Ornette Coleman, The Art of the Improvisers

Ornette Coleman just died last week but I'm still listening to this cat. He's a great inspiration for an aspiring musician like myself. This album features Ornette Coleman on sax, Don Cherry on trumpet, Charlie Haden (on 1959 and 1960 tracks) on bass, Billy Higgins (on 1959 tracks) on drums, Ed Blackwell (on 190 and 1961 tracks) on drums, Scott LaFaro (on 'The Alchemy of Scott LaFaro') and Jimmy Garrison (of Coltrane Quartet fame on 'Harlem's Manhatten') on bass.  It should be noted that the group of Coleman, Cherry, Haden, and Higgins is one of the most popular periods of Coleman's career, and it was a critical time for Ornette's music and for the jazz world. In addition, that lineup is my favorite Ornette Coleman band and I would say they did the best job playing his music. Although Coleman would go on to work with many other musicians it was these guys that got to really know and understand Coleman's musical freedom of expression.

     The first song is 'Circle With A Hole In The Middle', an abstract name for an abstract tune. It starts with a kind of bop motif played by the sax and trumpet at the same time. It goes by so fast and sounds pretty technical. Then Ornette goes off into some great alto saxophone solo, accompanied by a kind of free-form bass and drum playing, although the bass sometimes plays some walking bass lines in between melodic droning notes. The tone of the saxophone here kind of reminds me of Eric Dolphy, another great alto saxophonist who played with an almost free-jazz vibe. After the sax solo, Don Cherry comes in with a trumpet solo. I wouldn't say that Cherry is technical in a technical sense, but his phrasing and musical vocabulary on the instrument certainly are original and inspired. He sounds like himself and nobody else. After the trumpet solo, they repeat the motif from the beginning, its super fast and boppish. Short and sweet tune.
     The next tune is 'Just For You', which sounds like a sweet ballad. It's a slow mammoth of a number, especially the slow walking bass part. Ornette's saxophone tone here is a bit rounder here. I could see the Art Ensemble of Chicago playing a tune like this. It's still a structured kind of blues and bop inspired tune but it has the makings of free-jazz all over it and this song was recorded from 1959 to 1961, very early for free-jazz. All the songs on this album were recorded from 1959 to 1961. Although it was recorded earlier, this album wasn't released until 1970. All the compositions were written by Ornette Coleman. Anyways, this song doesn't really have a main melody or theme, but many, and they are slow, melodic, and sweet. Another short tune as well.
     Next is the 'Fifth of Beethoven'. It features a head played by both sax and trumpet at the same time at an upbeat tempo but not as fast as the first tune. It sounds like bop to me. This later became a tune that Coleman played at his gigs later in life, even before his death recently. After the head, Coleman takes off on an adventurous alto sax solo. His playing has lots of bebop references, especially Charlie Parker type stuff, but there is something that is inherently bluesy about Coleman's playing that hits you when you hear him playing saxophone solos. He has good phrasing in his solo, stops at certain moments, and then begins again. Then, Cherry comes in with a trumpet solo. Cherry sounds like a bebop player in his solo, but one who can't play as fast or technical as Dizzy Gillespie. In his solo, he sticks to short bop lines, stringing many together. His trumpet tone is pretty clear and concise but still has a throaty ruggedness to it. After the trumpet solo, there is a drum solo that is on point. After that they play the head again. It's a really interesting melody with cool phrasing that you really have to work to get spot on playing with sax and trumpet together.
     The next tune is 'The Alchemy of Scott LaFaro', named for the bass player who plays on this track. There's an opening fast head, and then some crazy bass stuff. Then the sax goes into a solo while Scott LaFaro plays some real fast walking bass lines, you know, the kind of bass lines that everybody hears in jazz all the time. But he plays it so fast and his bass tone sounds so good. It's thin but very clear in the mix. In the alto sax solo there's a point where Coleman hits a really high note and it almost sounds like squeaking. In fact, he squeaks a few times in his solo! It's pretty great although for the most part his solo is comprised of bop and blues runs. This one sounds like more of a free-form piece because the drums interact with the sax lines, hitting the snare here and there for extra emphasis of beats and stuff. After an extended sax solo, the trumpet really goes at it. Cherry starts off playing really fast technical phrases but soon ditches them for more simpler lines at a fast speed instead. Then there's this part in the song where everything gets quiet and there's just sax and trumpet lines, sounding like today's kind of free-jazz. They're playing together and playing off each other, and it's really a moment to remember on this record. It goes on for quite a while before the head comes back in, signaling the end of the tune.
     Then, we have 'Moon Inhabitants'. A great science fiction name for a tune. It has another bebop type head that is pretty fast but is so syncopated and rhythmic, it kind of reminds me of Thelonious Monk, just the extreme rhythmic aspect of it. Then Ornette plays a short and sweet solo with lots of bop lines, but also incorporating some nice melodious lines as well. Then Cherry comes in on trumpet(on all these tracks he's playing either pocket trumpet or coronet). During Cherry's trumpet solo Ornette is play sax lines. Pretty free aspect. Then there's this break in the song where the bass plays these weird kind of out of tune notes, trading licks with the drummer. Then the head repeats, ending the tune.
     Next, is 'The Legend of Bebop'. It has a nice mellow head played in unison with the sax and trumpet. It sounds like something Charlie Parker would write and play. The sax solo here is bluesy and the tempo is at a slow pace, maybe something like 80-90 beats per minute, something like that. After a while Coleman starts playing some fast lines, ripping on the sax with a great tone. His tone sounds very warm and classic on the alto saxophone. Afterwards, the trumpet lays down a solo under the slow rhythm section. After the trumpet solo, they repeat the head, ending the tune.
     Then, the next tune is 'Harlem's Manhatten'. Like pretty much all the other tunes, it features an opening head that is bop influenced, and then the saxophone goes off in a solo. At this point in Coleman's career I think he still wrote out charts with chord changes above the music. You can tell because of the way he and the other musicians improvise on the music. What's astounding about the sax playing isn't really the lines or the technique, but the phrasing and use of silence. He stops at such precise moments, and then starts playing again, giving you a chance to absorb the music you just heard. At some point there's a switch from alto to tenor saxophone and you can tell it right away because the whole tone of the saxophone changes. Then Cherry comes in with a cool kind of instrument known as the pocket trumpet. It's basically just a really small trumpet that has a charismatic kind of tone. The tone is really noticeable and you can tell the difference from a regular trumpet quite easily. His solo is melodic at heart but he does have some 'hot licks' thrown in there as well. Then Coleman comes back with his tenor saxophone. His tenor sounds pretty similar to his alto sound, except a bit lower in tone.
     Then, we have 'Music Always'. These last two tunes might not be on the original vinyl versions of this album but I have the remastered CD version so I think these last two tunes are add on tunes that didn't originally appear on the album. Anyways, this tune is very mellow, the sax solo and the rhythm section. I could imagine this song being played in a cafe or at a cool coffee place. Not Starbucks, but some hole in the wall coffee place that plays jazz. It would just fit the environment well there. The rhythm section here is pretty conservative; with the bass mainly playing walking bass lines and the drums just play cymbal and snare hits. But this gives plenty of room for the improvisation of the sax and trumpet. 
      Finally, the last tune on my CD version of this album is called 'Brings Goodness'. It opens with a bop head that is played at a moderate tempo. Again, the rhythm section is conservative, leaving the improvisers free to play.
    Lastly, I would say that although this album has some major bebop influences and isn't totally wild and free-jazz, it is very musical and soulful. Most of the solos here aren't about fast technical playing but are about really feeling the spirit of the moment, and that's what jazz is really all about, not just licks and grooves. I've listened to this album twice and I just bought it from the record store just the other day. I think my favorite song on the album was 'Just For You'. I really dug the groove on that track, it just seems to have a somber vibe that is very relaxing yet musically appealing at the same time. It sounds as fresh today as it probably sounded in 1970 when it first came out. This is the kind of jazz that has gotten lost amongst the smooth-jazz and fusion type jazz that is so prevalent today. One can only hope that it will never be forgotten.

John Coltrane Infinity

    

     I bought this album at the local record shop for $7.99 thinking it would be some great late period John Coltrane album. Little did I know, because I didn't check, the music was supervised and inspired by Alice Coltrane. This isn't bad but this is kind of not really a full Coltrane album. First of all this is a remix album, featuring overdubs with strings of Coltrane's pieces recorded in 1965 and 1966. This album was released on Impulse! Records in 1972. Her controversial "re-imagining" of her husband's late works was criticized by both fans and critics, as she took his original performances and superimposed them over lush orchestral backgrounds and re-dubbed rhythm section parts, as well as recording new solos on piano, organ, harp and timpani.(Wiki)
     The most Coltrane-like thing other than the saxophone playing is a short piece Coltrane wrote: To perceive again and this time it must be said, for all who read to know that no matter what, it is all with God. He is gracious and merciful. His way is in Love, through which we all are. Wherever and whoever you are, always strive to follow and walk in the right Path and ask for aid and assistance.....herein lies the ultimate and eternal happiness in which is ours through His grace. I could say that I disliked this album but really the only thing I don't like about it is the fact that there are goddamn strings and harps all over the place. A string section is not jazz! I don't like it. Even Charlie Parker with strings to me is really lame jazz. Also, the fact that Alice Coltrane, (John's wife who performed with him on piano during his last years) overdubbed strings and added piano solos and harps doesn't bother me. Frank Zappa would later do this, often mixing live concert performance with studio performances. In addition, Miles Davis would make a career out of just looping music and overdubbing solos and stuff, during his fusion period, which was just coming up because this album was released in 1966.
     The names of the tunes are really John Coltrane. The tunes are as listed: 'Peace on Earth', 'Living Space', 'Joy', and 'Leo'. These were all Coltrane cuts that he performed late in his career and are featured on other albums as just plain Coltrane tunes. It should also be known that this period so close to Coltrane's death was his free-jazz period, where he reached beyond the harmonic restraints of blues, bebop, and the straight-ahead music of his time. It should also be known that tracks 2 and 3 were recorded by the original Coltrane Quartet (Coltrane, McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones, Jimmy Garrison), while tracks 1 and 4 were recorded by Coltrane's later ensemble (Coltrane, Alice Coltrane, Rashied Ali, Pharoah Sanders). I would say that the classic Quartet plays the music in a more straightforward bebop straight-ahead direction, but Coltrane was still pushing the envelop with his iconic and distinctive 'sheets of sound'. In addition, the classic Quartet is more of an equal unit where everyone gets a say, especially in terms of solos. You can always tell on which song is the classic Quartet and which is the later period with Alice Coltrane simply because of the piano playing. Alice Coltrane plays with a lighter touch and plays with more simpler harmonic vocabulary than McCoy Tyner. Also, her right hand doesn't hit the keys as hard! The best thing about this album are the classic Quartet cuts in my opinion.
     What else can I say of the music? Well, because there's a string section there seems to always have and opening and closing theme, played by the string section. And then there's Coltrane's saxophone playing, which is just phenomenal. The last track, 'Leo' has Pharaoh Sanders on tenor sax and flute. This one was a Coltrane favorite that he played on a lot of other albums. It's as wild and crazy as free-jazz gets without yelling and screaming into the microphone. This tune is a great one because it sounds fresh and exciting, almost as if it could have come out today. Even Alice Coltrane's piano playing comes across great here, managing to bridge the gap between harmonic and free playing.
     Lastly, I can't help but say I was a bit disappointed in the album because I thought it was a late period Coltrane album. But I gotta say that the actual music ain't bad. I hate the strings and the harps and stuff, but Alice Coltrane did what she thought was a great homage to her late husband. Some would say this is a disgrace and that it sucks, but I think it's actually quite good. Not quite Coltrane. But not bad.

Ornette Coleman & Pat Metheny, Song X

    

     Song X is a collaborative album made by Ornette Coleman and Pat Metheny. The album was made in 3 days in 1985, but released by Geffen Records in 1986. The album also features Jack Dejohnette on drums, Denardo Coleman on percussion, and Charlie Haden on bass. All of these guys are jazz legends except Denardo, who is Coleman's son. I've actually got my step dad this album for Christmas once. Also, I've listened to a few tracks on YouTube but I've never actually heard the whole album until now. I got this album from my local record store, CD Trader, for only $7.99! Great price. Not only that, but there was another bands sticker on the CD (Faith No More) and I asked them to take it off with that sticky adhesive, and they gave me another CD part and just put the booklet in the new one. Talk about customer service! When the album came out, it got strong and favorable reviews. Downbeat gave this album five stars!
     It opens with 'Song X', the same name of the album. It has a kind of head and then things get interesting. The guitar sound is very electronic(processed), most definitely the guitar synthesizer Metheny favored heavily back in the 1980s. Jack's drumming is very characteristic of him. Once you've heard him, you can hear that its him on drums without question. Ornette's saxophone playing is super fast and kind of lacks harmony and rhythm, but somehow the music stays together because Metheny's guitar has a lot of melodic content keeping things in place. I know all about Metheny's work and I have a bunch of his albums. This doesn't sound like he's playing 'free-jazz'. It sounds like he's playing like himself, just with Ornette Coleman. You can still hear his characteristic phrasing, and melodic motifs he likes to make. The tune ends with the same head from the beginning.
     The next tune, 'Mob Job' starts off a lot more mellow, with a grooving bass-line, more akin to straight-ahead than the avant-garde. There's even a melody and nice flowing drum parts! The guitar synthesizer is more apparent in this, because I think Metheny used a saxophone synthesizer sound, and it sounds sick. There's some great violin playing here by Ornette Coleman too. His violin playing sounds exactly the same as his saxophone playing, except with the tone of a violin. That's the mark of a great musician, sounding the same no matter what they're playing. This tune reminds me of a mellow kind of thing the Art Ensemble of Chicago would do. A more bop influenced thing.
     The third tune, 'Endangered Species', is the longest cut, lasting some 13 minutes. It starts off as the most free tune as well. By most free, I mean to say that they're really pushing the limits of the term free-jazz, perhaps going beyond that and into the terms of the avant-garde. Jack's drumming here is more intense and focused because everyone is really playing their hearts out, sounding like a pack of wild animals rather than a jazz band. I don't really know what else I can say about this tune except that it is really pushing the limits of free-jazz. On one hand, I find it to be great. But on the other, other people might not be into this because it is so crazy sounding and 'out there'. It reminds me of the Art Ensemble of Chicago except with a guitar synthesizer going crazy with effects. You can tell they had a blast playing this one. At the end there's like these outer space kind of sounds made with the synthesizer guitar.
     The next tune is titled 'Videogames', and boy does it sound like a videogame. The guitar synthesizer takes over this piece, giving the sound an 8bit kind of tones. The guitar synthesizer is running rampant on this piece until there's a big break, and they go into a more straight-ahead feel with a saxophone solo by the one and only Ornette Coleman. There are moments after that solo where everyone comes in and things get crazy, but then it goes back to that sax solo with the straight-ahead feel.
     The next tune is 'Kathlein Gray', which sounds more like a ballad, the first on the album so far. There's a kind of romantic melody played by the sax and guitar. This tune, like others, has some straight-ahead elements, especially the bass line and the drumming. The bassline is very melodic and kind of holds everything together, like Paul McCartney in the Beatles. On this song Metheny uses a clean guitar tone(although still processed sounding with a lot of chorus) but you can hear more of the distinctive Pat Metheny guitar playing here. It's very Pat-like, probably because this song and the last three other songs were composed by both Pat and Ornette together. Whereas the other tunes were just Coleman numbers. This is probably why the tune has a more traditional jazz approach and sound.
     Next is a tune called 'Trigonometry', which again has a more traditional approach. It has a head and then the sax goes off, while Charlie Haden lays down a walking bass line(the first in the album so far), and Jack plays some nice traditional jazz drumming, laying down phat rhythmic pulse on the cymbals and snare. After the sax solo there's a guitar solo with a synthesizer tone, but sounding like its mimicking a saxophone. The guitar lines played by Metheny here are all trademark Metheny licks, sounding very hip and melodic despite this being 1985.
     Next up, 'Song X duo'. This song is just a duo of just Ornette and Pat playing. Because its just saxophone and guitar its easy to get lost in it all. However, today in free-jazz duos and trios are the best format to get the music out, and sometimes they don't have drums, sometimes its a horn and guitar, or a horn and two basses.
     Finally, the last tune is 'Long Time No See', which has a kind of drum machine opening but it departs as a head is played and real drums are playing some straight-ahead style while the sax and guitar goes off on a wild adventure together exploring harmonic content. I thought the opening of this tune was really strange, like why did they do that? Anyways, the song ends with a kind of boppish head from the beginning of the tune and that's the end of the album. 
     This album is cool because it features great musicians that were already well established in jazz, and here they came together to make like a super group super free-jazz album. It should be known that this is Pat Metheny's first and last recording in a free-jazz context. He's just too melodic to play freely. And I don't mean that in a bad way, I just mean that he can't play like Ornette Coleman does. He's too studied. His melodic lines are fantastic and his phrasing is out of this world and he has chops but he just doesn't really fit in a free-jazz context. However, that does not mean that his playing on this album wasn't stellar. Metheny being on this recording date gave the group more structure, especially harmonically, than it wouldn't have had otherwise. Ornette Coleman is still going strong playing music to this day. Charlie Haden is no longer with us but he was a long time Coleman collaborator and a great bassist that will never be forgotten. Jack Dejohnette is playing music, he recently released an album called Made in Chicago. Pat Metheny is making more structured music but after this album he won a lot of Grammy's and stuff, he's actually extremely popular for a jazz musician. His music, I would say is lightweight. By that I mean its not really cutting edge music anymore. He's comfortable playing the same thing over and over. Which isn't bad. It's a great way to sell records if your fan base wants that. Anyways, this is a great album, and although it is late Ornette Coleman I would say it is required Ornette Coleman listening.