Ornette Coleman, alto saxophonist, composer, bandleader and innovator of free jazz, died on Thursday, June 11th in New York City. He was 85.
Born March 9, 1930 in Fort Worth, Texas, Ornette Coleman was known worldwide for his introduction of "Free Jazz" to the world. Ornette Coleman's harmolodics, where the mood and the melody of the tune became the source of improvisation, and not the chords, heralded the dawn of "Free Jazz". This dawn was not warmly received by all quarters. Reaction to the new music was often highly polarized. It fundamentally changed the Jazz landscape, offering newfound freedom to those musicians who would take the chance. Many did, including such luminaries as John Coltrane. The results served as a musical backdrop to the turbulent decade of the 1960s, and as yet another milestone in the development of Jazz in the 20th Century.
Creating a groundbreaking series of Atlantic records in the late 1950s, Coleman shook the foundations of jazz music with his fundamental challenge to the status quo with the recordings Something Else, The Shape of Jazz to Come, Change of the Century and This is Our Music. These recordings have become recognized as some of the greatest jazz recordings in history. Compositions such as "Lonely Woman" or "Peace" are profoundly beautiful gems that will draw the uninitiated listener in.
Coleman's son, Deonardo, became a member of his father's band at an early age and was a frequent collaborator on many projects.
Ornette Coleman is also known for his "Prime Time" band of the 1970s which explored an electrified version of the saxophonist's "Harmolodics" and an update of the ideas that Coleman had been presenting to the world since the 1950s. Another remarkable project that Ornette Coleman participated in was "Song X" with Pat Metheny, recorded in 1986. This date saw Coleman and Metheny creating music of an uncommon intensity and boldness that still sounds groundbreaking almost 30 years later.
Coleman's career continued into the 21st Century with even more success. In 2007 his recording Sound Grammar received the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for music, in addition to a Grammy nomination. Coleman himself received a Grammy lifetime achievement award in 2007. He was also National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master, freely giving advice and musical wisdom to the next generation of adventuresome jazz musicians.
For more information, you may visit NPR music.
You may listen to an archived interview with Ornette Coleman on Fresh Air.
