I can't play a single chord on any instrument and can't sing a melody. I come from the school of music appreciation only. But ever since a friend turned me on to Ornette Coleman in the late 1980s in college, I have appreciated -- and greatly.
My favorite Coleman records are those that lean more to the spare, stripped-down trios and quartets. It is where the musicianship and the interplay between Coleman and his always fantastic rhythm sections are at their finest.
Keep in mind that while Coleman's music is different and might require some getting used to, it is not nearly as free-form and inaccessible as his reputation suggests.
These are four favorites:
The Shape of Jazz to Come (1959) -- If you call yourself a jazz fan and do not own this record, either buy it or refrain from congratulating yourself on your jazz chops. It is, without a shred of hyperbole, one of the seminal creations in jazz history, an awe-inspiring record of groundbreaking sound, emotional power and musical craftsmanship. Some of Coleman's best compositions, Lonely Woman and Congeniality, are on this record. Released in 1959, it was shocking to jazz listeners then, but you'll wonder what all the fuss was about. (As an aside, bassist Charlie Haden is flat-out amazing.)
At the Golden Circle, Vol. 1 and At the Golden Circle, Vol. 2 (1965) -- Fix yourself a cocktail. Go sit out on the deck. Soak up the sun. And listen to these live recordings made in Stockholm 45 years ago. These two discs have never been critics' darlings, but it is Coleman at quite possibly the peak of his genius. In some of the songs Coleman has his old juke-joint groove on; in others, he's contemplative and mournful. Charles Moffett's drumming is second to none. (Moffett, incidentally, is another Fort Worth native.) You won't find a tighter trio in jazz than these three men.
Sound Grammar (2006) -- This almost never happens with a musician. Sound Grammar is Coleman's latest recording, almost 50 years after he dropped his first album. How many musicians can you think of whose work is still good enough to recommend when they're on Medicare? This one is that good. Again, it's Coleman with a simple quartet -- his son, Denardo, on drums, a traditional jazz bassist and a bassist who plays with a bow. It is a marvelously ambitious quartet (Coleman has always forgone the obvious) with a richly expressive sound.
Hey there. or join DFW.com. Your account. Log out.
