Ornette Coleman
Ornette Coleman's writing drops fixed harmony and chord changes for ensemble improvisation rooted in blues phrasing. Pieces such as Blues Connotation, Ramblin' and Jayne stay open and stimulating, with free-falling lines and bouncing rhythms.
His blues-rooted tunes have long drawn jazz players of every stripe, even when freer sides unsettled listeners. The writing can tilt Latin, as on Jayne, or sit close to hard bop once the open harmony settles. Later projects took in string textures, the electric band Prime Time, and the theory he called harmolodics, without abandoning the song shapes and blues phrasing at the core.
Compositions by Ornette Coleman appear on
Now and Then
Although he first came to prominence on the jazz scene a half century ago, Ornette Coleman still scares people. But his compositions, rooted as they were in classic blues, have long appealed to jazz listeners of every stripe.