Free Jazz, in this case, is not the classic Ornette Coleman album or the style pioneered in the 60s. I wanted to blog about the jazz that was free, as in no cost. Specifically, podcasts.As a commuter (146 miles round trip), myiPod has been indispensable to my sanity. It helps drown out the mixture of traffic noise, conversation and snoring one gets in a vanpool setting. In addition to the song...
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Ornette Coleman continues to enjoy many honors. It's all well deserved and overdue, especially considering all the scorn he suffered during the early years of his career. Who would have thought the he would have recieved a lifetime achievement award from the Grammys?A friend of ours, Leroy Downs (aka The Jazz Cat), was able to hang out with Ornette at his New York loft and conduct an interview...
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CHANGE OF THE CENTURY is a hell of an album. It was recorded in 1959, but sounds as fresh and interesting today as it did then. Ornette Coleman's great quartet, with Billy Higgins, Charlie Haden and Don Cherry, are at the height of their powers. In the original liner notes Ornette says, "I don't tell the members of my group what to do. I want them to play what they hear in the piece for themsel...
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A few days ago Our fine community at large was propositioned for some happy music. I quote "carmensandiego's":http://mog.com/carmensandiego post (really a plea) here;"*Does anyone out there have a collection of songs that just make you smile? Things are kind of low on this end – death has struck again – and I could really use some new (upbeat) music to lift my spirits.*":http://mog.com/carmens
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The great alto jazz saxophonist Ornette Coleman collapsed from heat stroke during his performance Sunday (June 17) at the Bonnaroo fest in Manchester, Tenn., according to Billboard.In the midst of a song, Coleman, 77, collapsed on stage due to heat exhaustion, according to his publicist. Coleman was taken to the local Coffey County Hospital for treatment, and was released later that night. Colema
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Kids off home this morning. Have just been tidying up after a week of fun and surprisingly little trauma or damage to my stuff. Slightly wistful, but will save that for later. Breakfast soon. And lunch beckons. This has popped into my head for some reason.
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Saw this over the weekend. Been playing catchup in the sphere. I work in regional theatre and we've been loading in and rehearsing, which leaves way too little time to read everything. Thank you MOG for archiving and allowing (relatively) easy passage around the collections and minds of all herein. Of course, there's nothing like youtube at 56.6:) Anyway, haven't had time to check it all out,
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Last Friday night at the Schnitz in Portland Oregon was an absolute treat. It was fantastic to see the amazing Ornette in real life in Portland town.The band played a perfect compliment to Ornette's skronky jazz and they all seemed to be having fun. The music was pure magic and I'm not able to explain it any better than that. Ornette possesses a graceful dignity and presence of self that is a...
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Last month, Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada, named pianist Paul Bley a member of the Order of Canada, the nation's highest civilian honor. The official announcement cited him for "his contributions as a pioneering figure in avant-garde and free jazz, and for his influence on younger jazz pianists." Bley was at the center of changes in jazz in the late l950s. The Canadian pianist ha..
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For nine days in June, free jazz legend and icon of the avant-garde Ornette Coleman will take over Southbank Centre’s riverside venues and spaces as the 16th director of Meltdown.
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