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The Shape of Jazz to Come
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Binding: Audio CD
EAN: 0075678133923
Label: Atlantic / Wea
Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea
MPN: 1317
Number Of Discs: 1
Publisher: Atlantic / Wea
Release Date: October 25, 1990
Studio: Atlantic / Wea
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Editorial Review:
On this highly influential 1959 album, Ornette Coleman's unique writing style and idiosyncratic solo language forever changed the jazz landscape. On classics such as "Lonely Woman," "Congeniality," and "Focus on Sanity," Coleman used the tunes' moods and melodic contours, rather than their chords, as a basis for his improvisations. In so doing, he opened up jazz soloing immensely and ushered in new freedoms--both individually and collectively. Lest these innovations sound too dry or abstract, it must be noted that both Coleman and trumpeter Don Cherry play with a deep-felt emotion and joy that is as infectious today as it was then. This is truly an essential jazz recording, marking the end of one era, providing the blueprint for the next. --Wally Shoup
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating: - Diametrically Opposed Forces
Two of the albums most influential to my understanding of jazz both came in 1959. Bill Evans masteripiece Portrait in Jazz and Ornette Coleman's The Shape of Jazz to Come. Bill defined the piano as the well-spring of jazz, Ornette thought the piano was the whole problem. Ornette's frentic solos were a stark contrast Bill's cyborg-like restraint. For all their differences, one thing on which the could agree was that traditional chord voicing had to go. These are both great ablums in their own ... Read More
Rating: - SNAFS thinks of Coleman's early detractors *snickers*
I think a lynching (at least verbal) would be appropriate for the people who said he should be burned and destroyed for messing with the precious jazz formula. I think the risks Ornette Coleman took are VERY appropriate. Besides, unpredictability can be fun, and Ornette Coleman demonstrates this with glee. He does know too much is just _________ annoying and it doesn't sound daring or challenging, it just sounds bad, or _____. Unlike his most famous album (maybe, Free jazz, there isn't two seperate ... Read More
Rating: - Consider the Remastered Version
I expect that enough has already been said about this music and its importance in the development of jazz. Chances are you'll either love it (like me) or hate it. If you're planning to buy this recording, I'd highly recommend getting the 2005 remastered version, in the Atlantic Masters series. The sound quality is noticeably better than in this older version--it's not "enhanced," there's just more information. Sort of like the difference between regular TV and HDTV. Last time I checked, it was only ... Read More
Rating: - It's Like
It's like nothing I've ever heard before, and in the most astonishing ways I could've ever thought possible. This and "Free Jazz" are two of the best albums I've ever heard in my entire life, and THAT IS NO OVERSTATEMENT! It's beautiful, and at times it will make you giggle and predominantly throughout it will just plain inspire. Inspire your mind to go out and wander around, in this guy's head. Ornette Coleman, you are truly a talented and accomplished inovator in not just jazz but in modern music, and ... Read More
Rating: - Tremendous
I wonder if Ornette knew that his title was true, that this album really did change a lot in jazz. This is arguably the first free jazz album, and it contains three of Ornette's very best songs. First off is Lonely Woman, a slow, tender song that's arguably his signature tune; then there's the lengthy Peace, which is a superb tune highlighted by Coleman's sax and Don Cherry's trumpet. Finally, Focus on Sanity is a beautiful piece of chaos that gives us a sneak preview of what Free Jazz: A Collective Improvization ... Read More
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