Need Help on Ornette Coleman's Whom Do You Work For?

[David Ayers]

Of course, the original go at the title was a little more awkward: "From Which Entity Do You Employ Your Labors and Extract Compensation?"

Now that's a Mingus title!

You're right!

I wonder if Ornette and Mingus would have been compatible. If so, they could have made some interesting music together — Mingus playing piano on his bass and Ornette playing bongos on his alto saxophone.

In fact Ornette played with Mingus at Newport one time- there is a photo but AFAIK no recording.

[Late]

In fact Ornette played with Mingus at Newport one time- there is a photo but AFAIK no recording.

D'oh! I was just thinking of that photo yesterday. (Ornette, Kenny Dorham, Mingus, Max Roach.) Max must have reconciled with Ornette ... after (as most accounts claim) he accosted him physically after Ornette's Five Spot gig. I've even read that Max followed Ornette to his apartment, stood outside, and shouted names at his window. I hope that isn't true, but one never knows, do one?

[clifford_thornton]

I think that, at that time, Max had - shall we say - a problem?

[Late]

I think that, at that time, Max had - shall we say - a problem?

Yeah, anger management.

Like I said, I hope it's not true, but I suppose stranger things have happened.

[vodka]

Having said that, the quality is awful.

The sound quality, or the overall packaging/presentation quality?

I was thinking about picking this one up. Too bad it's a boot. The album I'd really like to hear is Crisis. I have Ornette at 12, but have been told it pales in comparison to Crisis.

I wonder if Ornette or Ornette's estate will ever have his Impulse! sessions (or the complete Town Hall recordings) see reissue light.

Just noticed the thread is still active.

By awful I meant the sound quality. It's mono, with old AM radio broadcast quality, the original recording was done obviously by an amateur with a portable tape recorder. The CD is pretty short too, around 36 min. or so. As for the packaging, can't say anything bad or good, for that matter. Simple digipack, with B/W photo of him on the front and back covers. They listed Redman as a trumpeter.

The performance is very good, exactly what one should expect from them in the live setting.

[Late]

It sounds like the better bet overall is to purchase Live in Belgrade, 1971 rather than Whom Do You Work For?. I'm sure both concerts are great, but since the material covered is the same, and if one has to choose ...

I've heard the Belgrade disc in parts, and the sound is excellent. And, though it was "released" on compact disc in 1995 and seems now pretty hard to come by — jazzloft.com currently is carrying it. A heads-up for those who want to hear this formation in good sound.

[B. Clugston]

On my version of Belgrade, "Who Do You Work For" sounds just like "Broken Shadows."