George Cables
{{short description|American jazz pianist and composer|bot=PearBOT 5}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = George Cables
| image = George Cables.jpg
| image_size = 250
| caption =
| landscape = yes
| background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1944|11|14|mf=y}}
| birth_place = New York City
| origin =
| genre = Jazz
| occupation = Musician
| instrument = Piano
| years_active =
| label = SteepleChase, Contemporary, Atlas
| associated_acts = The Cookers
| website = {{URL|www.georgecables.com}}
}}
George Andrew Cables (born November 14, 1944) is an American jazz pianist and composer.
Early life
Cables was born in New York City, United States.{{Citation|last = Rinzler|first = Paul|last2 = Kernfeld|first2 = Barry|title = Cables, George|publisher = Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press|url = http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/J071100|access-date = December 18, 2014|url-access=subscription }} He was initially taught piano by his mother. He then studied at the High School of Performing Arts and later at Mannes College (1963–65). He formed the Jazz Samaritans at the age of 18, a band that included Billy Cobham, Steve Grossman, and Clint Houston. Cables' early influences on piano were Thelonious Monk and Herbie Hancock.
Later life and career
Cables has played with Art Blakey, Sonny Rollins, Dexter Gordon, Art Pepper, Joe Henderson, Frank Morgan and other well-established jazz musicians.[{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p6224|pure_url=yes}} Biography, AllMusic]
His own records include the 1980 Cables' Vision with Freddie Hubbard among others.{{cite web|title =Cables' Vision: Review |first=Scott |last=Yanow |website=AllMusic| url ={{AllMusic|class=album|id=cables-vision-r136291|pure_url=yes}} |access-date =2010-12-27}} From 1983, Cables worked in the project Bebop & Beyond. He left later in the 1980s, but returned for guest appearances on two early 1990s albums, before rejoining in 1998.
Cables is a charter member of The Cookers band, founded in 2010, which includes leading jazz composers and players like Billy Harper, Eddie Henderson, David Weiss, Donald Harrison, Cecil McBee, Billy Hart and others.
Discography
=As leader/co-leader=
| class="wikitable sortable"
!Year recorded !Title !Label !Notes |
| 1975
|Trio, with Tony Dumas (bass), Carl Burnett (drums) |
| 1979
|With Joe Farrell (flute), Ernie Watts (alto sax), Rufus Reid (bass), Eddie Gladden (drums) |
| 1979
|With Freddie Hubbard (flugelhorn), Bobby Hutcherson (vibraphone), Tony Dumas (bass, electric bass), Peter Erskine (drums); some tracks with Ernie Watts (tenor sax, flute), Vince Charles (percussion) added |
| 1980
|Quartet, with Eddie Henderson (trumpet), John Heard (bass), Sherman Ferguson (drums); in concert |
| 1980?
|Some of My Favorite Things |Trio, with Tony Dumas (bass), Billy Higgins (drums) |
| 1981
|Whisper Not |Trio, with Tony Dumas (bass), Peter Erskine (drums) |
| 1982?
|Old Wine, New Bottle |Trio, with David Williams (bass), Carl Burnett (drums) |
| 1982?
|Wonderful L.A. |Trio, with David Williams (bass), Carl Burnett (drums) |
| 1982
|Galaxy |Duo, with Art Pepper (alto sax, clarinet) |
| 1982
|Galaxy |Duo, with Art Pepper (alto sax) |
| 1983?
|Sleeping Bee |Trio, with Tony Dumas (bass), Ralph Penland (drums) |
| 1984
|The Big Jazz Trio |Trio, with Stanley Clarke (bass), Peter Erskine (drums) |
| 1985
|Trio, with John Heard (bass), Tony Williams (drums) |
| 1986
|Duo, with Frank Morgan (alto sax) |
| 1987
|Some tracks solo piano; most tracks trio, with John Heard (bass), Ralph Penland (drums) |
| 1991
|Trio, with Peter Washington (bass), Kenny Washington (drums) |
| 1991
|Night and Day |DIW |Trio, with Cecil McBee (bass), Billy Hart (drums) |
| 1991
|Beyond Forever |With Joe Locke (vibraphone), Santi Debriano (bass), Victor Lewis (drums) |
| 1993
|Trio, with Jay Anderson (bass), Adam Nussbaum (drums) |
| 1994
|Trio, with Ron McClure (bass), Billy Hart (drums) |
| 1994
|Solo piano; in concert |
| 1995
|Solo piano |
| 1995
|Alone Together |Groove Jazz |Trio, with Philippe Soirat, Carlos Barretto |
| 1995
|Trio, with Jay Anderson (bass), Albert Heath (drums) |
| 1996
|Trio, with Jay Anderson (bass), Billy Hart (drums) |
| 1997
|Trio, with Jay Anderson (bass), Billy Drummond (drums) |
| 2000
|Trio, with Jay Anderson (bass), Yoron Israel (drums) |
| 2001
|Meldac |Trio, with George Mraz (bass), Victor Lewis (drums) |
| 2001
|New York Concerto |Meldac |Trio, with George Mraz (bass), Victor Lewis (drums) |
| 2001
|MuseFX |With Bennie Maupin (bass clarinet), Gary Bartz (alto sax), Alphonso Johnson and Abraham Laboriel (bass; separately); Vinny Colaiuta and Peter Erskine (drums; separately) |
| 2003
|MuseFX |One track solo piano; one track trio, with Peter Washington (bass), Victor Lewis (drums); most tracks quartet, with Gary Bartz (alto sax, soprano sax) added |
| 2004
|Kind of Blue |Trio, with Rufus Reid (bass), Victor Lewis (drums) |
| 2007
|Kind of Blue |Solo piano |
| 2012
|Trio, with Essiet Essiet (bass), Victor Lewis (drums) |
| 2013
|Trio, with Dezron Douglas (bass), Victor Lewis (drums) |
| 2015
|Trio, with Essiet Essiet (bass), Victor Lewis (drums) |
| 2016
|Some tracks trio, with Essiet Essiet (bass), Victor Lewis (drums); some tracks quartet, with Sarah Elizabeth Charles (vocals) added); one track quintet, with Craig Handy (tenor sax, flute) added; some tracks sextet, with Steven Kroon (percussion) added |
| 2019
|Trio, with Essiet Essiet (bass), Victor Lewis (drums) |
| 2020
|Trio, with Essiet Essiet (bass), Victor Lewis (drums) |
= As sideman =
With The Cookers
- Warriors (Jazz Legacy Productions, 2010)
- Cast The First Stone (Plus Loin Music/Harmonia Mundi, 2011)
- Believe (Motéma Music, 2012)
- Time And Time Again (Motéma Music, 2014)
- The Call Of The Wild And Peaceful Heart (Smoke Sessions Records, 2016)
- Look Out! (Gearbox Records, 2021)
With Roy Haynes
- Thank You Thank You (Galaxy, 1977)
- Vistalite (Galaxy, 1977 [1979])
With Eddie Henderson
- Comin' Through (Capitol, 1977)
- Witness to History (Smoke Sessions, 2022){{cite web |title=Witness to History |url=https://eddiehenderson.bandcamp.com/album/witness-to-history |website=eddiehenderson.bandcamp.com |access-date=December 31, 2023}}
With Joe Henderson
- If You're Not Part of the Solution, You're Part of the Problem (Milestone, 1970)
- In Pursuit of Blackness (Milestone, 1971)
With Freddie Hubbard
- Keep Your Soul Together (CTI, 1974)
- High Energy (Columbia, 1974)
- Gleam (Columbia, 1975)
- Liquid Love (Columbia, 1975)
- Windjammer (Columbia, 1976)
With Bobby Hutcherson
- Waiting (Blue Note, 1975)
- Knucklebean (Blue Note, 1977)
- Highway One (Columbia, 1978)
- Conception: The Gift of Love (Columbia, 1979)
- Un Poco Loco (Columbia, 1979)
- Four Seasons (Timeless, 1985) – rec. 1983
- Good Bait (Landmark, 1985)
With Greg Marvin
- Taking Off! (Planet X, 1991)
- Special Edition (Planet X, 2001)
With Frank Morgan
- Mood Indigo (Antilles, 1989)
- Quiet Fire with Bud Shank (Contemporary, 1991) – rec. 1987
- A Lovesome Thing (Antilles, 1991)
- City Nights: Live at the Jazz Standard (HighNote, 2004) – rec. 2003
- Raising the Standard (HighNote, 2005) – rec. 2002
- A Night in the Life (HighNote, 2007) – rec. 2003
- Montreal Memories (Live Duo Performance) (HighNote, 2018) – rec. 1989
With Art Pepper
- The Trip (Contemporary, 1976)
- No Limit (Contemporary, 1977)
- Thursday Night at the Village Vanguard (Contemporary, 1979) – rec. 1977
- Friday Night at the Village Vanguard (Contemporary, 1979) – rec. 1977
- Saturday Night at the Village Vanguard (Contemporary, 1979) – rec. 1977
- So in Love (Artists House, 1979)
- Landscape (Galaxy, 1979)
- Besame Mucho (JVC, 1981) – rec. 1979
- Roadgame (Galaxy, 1982) – rec. 1981
- Art Lives (Galaxy, 1983) – rec. 1981
- Artworks (Galaxy, 1984) – rec. 1979
- APQ (Galaxy, 1984) – rec. 1981
- More for Les at the Village Vanguard (Contemporary, 1985) – rec. 1977
- Arthur's Blues (Galaxy, 1991) – rec. 1981
- San Francisco Samba (Contemporary, 1997) – rec. 1977
- Art Pepper: Unreleased Art, Vol. 1 (APM, 2006)
With Max Roach
- Lift Every Voice and Sing (Atlantic, 1971)
- To the Max! (Enja, 1997) – rec. 1990–1991
With Bud Shank
- Yesterday, Today and Forever (Concord Jazz, 1983) with Shorty Rogers
- California Concert (Contemporary, 1985) with Shorty Rogers
- That Old Feeling (Contemporary, 1986)
- ''Quiet Fire' with Frank Morgan' (Contemporary, 1991) – rec. 1987
With Woody Shaw
- Blackstone Legacy (Contemporary, 1970)
- Song of Songs (Contemporary, 1972)
- Woody III (Columbia, 1979)
With others
- Laurie Antonioli, Soul Eyes (Catero, 1984)
- Gary Bartz, Love Song (Vee-Jay International, 1977)
- Art Blakey, Child's Dance (Prestige, 1972)
- Joe Chambers, The Almoravid (Muse, 1974)
- Joe Farrell, Sonic Text (Contemporary, 1979)
- Chico Freeman, Focus (Contemporary, 1995)
- Curtis Fuller, Crankin' (Mainstream, 1971)
- Dexter Gordon, Sophisticated Giant (Columbia, 1977)
- Billy Harper, Capra Black (Strata-East, 1973)
- Philly Joe Jones, Philly Mignon (Galaxy, 1977)
- Eddie Marshall, Dance of the Sun (Muse, 1977)
- David "Fathead" Newman, Keep the Dream Alive (Prestige, 1978)
- Sonny Rollins, Next Album (Milestone 1972)
- Charlie Rouse, Epistrophy (Landmark, 1989)
- Archie Shepp, California Meeting: Live on Broadway (Soul Note, 1987) – rec. 1985
- Bennie Wallace, Bennie Wallace in Berlin (Enja, 2002)
- Kazumi Watanabe, Lonesome Cat (Denon, 1978)
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.georgecables.com/ Cables' Official Site]
- [https://ethaniverson.com/interviews/interview-with-george-cables-part-1/ DTM interview]
- [https://www.namm.org/library/oral-history/george-cables George Cables Interview] NAMM Oral History Library (2020)
- [https://www.bobrosenbaum.com/transcripts/cables1.pdf An Interview with George Cables] by Bob Rosenbaum, February 1983
{{George Cables}}
{{Jazz Messengers}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cables, George}}
Category:American jazz pianists
Category:American male jazz pianists
Category:Jazz musicians from New York City
Category:SteepleChase Records artists
Category:Black Saint/Soul Note artists
Category:Contemporary Records artists
Category:Concord Records artists
Category:American session musicians
Category:20th-century American pianists
Category:21st-century American pianists
Category:20th-century American male musicians
Category:21st-century American male musicians
Category:Bebop & Beyond members