Ornette Coleman -Something Else

[Durium]

ORNETTE COLEMAN

On the 10th of February 1958, fifty years ago, Ornette Coleman made his first three recordings for his first album The Music Of Ornette Coleman - Something Else !!! for Contemporary.

Every jazz fan has a meaning about Ornette Coleman's music. A lot hate it, his 1960 Free Jazz recordings shocked most traditional, swing and even bop orientated listeners; but few heard new promissing harmonies and developments.

For me a reason to get this Contemporary record and to play it. Is it a complete new style, virtually atonal. divorced from the convential concept of improvisation based on chord patterns? to quote Leonard Feather (1960). Is it music that will shock me, or bore me, or entertain me? .... well time for a test.

Something Else !!

Keep swinging

Durium

[John L]

I think that it is interesting the degree to which Ornette still shocks new listeners. On the other hand, for those of us who have been listening to Ornette for a long time, it has even become hard to imagine what is so shocking about it.

[Free For All]

I think that it is interesting the degree to which Ornette still shocks new listeners. On the other hand, for those of us who have been listening to Ornette for a long time, it has even become hard to imagine what is so shocking about it.

You know, for whatever reason Ornette still feels so fresh and rebellious and electric to me. Very timeless music. I envy those who get to hear it for the first time.

Some of my favorite music took me a while to "get"- Monk, Mingus and Ornette come to mind (also a lot of early jazz I initially overlooked). It's that music where you keep discovering deeper layers. Duke was that way for me, and also some Miles I didn't like at first.

[BillF]

I remember the moment when I first heard Ornette - on a jazz record radio show in 1959. My first impressions were twofold: "Bird", I thought, and then, "madness". This is how Bird must have sounded inside the Camarillo institution, I mused.

And, in truth, there is a hint of Ornette in the rough, unfinished cry of the "Lover Man" which Bird put on wax before they dragged him off to Camarillo. I quickly learnt to love Ornette and invested in seven albums recorded between 1958 and 1961 which I'm still listening to and marveling at now. So I've never had any problems with Ornette. Cecil Taylor, however, is something else. But that's another thread ... !

[tonym]

The first jazz album I ever bought. What a great choice eh?

A fantastic disc that warrants many repeated listens.

I was thinking about Ornette's music most of last night and how it draws you in --- the reason for these thought? After some ealry evening supermarket shopping in our nearest Tesco, I was alerted to the CD aisle by the presence of Ornette On Tenor on the £5 rack!

Not the norm for British supermarkets as far as I'm aware.

[jlhoots]

I think that it is interesting the degree to which Ornette still shocks new listeners. On the other hand, for those of us who have been listening to Ornette for a long time, it has even become hard to imagine what is so shocking about it.

Apropos of what you're saying, when I first played some Ornette for my wife she left the room.

Now she thinks he's great (& I still do).

[alocispepraluger102]

the original is close at hand here as bought by a very wise 13 or 14 year old aloc. :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[AndrewHill]

Ornette has been a journey starting with Ornette on Tenor and nearly 20 years later, that freshness and excitement is still there.

[clifford_thornton]

I think that it is interesting the degree to which Ornette still shocks new listeners. On the other hand, for those of us who have been listening to Ornette for a long time, it has even become hard to imagine what is so shocking about it.

You know, for whatever reason Ornette still feels so fresh and rebellious and electric to me. Very timeless music. I envy those who get to hear it for the first time.

I agree with both sentiments.

He certainly is something else.

[Guest Bill Barton]

I think that it is interesting the degree to which Ornette still shocks new listeners. On the other hand, for those of us who have been listening to Ornette for a long time, it has even become hard to imagine what is so shocking about it.

I came to his music relatively late and agree that it is hard to imagine what was considered so shocking about it when he initially hit NYC. But we're hearing it through a filter as it were. 25+ years of developments...

I remember the moment when I first heard Ornette - on a jazz record radio show in 1959. My first impressions were twofold: "Bird", I thought, and then, "madness". This is how Bird must have sounded inside the Camarillo institution, I mused.

And, in truth, there is a hint of Ornette in the rough, unfinished cry of the "Lover Man" which Bird put on wax before they dragged him off to Camarillo. I quickly learnt to love Ornette and invested in seven albums recorded between 1958 and 1961 which I'm still listening to and marveling at now. So I've never had any problems with Ornette. Cecil Taylor, however, is something else. But that's another thread ... !

Ornette's direct connection to the blues is evident throughout his career. And - again viewed through that filter of time - he can be seen as a descendent of Bird. Back in 1981 I interviewed Coleman after the soundcheck at Dartmouth College's Spaulding Auditorium. This was the first performance of Prime Time's 1981 world tour. It was quite an ear-opener to sit in a nearly deserted concert hall and hear Ornette running through blazingly fast unaccompanied solo versions of well-known Bird tunes so the engineer could tweak the alto sound. It wasn't the Bird of "Lover Man" that came to mind, but the Bird of the famous "A Night in Tunisia" break. Ornette could take the neo-boppers to the cleaners on that turf if he so desired. That concert was a revelation. Prime Time ruffled some feathers and it took awhile before I could wrap my brain around what they were doing. There's no question that it immediately reached me on a gut level though. One of my most treasured possessions is an autographed poster from that concert (props to Sarah Sully too for the great artwork!)

the original is close at hand here as bought by a very wise 13 or 14 year old aloc. :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

You were almost too hip for your own damned good, Jerry!

_______

Yes, something else indeed!!!!!

[Chuck Nessa]

Too bad Contemporary changed the cover photo. I preferred the original.

Edited February 11, 2008 by Chuck Nessa

[clifford_thornton]

[porcy62]

I have to confess that it takes some times for me to dig into Ornette's music. I wasn't there when he bursted out, actually I wasn't at all, even as forecast. When I discovered New Thing I preferred Coltrane, Dolphy, Shepp or Ayler, then a friend gave me a cassette of Free Jazz, I passed one week switching between left and right channel, at first I had to do my own mental mix to understand his music...afterwards everything changed.

Edited February 11, 2008 by porcy62

[clifford_thornton]

I started similarly to you, porcy. Now he is near the top of my list, quite easily.

[7/4]

When I first heard Ornette, I liked what I heard. I guess I was about 25, 1985 or so.

[Kalo]

The first jazz album I ever bought. What a great choice eh?

A fantastic disc that warrants many repeated listens.

Yes.

the original is close at hand here as bought by a very wise 13 or 14 year old aloc. :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Whaooah!

Never seen that before. Cool!

I first bought this album in college, circa 1981, and listened to it obsessively. My mom grew up in L.A., and a friend of hers had jammed with Ornette back in the early days. When I first became interested in jazz in my high school years (Monk, Miles, Mingus, and Brubeck were my first loves) my mom would occasionally mention Ornette, always in the context of being difficult and cacophonous. By the time I got to college I had gathered up enough courage to listen to his music and figured that I'd start at the beginning, with Something Else. I was struck immediately by how traditional it sounded overall, given the fact that I already had Coltrane's Ascension and the Art Ensemble's Arista and ECM stuff under my belt. Still, Ornette's and Don's solos did stretch my ears. And to this day I still find myself humming these beautiful tunes now and again.

[7/4]

La Monte Young Ornette Coleman

July 10, 1997 New York City

photo: Ira Cohen

[Kalo]

La Monte Young Ornette Coleman

July 10, 1997 New York City

photo: Ira Cohen

Young's head looks like a gol-durn parade balloon in that pic.

[7/4]

La Monte Young Ornette Coleman

July 10, 1997 New York City

photo: Ira Cohen

Young's head looks like a gol-durn parade balloon in that pic.

He should have his own balloon in the Macy's parade...maybe a float with Phillip Glass, Brian Eno and Steve Reich waving, followed by the La Monte balloon. Hell ya!

[Swinging Swede]

When was the cover changed? I had never seen the original before.

[Chuck Nessa]

I think in the late '70s. Hazy recollection.

[JSngry]

I picked it up around 1976-7 or so & it had already changed.

Never knew that it had been changed until now. I think I like the original better too.

[AndrewHill]

Does anyone know the reason why they changed pics on Something Else? For instance, was it because the first photo was too conservative-looking for the music and they thought that a bearded, non-suited Ornette looked more radical and represented the music better?

[JohnS]

A timely reminder. Just played my vinyl (a late pre OJC issue, new cover art). Great music and fun sounding too.

[Late]

Does anyone know the reason why they changed pics on Something Else? For instance, was it because the first photo was too conservative-looking for the music and they thought that a bearded, non-suited Ornette looked more radical and represented the music better?

I've wondered that same thing. The Japanese reissue retains the original photo — yay!