May 4, 2007: Harmolodic Appreciation
Composer, perfomer, and jazz luminary Ornette Coleman was once the target of extreme derision; his legendary quartet’s 1959 appearance at the Five Spot in NYC sent shockwaves through the music community. Finally, the world at large is getting hip to Ornette. He just won a Pulitzer Prize, and before that he was awarded a lifetime achievement award at the Grammys. On today’s show we’ll tour the complex harmolodic terrain of the music of Ornette Coleman, from his most recent recording, “Sound Grammar,” to his very earliest albums as a leader.