George Cables
He belongs to the Kenny Barron school of piano playing, cites Thelonious Monk, Herbie Hancock, Wynton Kelly, and Oscar Peterson, but also Miles Davis and John Coltrane as influences and celebrates his 70th birthday today. Happy birthday George Cables.
He has worked with only the greatest in Jazz, like Bobby Hutcherson, Art Blakey, Art Pepper, and Joe Henderson and these days, he plays with the group The Cookers.
Even though he was born in New York City, it was Sonny Rollins who brought him to the West coast on a tour in 1969 and soon after, he established himself there. Cables went back from playing a lot of Electric piano to the acoustic when Dexter Gordon called him to work with him. He also spent a lot of time in Art Pepper‘s band (pictured is the cover of the beautiful duo album from 1982 called “Goin’ Home” which was also Pepper’s last). “I don’t feel that one should be stuck in the mud playing the same old stuff all the time, trying to prove that this music is valid,” Cables says. “We don’t need to prove anything. But I think you really have to be responsive to your heritage and then go on and find your own voice.” (JazzCorner).
His latest CD is “Icons & Influences”, released earlier this year on the NY based HighNote Records.
