A Rather Revealing Ornette Coleman Clip

[AndrewHill]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EelZ4LDgEw

Just to hear Ornette say what his "failures" were in 1966 just floor me. How sad.

[papsrus]

What documentary is that from?

Young, highly creative artists sometimes view their failures through a magnifying glass.

[colinmce]

David, Moffet, & Ornette/Sound. It mostly concerns the Coleman trio recording the Who's Crazy soundtrack material. A very fascinating watch. It's coupled with another short film about Roland Kirk and John Cage. Available here:

http://www.amazon.com/Ornette-Coleman-Trio-Featuring-Roland/dp/B0002SLYMS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1297784223&sr=1-1

[clifford_thornton]

Yeah, I remember seeing that video many years ago. Interesting stuff for a forming appreciation of different music.

Ornette also talked about his sexual "problems" in other interviews in the 60s - definitely in the Notes & Tones interview, for example - though I never really understood what he was trying to get at. Oblique references to "forced homosexuality," etc., very strange.

[John L]

Revealing? Revealing of what? I find it as puzzling and incomprehensible as most other oral statements that Ornette makes. I much prefer him on alto.

On the subject of "my sex," I recall in John Litweiler's book a discussion of a time when Ornette was genuinely contemplating castration, presumably as a means of preventing his sexual thoughts from interfering with artistic creation.

Ornette Coleman just seems to be somebody who walks to a different drummer in all aspects of life. And thank God for him!

Edited February 15, 2011 by John L

[clifford_thornton]

Yes indeed.

And thankfully for us, he didn't go through with castration - Denardo is an enjoyable percussionist and I'm glad he's around!

[JSngry]

Yeah, but it's still a pretty damn weird thing to contemplate.

Where is Dookie these days?

[Chuck Nessa]

Dookie was aborted.