[SACD-R][OF] Ornette Coleman – The Shape of Jazz to Come - 2011 (Jazz)

The Shape of Jazz to Come is true to its title. Switching from tenor to alto sax, Ornette Coleman creates free jazz, a language where chords structures are absent & harmony gives way to improvisational whims. Ranked by Rolling Stone in the top 250 of its 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, the Atlantic set finds Coleman collaborating with Don Cherry, Charlie Haden, & Billy Higgins in making a masterful work free of any identifiable chord structures. Nonetheless, melodies remain, as do engrossing repetitions of main themes.
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Ornette Coleman’s Atlantic debut was a watershed event in the genesis of avant-garde jazz, profoundly steering its future course. 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 & 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 1st time Coleman recorded with a rhythm section — bassist Charlie Haden & drummer Billy Higgins — that was loose & 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 & vocalized effects weren’t much beholden to conventional technique, & that his themes often followed unpredictable courses, & 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. Any understanding of jazz’s avant-garde should begin here.
-Steve Huey, All Music Guide

Originally released in 1959. A groundbreaking recording.

Ornette Coleman - sax
Don Cherry - cornet, pocket trumpet, piano
Charlie Haden - bass
Billy Higgins - drums