Change Of The Century - Ornette Coleman

 

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Change Of The Century

Ornette Coleman

Recording Engineer: Bones Howe

Cover Photo: Lee Friedlander

Supervision: Nesuhi Ertegun

Atlantic STEREO SD-1327

1960

From the back cover: Some musicians say, if what I'm doing is right, they should never have gone to school.

I say, there is no single right way to play jazz. Some of the comments made about my music make me realize that the modern jazz, once so daring and revolutionary, has become, in many respects, a rather settled and conventional thing. The members of my group and I are now attempting to break-through to a new, freer conception of jazz, one that departs from all that is "standard" and cliché in "modern" jazz.

Perhaps the most important new element in our music is our conception of free group improvisation. The idea of group improvisation, in itself, is not an all new; it played a big role in New Orlean's early bands. The big bands of the swing period changed all that. Today, still, the individual is either swallowed up in a group situation, or else he is out front soloing, with none of the other horns doing anything but calmly waiting their turn for their solos. Even in some of the trios and quartets, which permit quite a bit of group improvisation, the final effect is one that is imposed beforehand by the arranger. One knows pretty much what to expect.

When our group plays, before we start out to play, we do not have any idea what the end result will be. Each player is free to contribute what he feels in the music at any given moment. We do not begin with a preconceived notion as to what kind of effect we will achieve. When we record, sometimes I can hardly believe that what I hear when the tape implied back to me, is the laying of my group. I am so busy and absorbed with I play that I am not aware what I'm doing at the time I'm doing it.

I don't tell the members of my gourd what to do. I want them to play what they hear in the piece of themselves. I let everyone express himself just as he wants to. The musicians have completely freedom, and so, of course, our final results depend entirely on the musicianship, emotional make-up and taste of the individual member. Ours is at all times a group effort and it is only because we have the rapport we do that our music takes on the shape that it does. A strong personality with a star-complex would take way from the effectiveness of our group, no matter how brilliantly he played.

With my music, as in the case with some of my friends who are painters, I often have people come to me and say, "I like it but I don't understand it". Many people apparently don't trust their reaction to art of to music unless there is a verbal explanation for it.

In music, the only thing that matters is whether you feel it or not. You can't intellectualize music; to reduce it analytically often is to reduce it to nothing very important. It is only in terms of emotional response that I can dundee water what we are doing is successful or not. If you are touched in some way, then you are in with me. I love to lay for people, and how they react affects my playing.

A question often asked of me is why I play a plastic alto. I bought it originally because I needed a new horn badly, and I felt I could not afford a new brass instrument. The plastic horn is less expensive, and I said to myself, "Better a new horn that one that leaks". After living with the plastic  horn, I felt it begin to take on my emotion. The tone is breathier than the brass instrument, but I came to like the sound, and I found the flow of music to be more compact. I don't intend ever to buy another brass horn. On this plastic horn I feel as if I am continually creating my own sound.

From Billboard - June 6, 1960: Ornette Coleman, the alto sax man whose style has aroused violent debate, shows on this waxing that he has both imagination and taste, as well as a controversial style. This is the best album he has made to date, and tho there are many pretentious solos, there are also many smart, hip ones that are worth a listen. Coleman has much on the ball when he cares to show it. With The alto man are Don Cherry on trumpet, Charlie Haden on bass and Billy Higgins on drums. Best sides are "Ramblin," and "Una May Bonita."

Ramblin'

Free

The Face Of The Bass

Forerunner

Bird Food

Uma Muy Bonita

Change Of The Century