Search - Ornette Coleman :: Ornette

41 days after "Free Jazz"...

Michael Stack | North Chelmsford, MA USA | 08/31/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Recorded a month and ten days after his landmark "Free Jazz", Ornette Coleman's "Ornette!" finds the leader on fire-- coming off such a huge acheivement, his working quartet (now consisting of trumpeter Don Cherry, bassist Scott LaFaro and drummer Ed Blackwell) entered the studio to record four new compositions. Remarkably, this album seems to be a big step forward in performance from his earlier records. At a minimum, Don Cherry, who always seemed a bit fragile, is suddenly much more powerful and confident as a performer-- it could be a tour he conducted the summer before in Europe, or his first recording session as a (co) leader (the as-of-then unreleased "The Avant-Garde" with John Coltrane), or soemthing else, but Cherry playing is brilliant throughout, matching Coleman's. Likewise, Ed Blackwell seems fully integrated in the quartet and his signature sound, slightly absent on "This is Our Music" (his first recording with Coleman) and "Free Jazz", is fully present-- the New Orleans marching band feel he brings to the best of his work is prevelent throughout. Look no further than "T. & T.", a drum feature where Blackwell plays a marching beat and an amazingly patient and subtle solo to see a good example of his stellar perforamnce. And certainly, Coleman, for someone so pioneering and on the edge, plays with extraordinary confidence and skill. But the last piece of the puzzle is Scott LaFaro.



No slight against Charlie Haden, he's a fantastic bass player and perhaps more inventive than LaFaro, but LaFaro was a virtuoso performer of extraordinary ability, endurance, speed, and strength. His work throughout is nothing short of amazing, be it arco (his beautiful solo on "C. & D.") or pizzicato (the jaw-dropping one on "W.R.U."-- agile and exciting and really beyond words).



Also of note, and different from Coleman's earlier records-- all the cuts barring drum feature "T. & T." (where no one but Blackwell solos) are extended and really give lots of room for the players to stretch and cut loose. As a result, solos by all four are well developed and overflowing with ideas.



The bonus track on this album, "Proof Readers", recorded at the same session, was likely left off because of length of record, not because of merit. The piece is notable certainly for featuring among the best interaction between Coleman and Blackwell-- the two play with a near psychic level of interaction, Coleman twists and turns during his extended solo and Blackwell (and for that matter LaFaro) are right there offering encouragement. In many ways, its quite unfortunate it didn't end up on the album.



With LaFaro's death later in 1961, this was not an effort that would ever be repeated, but certainly its a record deserving attention. Those new to Coleman's work should look to "The Shape of Jazz to Come" first, but "Ornette!", finally in print after being out for quite a while, is a worthy second place to look. Highly recommended."

Ornette Coleman In His Prime!!!

Louie Bourland | Garden Grove CA | 10/21/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Ornette Coleman was definitely on a winning streak during his prolific time with Atlantic Records from 1959-1962. His fifth album for the label, simply titled "Ornette!", continued his explorations into the outer realms of free improvisation and tight musical interplay. Most importantly, the "Ornette!" album was recorded shortly after the monumental and groundbreaking "Free Jazz" session from December 1960.

Joining Coleman on this album is his long-time sideman and trumpeter Don Cherry along with a new rhythm section of drummer Ed Blackwell (who replaced Billy Higgins) and Scott LaFaro (who took over for Charlie Haden). Although this album is somewhat overshadowed by the more successful "Shape Of Jazz To Come" as well as the aforementioned "Free Jazz", "Ornette!" is still a solid effort that is just as exciting and strong as its predecessors.

Standouts include the mammoth 16-minute "W.R.U.", Ed Blackwell's drum feature "T&T", LaFaro's eeire bowed bass solo in "C&D" and Coleman's extended alto workout on "R.P.D.D." The newly reissued CD also features an excellent bonus track, "Proof Readers" which was recorded during the same sessions as this album.

The remastering on this CD presents the album in stunning sound quality and sounds as if your standing in the room with the musicians as they are playing the music.

Additionally, the CD booklet includes the original LP liner notes from Gunther Schuller as well as new notes from noted Jazz critic Nat Hentoff.

With that said, "Ornette!" is another fine album in Ornette Coleman's varied catalog. There's great playing and awesome improvisation here and is full of energy and excitement.



Footnote: The complete music from the January 1961 session that this album was taken from can be heard on the boxed set "Beauty Is A Rare Thing: The Complete Atlantic Recordings", a full 74 minutes of music recorded at this one session.

"

Still the Future of Jazz !!!

ReverseBembe | Perfidious Albion | 03/20/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Ornette Coleman revolutionized modern jazz with his "harmelodic" innovations 40 years ago and there is plenty of evidence on here that this soul-stirring , swinging, creative, original, unpredictable music remains relevant and fresh 4 decades later !! This is the classic quartet but Haden replaced by Scot La Faro one of the most advanced bassists in the early 60's his speed and facility allowed him to play the contra-bass viol like a low register guitar and one can hear his virtuosity on cuts like the superb , steaming 15 mins of "WRU" listen especially to Ornette-Blackwell interaction on this cut some great interplay and a fountain of ideas the harmelodics in action ! Ornette's music gave importance to concepts like group improvisation, freely improvised melody and counterpoint over harmonic cycles , 1/1 time , cross-rhythms, variable and expressive use of pitch and tone colour and one can hear all these elements freely shifting, changing, spontaneously on the track. Other highlights Blackwell shows his polyrhythmic mastery on T & T , sounding like 2 drummers one in the Afican Congo another in New Orleans. Also Ornette's cooking solo on RPDD an essay in the blues. I have the vinyl reissue for a while but this is a fine CD for the 4 cuts plus the bonus Proofreaders also cool. Still marvellous music for blowing the blues away !"