From: rshapiro@bbn.com (Richard Shapiro)
Newsgroups: rec.music.bluenote
Subject: Re: Ornette Coleman
Date: 11 Sep 92 21:33:55 GMT
Organization: BBN, Cambridge MA
NNTP-Posting-Host: kariba.bbn.com
In-reply-to: goldrick@ug.cs.dal.ca's message of Fri, 11 Sep 1992 16:06:18 GMT

In article <BuF8qI.Arx@cs.dal.ca> goldrick@ug.cs.dal.ca (Majeed  Goldrick) writes:

   A couple years ago I picked up one of Ornette Coleman's "earlier"
   albums Called "Something Else!" and it blew me away!


In fact, his very first record, not much like anything else he ever
recorded. 

   with Pat Metheney "Song X" - a lot of people told me that this is a
   great album, but I just can't get into most of it.


This is also my least favorite Ornette record. But then, I think
Metheny is a total bore. This one is also somewhat unusual in the
Ornette catalog. It is not typical of his more recent music.


   This got me thinking that I might be missing something - after all,
   there is a more than 20 year gap between my selections from Ornette's 
   library.  Could anyone suggest some albums that might fill in the enormous
   gap?



It's more than just a time gap - the two records you mention are, as I
say, atypical.  More typically, Ornette's recording career can be
divided into the following rough categories:



1. First two studio records, on the Contemporary label: SOMETHING ELSE
and TOMORROW IS THE QUESTION. These are peculiar records in that they
do not feature the musicians with whom Ornette was working at the time
(except for Don Cherry). Not representative - esp the first one, which
features a somewhat puzzled bebop piano player.

2. The early 4tet: Ornette, Don Cherry, Charlie Haden (and then Scott
LaFaro) on bass, Billy Higgins (and then Ed Blackwell) on drums. These
records are much more representative of early Ornette: SHAPE OF JAZZ
TO COME, CHANGE OF THE CENTURY, THIS IS OUR MUSIC, ORNETTE!, ORNETTE
ON TENOR, ART OF THE IMPROVISERS, TO WHOM WHO KEEPS A RECORD, TWINS.
Every single one of these is worth hearing (the last three are
compilations of otherwise unavailable material). I would also include
in this period the double 4tet record FREE JAZZ (which you already
have), and the two live records made in 1958 with Paul Bley (LIVE AT
THE HILLCREST CLUB and COLEMAN CLASSICS). This is classic free jazz,
the music that woke up the jazz world. It's not so hard to listen to
today, but it's still wonderful music. If I had to restrict myself to
two records from this period, I would choose THIS IS OUR MUSIC and
ORNETTE!.


3. The trio recordings, with David Izenson and Charles Moffett: TOWN
HALL 1962, THE GREAT LONDON CONCERT, PARIS CONCERT 1965, LIVE AT THE
TIVOLI '65, LIVE AT THE GOLDEN CIRCLE STOCKHOLM, CHAPPAQUA SUITE,
WHO'S CRAZY. Again, every single one of these is worth hearing. The
last two are film soundtracks written and performed by Ornette and the
trio (plus other musicans). The rest are concert recordings, some of
which have only recently been reissued. The trio music tends to be
more lyrical than the earlier 4tet, and the rhythms tend to be a bit
less swinging. My two favorites? CHAPPAQUA SUITE and LIVE AT THE
GOLDEN CIRCLE.

4. A transitional period, featuring various musicians in various
configurations: THE EMPTY FOXHOLE, NEW YORK IS NOW, LOVE CALL, THE
UNPRECEDENTED MUSIC OF ORNETTE COLEMAN, LIVE IN MILANO 1968, ORNETTE
AT 12, STATING THE CASE, CRISIS, BROKEN SHADOWS (live), FRIENDS AND
NEIGHBORS, SCIENCE FICTION, BROKEN SHADOWS (studio), SKIES OF AMERICA.
In general, this is my least favorite period, as Ornette didn't seem
to know what he wanted to do. Of this batch, I would most recommend
SCIENCE FICTION and UNPRECEDENTED MUSIC.


5. The electric recordings with the band that came to be known as
Prime Time: DANCING IN YOUR HEAD, BODY META, OF HUMAN FEELINGS,
OPENING THE CARAVAN OF DREAMS (half Prime Time, half the reunited
4tet), IN ALL LANGUAGES, JAZZBUHNE BERLIN '88.  My favorite Prime Time
record is probably OF HUMAN FEELINGS. The JAZZBUHNE disc is a nice
example of fairly recent live Prime Time.


6. Other recent odds and ends: SOAPSUDS SOAPSUDS (duets w/Haden), SONG
X (see above), VIRGIN BEAUTY (a mellow electric record w Jerry Garcia
on some tracks!), NAKED LUNCH soundtrack (haunting performance by
Ornette and an orchestra). Aside from NAKED LUNCH, I would say these
are all dispensable.



   Also, while I'm asking, I once read that Ornette Coleman uses/used
   the thinnest of reeds and one of those post-war plastic saxes (the name
   of which escapes me now) - a la Charlie Parker at Massey Hall.  Does anyone
   know if this is so and why?  


He used to use a white plastic alto -- see the cover of SHAPE OF JAZZ
TO COME. I presume he used at (a) because he liked the way it sounded
and (b) because he liked the way it looked on stage. I don't know
about the reeds. Don Cherry tells a story about meeting Ornette, in
which the latter is looking for an exceptionally heavy, thick reed.
Xref: sparky rec.music.bluenote:6907 rec.music.folk:6173