The Shape of Jazz to Come

“I wouldn't go far as to say this is free jazz, as most people have labeled it as. It is avant-garde though. The title of the album says it all. Just read it out loud to yourself; The Shape of Jazz to Come. What was Ornette Coleman saying to us? He was telling us that the focus of jazz needs to change direction. He wasn't interested anymore in the sqaure box that a lot of fans where use to. He was more into placing lines at certain corners to make the box three dimensional. That's what he does on this album. He places odd notes and high tones around a very structured rhythm pattern and bass. Take a look at what was going on in jazz in 1959. You had the most successful jazz albums coming out then and they were all cool or modal, something audiences could enjoy and not be too scared of. This ” read more

RS 500: Part 3 (100 music items)

""Coleman's sound was so out-there, one audience at an early gig threw his tenor sax over a cliff. He switched to alto and pioneered free jazz: no chords, no harmony, any player can take the lead. Here, his music can be just as lyrical as it is demanding, particularly on the haunting "Lonely Woman."'"