Morning Heartache.’ Coleman was approaching 50 and in his prime in 1987, his playing had acquired a grandeur and vitality, and he was among the most commanding players in jazz.

His handling of ‘They Say’ and ‘Good Morning’ – and of each of the other five songs on this set – is impressive. A majestic statement of the theme, followed by his shrewd use of dynamics, of rhythmic control by moving from two to four to increase tension, the gradual increase of number of notes (subdividing, and then subdividing again, each beat in the bar) to increase tension in conjunction with the use of the rising line, produces performances of inherent majesty. On each song, the listener is taken on a journey through well thought-out, structured performances where you dare not miss a note played.

Add to that his mastery of the saxophone and you have a double LP set that is a benchmark of what the real art of jazz improvisation is all about; remember, “there isn’t a player who knows his instrument better, or imparts so much knowledge in every marathon solo.”