Ornette Coleman, Tomorrow Is the Question

[Guy Berger]

I picked this up a while back but only started listening to it today. It's not on the same level as the great Atlantics, but anyone who likes Ornette should definitely hear it. The rhythm section does a pretty good job even if they're not Charlie and Billy. Great playing by Ornette and Don, as well as some of Mr. Coleman's finest compositions. Ignore the one-star review on amazon.

Ornette Coleman - Tomorrow Is The Question

I guess I should look out for Somethin' Else too.

Guy

Edited March 23, 2006 by Jim Alfredson

[kh1958]

Ornette sounds great on this one--Tears Inside and the title cut are my two favorite tracks, but a really fine recording.

And yes, you need to get Something Else as well.

[JSngry]

Ditto to all of that.

And should you ever come across the Hillcrest sides, carpe diem. They provide an invaluable "fleshing out" of what's going on on the Contemporary sides.

[tonym]

Shelly Manne's bit here is also worthy of a mention, especially on the opening theme to Turnaround and several occasions through that tune. Puts me in mind of Max Roach on Brilliant Corners. Not unable to use all of the kit 'musically' and remaining swinging through the bass solo. At the point where Cherry's trumpet comes in you can't help but nod your head. desert Island stuff indeed.

And 1-star reviews? How?

[ep1str0phy]

The Contemporary and Hillcrest sides are a wonder to me--miraculously engaging music, fine compositions, improvisation, (at worst) interesting group dynamics... Seeing as how most proponents of the New Thing first recorded (more or less) fully formed, it's nice to have these gestative albums on tap (alongside the early Cecil Taylors, Aylers, Shepps, etc.). And... it's generally really fun listening. "Tomorrow Is the Question" has just as many would-be standards as any Ornette album, great pianoless 'inside/outside' combo work (notwithstanding some lackadaisical bass playing), and a general air of warmth and lyricism that only (really, only) early Ornette could/can provide. I'm glad we have this stuff--immortal in its own little way.

Edited March 21, 2006 by ep1str0phy

[Chuck Nessa]

Bought it as a college freshman in 1962. Seems like an old friend. No better recommendation from me.

AND the sound is better than the Atlantics

[ep1str0phy]

Bought it as a college freshman in 1962. Seems like an old friend. No better recommendation from me.

AND the sound is better than the Atlantics

Damn. Hip freshman.

[Bol]

Were the Hillcrest tracks ever available on CDs?

[Chuck Nessa]

Were the Hillcrest tracks ever available on CDs?

The America lp was reissued on a Musidisc cd in 1993.

[ep1str0phy]

Were the Hillcrest tracks ever available on CDs?

To add: (from the Litweiler book) "Bley evidently recorded several nights during the six weeks his quintet with Coleman appeared at the Hillcrest, and reportedly more material from these sets is extant." (beyond the 2 LPs, I assume.) That 1 CD, reissued as "Fabulous Paul Bley Quintet" (or something that effect), will run you an arm and a leg--but it's worth it in its own way, I suppose.

[BruceH]

If memory serves, this, and Something Else, were the first Coleman albums I bought. Still among my favorites.

[tonym]

If memory serves, this, and Something Else, were the first Coleman albums I bought. Still among my favorites.

Something Else was the first jazz album I bought. No looking back from there!

[clifford_thornton]

They're both great, but what about this one?

[John L]

Were the Hillcrest tracks ever available on CDs?

To add: (from the Litweiler book) "Bley evidently recorded several nights during the six weeks his quintet with Coleman appeared at the Hillcrest, and reportedly more material from these sets is extant." (beyond the 2 LPs, I assume.) That 1 CD, reissued as "Fabulous Paul Bley Quintet" (or something that effect), will run you an arm and a leg--but it's worth it in its own way, I suppose.

Rumor has it that Bley has a truckload of tapes from the Hillcrest. Man would I like to hear those!

[clifford_thornton]

He lost a LOT of tapes in a fire in the '70s.

[Bol]

Here is what I got back from MC when I wrote to Mosaic to recommend a set of early Paul Bley sessions (including the live sets with Coleman):

I used to work with Paul in the late '60s getting him bookings and

recordings. His stuff is all over the place, might be hard to pull together.

As for the stuff with Ornette, business between them got very ugly and I

doubt any of that stuff will be coming out again, at least legitimately.

MC