Free Jazz Tracks

Neglectful of the Tristano experiments carried out in the late 1940s, music critics generally credit Ornette Coleman with the invention of free jazz. So, curious about how Ornette's effort stacks up against Lennie's, I acquired "Free Jazz: A Collective Improvisation by the Ornette Coleman Double Quartet." The album was recorded in 1960 and released by Atlantic in 1961. Besides Ornette the personnel includes Don Cherry, Scott La Faro, Billy Higgins in one quartet and Eric Dolphy, Freddie Hubbard, Charlie Haden and Ed Blackwell in the other. After several hearings I conclude that there are no grounds for comparison. Lennie's and Ornette's concepts of group improvisation are diametrically opposed. Lennie's intention is to meld five musicians into one player with ten hands. The integration and unity achieved is so remarkable that had "Intuition" and "Digression" been written out beforehand and not spontaneously composed, the two pieces would still rank as the most exhilarating six minutes in 20th century chamber music. (As is well known, the free improvisations originally totaled about twelve minutes, but an "engineer" who disliked the result erased half of it. Anyone know his name? I'd like to erase six very important minutes in his life.) On the other hand, were Ornette's improvisation for double quartet, which is 37 minutes long, transcribed onto paper and performed, it would rank very low in terms of unity of conception. But here's what's extraordinary. Unity is precisely what Ornette is determined to avoid since it's his contention--which I infer from the music-- that the temptation to chime in with others emasculates the soloist's individuality by hindering his effort to express his natural originality. Consequently, whenever the players fall into a groove (which takes the form of brief bouts of lively, atonal Dixieland), the enjoyment is cut short and suddenly we're back in shared solitary confinement. So why play together at all? Because Ornette wants to collectively improvise without compromising the individual solo. "The most important thing," Ornette is quoted in the notes as saying, "was for us to play together, all at the same time, without getting in each other's way, and also to have enough room for each player to ad lib alone--and to follow this idea for the duration of the album. When the soloist played something that suggested a musical idea or direction to me, I played that behind him in my style. He continued his own way in his solo, of course." I think it's strongly implied here that by playing together Ornette mostly means playing at the same time but not necessarily in such a way as to spontaneously integrate the solos into a unified composition. For Ornette's fear is that striving for a too tightly integrated unity will undermine the freedom and independence of the soloists.Whereas in the early days Lennie encouraged his students to emulate his own style of improvisation (which hardly required much coaxing so seductive was it), Ornette proceeds in the opposite direction in order to confirm the uncompromising individuality of each of his players. It's a matter of Lennie's all for one and one for all versus Ornette's to each his own but all together. And while there's no excuse for critics to fail to acknowledge Lennie's priority, it's understandable why Ornette might not wish to do so. For to acknowledge Lennie in any way except by pointing out the irreconcilable differences between them would force Ornette to come out in the open and admit that he is willing to defend the freedom and independence of the soloist even at the cost of disintegrating the music.Back to topView user's profile Send private message

Complex and interesting.If you dont already Love free jazz(genre),dont start here.May i suggest "Ornette!";also "Ornette on Tenor"? and check out Cecil Taylor...Then,before or after you get into David S. Ware,get this album...It seems to me that-even if all 8 players were playing passionately,this music doesn't stir passion.I feel that each was listening to 7 other players -or at least 3,and thinking about what the other 4 were doing -and concerned with making it work...and so,there are moments when one can identify with what somebody's doing,but no building intensity,no beautiful tension...no crashing waves...Just an intricate audio-lace.I'm pretty sure this was approached as an experiment at the time.A necessary one,to be sure.But Coleman matured, with the inter-influence of Cecil,Sunny Murray,Cherry,Coltrane,Dolphy,Blackwell,La faro,Ayler,Braxton,(earlier,Tristano) etc.He remained a genius innovator,and-though maybe not reaching the levels of intense passion that are a standard for David Ware,or Rob Brown-i think by 1962 he was playing with much more feeling than before.Plus,on those later albums you dont have to listen so intently...It will come for you. . . A word to you fidelity snobs: dont buy this.You'll just complain.

This recording is literally insane ! The collaboration of 2 full bands "each of which are comprised of THE heavyweights of jazz" playing /improvising/jamming - essentially "Bringing It to a whole new level of consciousness. These musicians have been there and are bringing it to you ! Repeated listening will threaten to expand your mind in a very positive way. Do it, ok, DO IT ! You will love it ! Need a creative boost, put this album on and give it a good listen .

I love the album but you better be sure you are a fan of this kind of free jazz before buying since it’s won’t be mass accessible

I have 8 of these Japan budget cd's by Coleman and Coltrane and every one has EXCELLENT sound. See my review of the mono My Favorite Things by Coltrane. All the others have been stereo- and this one in particular benefits from the wonderful mastering in this series (Jazz Best Collection 1000). A usually crowded sonic landscape is now cleaned up and more than any other release so far, I can hear more individual intruments and thus more of the interplay and dynamics of the music. I love free jazz in general and this issue of this classic makes it all the more powerful and vital. Not to be missed!

Coleman really takes it to heart to improvise in a free form manner.

Good value; delivered quickly.

improv at its finest

Really interesting and innovative jazz album however, it’s probably not for the faint hearted or entery level jazz/coleman fans as it is very dissonant at points and quite hectic. As a first Ornette Coleman album I’d recommend The Shape Of Jazz To Come.

Wonderful jazz

Hardly surprising that this is one of the most influentiañ jazz albums of all time. Superlative. WHAT MORE CAN BE SAID?

It's a very exiting music with one of my favorite player Eric Dolphy and scot LaFaro too. I love the first Ornette records.

Free Jazz often works best in small groups and only works when you switch off the ego. Amazingly 2 quartets of Free Jazz Super-stars show how it is done. 37 minutes of straight improvisation featuring Ornette Coleman, Eric Dolphy, Don Cherry, Ed Blackwell. Some reviewers seem to complain it isn't Mozart, funny that since it is titled "Free Jazz"! Strange mistake to make.