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. 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's early influences on piano were Thelonious Monk and Herbie Hancock.
Later life and career
Cables has performed with Art Blakey, Sonny Rollins, Dexter Gordon, Art Pepper, Joe Henderson, Frank Morgan, and other well-established jazz musicians.
His own recordings include the 1980 Cables' Vision with Freddie Hubbard, among others. 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, founded in 2010, a band which includes leading jazz composers and players Billy Harper, Eddie Henderson, David Weiss, Donald Harrison, Cecil McBee, Billy Hart, and others.
Discography As leader/co-leader Recording dateTitle Label Release year Notes / Personnel 1975Why Not Whynot 1975 Trio; with Tony Dumas (bass), Carl Burnett (drums) 1979-03CircleContemporary 1985 With Joe Farrell (flute), Ernie Watts (alto saxophone), Rufus Reid (bass), Eddie Gladden (drums) 1979-12Cables' Vision Contemporary 1980 With Freddie Hubbard (flugelhorn), Bobby Hutcherson (vibraphone), Tony Dumas (bass, electric bass), Peter Erskine (drums); some tracks with Ernie Watts (tenor saxophone, flute), Vince Charles (percussion) added 1980-02Some of My Favorite Things Atlas 1980 Trio; with Tony Dumas (bass), Billy Higgins (drums) 1980Morning Song HighNote 2008 Quartet; with Eddie Henderson (trumpet), John Heard (bass), Sherman Ferguson (drums); in concert 1981-02Whisper Not Atlas 1981 Trio; with Tony Dumas (bass), Peter Erskine (drums) 1982-01Old Wine, New Bottle Atlas 1982 Trio; with David Williams (bass), Carl Burnett (drums) 1982-05Goin' Home Galaxy 1982 Co-led duo; with Art Pepper (alto saxophone, clarinet) 1982-04, 1982-05Tête-à-Tête Galaxy 1983 Co-led duo; with Art Pepper (alto saxophone) 1982-12Wonderful L.A. Atlas 1983 Trio; with David Williams (bass), Carl Burnett (drums) 1983-05Sleeping Bee Atlas 1983 Trio; with Tony Dumas (bass), Ralph Penland (drums) 1984-05The Big Jazz Trio Eastworld 1985 Trio; with Stanley Clarke (bass), Peter Erskine (drums) 1985-05Phantom of the City Contemporary 1985 Trio; with John Heard (bass), Tony Williams (drums) 1986-05Double Image Contemporary 1987 Co-led duo; with Frank Morgan (alto saxophone) 1987-02By George Contemporary 1987 Some tracks solo piano, most tracks trio; with John Heard (bass), Ralph Penland (drums) 1991-03Cables Fables SteepleChase 1991 Trio; with Peter Washington (bass), Kenny Washington (drums) 1991-05Night and Day DIW 1991 Trio; with Cecil McBee (bass), Billy Hart (drums) 1991-12Beyond Forever SteepleChase 1992 With Joe Locke (vibraphone), Santi Debriano (bass), Victor Lewis (drums) 1993-04I Mean You SteepleChase 1993 Trio; with Jay Anderson (bass), Adam Nussbaum (drums) 1994-01George Cables at Maybeck Concord 1994 Solo piano; in concert 1994-04Quiet Fire SteepleChase 1995 Trio; with Ron McClure (bass), Billy Hart (drums) 1995-04Person to Person SteepleChase 1995 Solo piano 1995-04Skylark SteepleChase 1996 Trio; with Jay Anderson (bass), Albert Heath (drums) 1995-06Alone Together Groove Jazz 1995 Trio; with Philippe Soirat, Carlos Barretto 1996-10Dark Side, Light Side SteepleChase 1997 Trio; with Jay Anderson (bass), Billy Hart (drums) 1997-09Bluesology SteepleChase 1998 Trio; with Jay Anderson (bass), Billy Drummond (drums) 2000One for My Baby SteepleChase 2000 Trio; with Jay Anderson (bass), Yoron Israel (drums) 2000New York Concerto Meldac 2001 Trio; with George Mraz (bass), Victor Lewis (drums) 2001Senorita de Aranjuez Meldac 2001 Trio; with George Mraz (bass), Victor Lewis (drums) 2001Shared Secrets MuseFX 2001 With Bennie Maupin (bass clarinet), Gary Bartz (alto saxophone), Alphonso Johnson (bass), Abraham Laboriel (bass), Vinny Colaiuta (drums), Peter Erskine (drums) 2003-01, 2003-02Looking for the Light MuseFX 2003One track solo piano, one track trio; with Peter Washington (bass), Victor Lewis (drums); most tracks quartet, with Gary Bartz (alto saxophone, soprano saxophone) added 2004-05A Letter to Dexter Kind of Blue 2006 Trio; with Rufus Reid (bass), Victor Lewis (drums) 2007-05You Don't Know Me Kind of Blue 2008 Solo piano 2012-01My Muse HighNote 2012 Trio; with Essiet Essiet (bass), Victor Lewis (drums) 2013-09Icons & Influences HighNote 2014 Trio; with Dezron Douglas (bass), Victor Lewis (drums) 2015-02In Good Company HighNote 2015 Trio; with Essiet Essiet (bass), Victor Lewis (drums) 2016-01, 2016-05The George Cables Songbook HighNote 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 saxophone, flute) added; some tracks sextet, with Steven Kroon (percussion) added 2018-10I'm All Smiles HighNote 2019 Trio; with Essiet Essiet (bass), Victor Lewis (drums) 2020-09Too Close for Comfort HighNote 2021 Trio; with Essiet Essiet (bass), Victor Lewis (drums)2024-01/05I Hear EchoesHighNote2024Trio; with Essiet Essiet (bass), Jerome Jennings (drums)
As member
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, 2016) Look Out! (Gearbox, 2021)
As sideman With Roy Haynes Thank You Thank You (Galaxy, 1977) Vistalite (Galaxy, 1979) – 1977
With Eddie Henderson Comin' Through (Capitol, 1977) Witness to History (Smoke Sessions, 2022)
With Joe Henderson If You're Not Part of the Solution, You're Part of the Problem (Milestone, 1970) – live In Pursuit of Blackness (Milestone, 1971)
With Freddie Hubbard Keep Your Soul Together (CTI, 1974) – 1973 High Energy (Columbia, 1974) Gleam (Columbia, 1975) – live Liquid Love (Columbia, 1975) Windjammer (Columbia, 1976)
With Bobby Hutcherson Waiting (Blue Note, 1976) Knucklebean (Blue Note, 1977) Highway One (Columbia, 1978) Conception: The Gift of Love (Columbia, 1979) Un Poco Loco (Columbia, 1980) – 1979 Four Seasons (Timeless, 1985) – 1983 Good Bait (Landmark, 1985) – 1984
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) – 1987 A Lovesome Thing (Antilles, 1991) City Nights: Live at the Jazz Standard (HighNote, 2004) – 2003 Raising the Standard (HighNote, 2005) – 2002 A Night in the Life (HighNote, 2007) – 2003 Montreal Memories (Live Duo Performance) (HighNote, 2018) – 1989
With Art Pepper The Trip (Contemporary, 1976) No Limit (Contemporary, 1977) Thursday Night at the Village Vanguard (Contemporary, 1979) – 1977 Friday Night at the Village Vanguard (Contemporary, 1979) – 1977 Saturday Night at the Village Vanguard (Contemporary, 1979) – 1977 So in Love (Artists House, 1979) Landscape (Galaxy, 1979) Besame Mucho (JVC, 1981) – 1979 Roadgame (Galaxy, 1982) – 1981 Art Lives (Galaxy, 1983) – 1981 Artworks (Galaxy, 1984) – 1979 APQ (Galaxy, 1984) – 1981 More for Les at the Village Vanguard (Contemporary, 1985) – 1977 Arthur's Blues (Galaxy, 1991) – 1981 San Francisco Samba (Contemporary, 1997) – 1977 Art Pepper: Unreleased Art, Vol. 1 (APM, 2006)
With Max Roach Lift Every Voice and Sing (Atlantic, 1971) To the Max! (Enja, 1997) – 1990–1991
With Bud Shank Yesterday, Today and Forever with Shorty Rogers (Concord Jazz, 1983) California Concert with Shorty Rogers (Contemporary, 1985) – live That Old Feeling (Contemporary, 1986) Quiet Fire with Frank Morgan (Contemporary, 1991) – live 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) Dexter Gordon, Manhattan Symphonie (Columbia, 1978) 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) – 1985 Bennie Wallace, Bennie Wallace in Berlin (Enja, 2002) Kazumi Watanabe, Lonesome Cat (Denon, 1978)
References
External links
Cables interview by Ethan Iverson Cables interview at the NAMM Oral History Library (2020) "An Interview with George Cables" by Bob Rosenbaum, February 1983