The Shape of Jazz to Come [Bonus Tracks]

by Ornette Coleman

Overview

Ornette Coleman's Atlantic debut, The Shape of Jazz to Come, was a watershed event in the genesis of avant-garde jazz, profoundly steering its future course and throwing down a gauntlet that some still haven't come to grips with. The record shattered traditional concepts of harmony in jazz, getting rid of not only the piano player but the whole idea of concretely outlined chord changes. The pieces here follow almost no predetermined harmonic structure, which allows Coleman and partner Don Cherry an unprecedented freedom to take the melodies of their solo lines wherever they felt like going in the moment, regardless of what the piece's tonal center had seemed to be. Plus, this was the first time Coleman recorded with a rhythm section -- bassist Charlie Haden and drummer Billy Higgins -- that was loose and open-eared enough to follow his already controversial conception. Coleman's ideals of freedom in jazz made him a feared radical in some quarters; there was much carping about his music flying off in all directions, with little direct relation to the original theme statements. If only those critics could have known how far out things would get in just a few short years; in hindsight, it's hard to see just what the fuss was about, since this is an accessible, frequently swinging record. It's true that Coleman's piercing, wailing alto squeals and vocalized effects weren't much beholden to conventional technique, and that his themes often followed unpredictable courses, and that the group's improvisations were very free-associative. But at this point, Coleman's desire for freedom was directly related to his sense of melody -- which was free-flowing, yes, but still very melodic. Of the individual pieces, the haunting "Lonely Woman" is a stone-cold classic, and "Congeniality" and "Peace" aren't far behind. Any understanding of jazz's avant-garde should begin here. ~ Steve Huey

Product Details

Release Date:	09/07/2010
Label:	Wax Time
UPC:	8436028696987
Rank:	25826

Tracks

1. Lonely Woman
2. Eventually
3. Peace
4. Focus On Sanity
5. Congeniality
6. Chronology
7. Just For You

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Ornette Coleman   Primary Artist,Vocals,Sax (Alto)
Billy Higgins   Guest Artist,Drums
Charlie Haden   Guest Artist,Bass,Double Bass
Don Cherry   Guest Artist,Cornet

Technical Credits

Bones Howe   Engineer
Chris Clarke   Musician
Nesuhi Ertegun   Producer,Supervisor
Martin Williams   Liner Notes
Ornette Coleman   Composer
David McLees   Musician
Mark Pinkus   Musician
Stephen Innocenzi   Mastering
William Claxton   Cover Photo,Photography
Ray Avery   Musician
Marvin Israel   Cover Design
Michael Ochs Archives   Musician
Giovanni Scatola   Remastering
Ginger Spangler   Musician
Faye Rosen   Musician
Florence Halfon   Reissue Supervisor
Stuart Nicholson   Liner Notes