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East St. Louis drummer Montez Coleman remembered as leader, world-class musician

By Kevin C. Johnson

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    ST. LOUIS (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) — Montez Coleman, a prominent East St. Louis jazz drummer who toured nationally and internationally with some of the genreā€™s greats, died Friday, Jan. 14, 2022, of congestive heart failure at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. He was 48.

Coleman was a local legend whose reach went far beyond the St. Louis area. He found notoriety after relocating in 2000 to New York City, where he became a sought-after player.

He was a longtime member of the Roy Hargrove Quintet, including on the album ā€œEarfood,ā€ and he shared stages with Wynton Marsalis, McCoy Tyner, Houston Person, Freddy Cole, Russell Gunn, Russell Malone, Bruce Barth and Rufus Reid.

While living in New York City and playing and touring with headliners, Coleman continued to collaborate with St. Louis-area musicians. He relocated here permanently around 2013.

ā€œHe lit up the atmosphere wherever he was,ā€ said Terry Coleman, an uncle and fellow musician.

Coleman released his album ā€œNew Beginningsā€ in 2016, featuring St. Louis musicians Eric Slaughter, Brady Lewis, Nathan Pence and Peter Martin.

ā€œThe St. Louis jazz scene has suffered a monumental loss,ā€ Martin said. ā€œā€˜Tez was a once-a-generation-type musician. You donā€™t just plug in someone else for an artist like that. We feel the loss deeply. To have a world-class musician available to collaborate with locally is a luxury that those of us here that understand that will have to deal with now.ā€

In a statement on social media, Jazz St. Louis called Coleman a pillar of the community, ā€œsomeone who shared their amazing talent and joyous spirit with us from the very beginning of this organization. We watched and listened to Tez over the years with his infectious smile and deep, deep groove. … His smile lit up the room.ā€

Coleman had a show scheduled April 21 at Jazz St. Louisā€™ Ferring Jazz Bistro.

ā€œA lot of us came up under Tez, and he looked out for so many people,ā€ said St. Louis bassist Jahmal Nichols, who featured Coleman on his 2020 album ā€œBlack Frequencies.ā€

He likened Colemanā€™s performance abilities to a chameleon.

ā€œHe could morph into any style, play it and make it comfortable,ā€ Nichols said. ā€œA lot of cats can play a lot of styles, but not everybody could make it comfortable for everybody on the bandstand. He was the glue.ā€

In a 2016 interview with the Post-Dispatch, Coleman said legendary drummer Art Blakey was his main influence, citing ā€œhis groove, his creativity and his leadership. He was always able to put together the most important bands in jazz.ā€

Born in St. Louis and raised in East St. Louis, Coleman came from a musical family that includes uncles Terry Coleman and Ramont Coleman, also a drummer. He developed an interest in drumming early, watching drummers at El Bethel Baptist Church and Church of Christ Divine.

Early on, Coleman also played with local legends Oliver Sain and Willie Akins.

ā€œHe came up on the end of the old-school players,ā€ his uncle said. ā€œThatā€™s why heā€™s so well rounded. He had that foundation from the older guys. He put that and the new up-and-coming thing together.ā€

In New York, it didnā€™t take long for Coleman to make connections and be embraced by that elite jazz community.

At age 16, St. Louis pianist Adam Maness met Coleman at Spruills in the 1990s and listened to him talk of moving to New York. Maness was in awe.

ā€œHe was talking about getting his (stuff) together for New York, and I was this kid in love with the music,ā€ Maness said. ā€œI couldnā€™t even talk to him. I can see that moment so clearly. I think about it every day. I was a young musician, and he was the best musician Iā€™d ever heard. I couldnā€™t believe he wasnā€™t already world famous.ā€

After Coleman returned to the St. Louis area permanently, he immersed himself into the music scene. He performed in 2020 and 2021 at the Open Air Concert Series in Grand Center.

Rather than keep a regular band lineup, he adjusted his lineups depending on the situation. Most recently, he worked with Maness and bassist Bob DeBoo as the Adam Maness Trio, a staple at Thurmanā€™s in Shaw.

ā€œIā€™m thinking back to the last gig with him,ā€ Maness said, ā€œsomething he did, how simple it was. He just pulled back in the most beautiful way. Thatā€™s something to aspire to. He never overplayed. He always supported the music. We were just scratching the surface of learning from him. He was a leader, the one we all looked up to.ā€

A wake for Coleman is set for 10-11 a.m. Jan. 24 at Love Church, 1549 Frank Scott Parkway in Belleville, with a funeral service to follow. A tribute event is 6-9 p.m. Jan. 24 at the Grandel, 3610 Grandel Square.

Among other survivors are his wife, Carlynda Coleman of Shiloh; a son, Myles Coleman of Shiloh; a daughter, Cameron ā€œCamā€ Coleman of Shiloh; a sister, Carolyn Anderson of St. Louis; parents Elliot B. Coleman and Betty Coleman of St. Louis; and two grandchildren.

His drumming blossomed while studying music at Lincoln High School in East St. Louis, under the direction of Ron Carter.

Terry Coleman, his uncle, said training brought out Colemanā€™s natural abilities. ā€œThey say you got it or you donā€™t, and he had it. … After Lincoln, he was playing like a 42-year-old man.ā€

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