Coe Education

The Lonely Bears - March Past 29 145 749 B

We'll finish out Month 11 with a 89th birthday mention for one of those undersung players everyone has heard, yet whom almost no one knows by their actual given name.

He was a giant of British Jazz who began in the 1950s and branched off into his own groups -- as well as a ton of session work -- in the mid 1960s.

His horn found its way into a bunch of films and famous records over the decades: if you know the John Martyn classic song "Solid Air," then you know Tony Coe, who shimmers on tenor in a way that takes five minutes that was already bliss into another territory altogether.

Of course, even little kids know the sax motif that plays in the Pink Panther movies, right?

Well, Tony Coe came up with that too, and it's him in those early films playing it.

And don't get me started on his seminal solo records like 1976's masterpiece Zeitgeist, possibly my favorite Brit Jazz platter of all times.

Then there's this group he and keys whiz Tony Hymas (yes that Tony Hymas, who you might know from Jeff Beck's fusion stuff) started in the 1990s, that ran for a few records and tours.

Terry Bozzio was the drummer, too... he of the 77,000 square foot drumset.

This aggregation was called The Lonely Bears and there isn't much live evidence of them in action, although they did play at several years of EuroJazz festivals and such.

But wait! There is one satellite TV thing from 1992 that shows Coe & Co. in their full fetter... here, wanna check it out?

The Lonely Bears

Deutsches Jazz Festival

Sendesaal des Hessischen Rundfunks

Frankfurt, Germany

10.30.1992

01 March Past 29 145 749 B

02 Quanah Parker

03 Kill King Rat

04 Entre Le Tigre et L'Euphrate

05 Dancing for the Elders

Total time: 45:26

Tony Coe - tenor & soprano saxophones

Tony Hymas - keyboards

Hugh Burns - guitar

Terry Bozzio - drums

audio from a European satellite TV broadcast

extracted, tracked & remastered by EN, January 2023
262 MB FLAC/direct link

That concludes November. I'll be back soon to begin to close out 2023 with another December to remember.

Do get after these Lonely Bears though, which all you Fusion Fiends out there will get into I am sure. And whilst you do, remember its main architect Tony Coe, who departed this plane about 8 months ago... but who could blow fasho, don'tcha know? Consider it a lesson in Coe Ed Sax!--J.

11.29.1934 - 3.16.2023