Steve Coleman is an American saxophonist, composer, bandleader and music theorist. In 2014, he was named a MacArthur Fellow.
His musical approach is unique. For this immense American saxophonist, playing cannot be dissociated from life and naturally belongs to a human activity anchored in reality. The vibration and energy given off by music are parts of a whole that stretches from the microphone to the macroscopic.

Coleman regards the music tradition he is coming from as African Diasporan culture with essential African retentions, especially a certain kind of sensibility. He searched for these roots and their connections of contemporary African-American music. For that purpose, he travelled to Ghana at the end of 1993 and came in contact with (among others) the Dagomba (Dagbon) people whose traditional drum music uses very complex polyrhythm and a drum language that allows sophisticated speaking through music (described and recorded by John Miller Chernoff). Thus, Coleman was animated to think about the role of music and the transmission of information in non-western cultures. He wanted to collaborate with musicians who were involved in traditions which come out of West Africa.

Cast: Steve Coleman (Alto saxophone), Jonathan Finlayson (Trumpet), Anthony Tidd (Bass), Sean Rickman (Drums)