Ornette Coleman Celebrate Ornette

SONG X - 2017

8.1bySethColterWallsContributor

Thisnewarchivalsetdocumentsanall-startributetoOrnetteColemanheldin2014atwhichthesaxophonistgavehislastpublicperformanceaswellasrecordingsfromhis2015funeral.OrnetteColemanwasnotscheduledtoperformattheall-starconcertheldinhishonor,backinthesummerof2014.Thatcelebration,atBrooklynsProspectPark,waschieflyorganizedasawayforfansandassociatestopaytributetothesaxophonistslegacyasanAmericancomposerandinnovator.ThelineupincludingtalentslikeHenryThreadgillandRaviColtranesuggestedColemanstoweringinfluenceovermultiplegenerationsofjazzplayers.Andthebillalsopromisedelitemusiciansfromotherstylisticzones,suchasLaurieAndersonandPattiSmith.TherearenttoomanyartistscapableofdrawingFleaandBranfordMarsalisintothesameorbit.ThoughitseasytounderstandhowColemansboisterouscatalogdoesthis.Onceyoustripawayallthebaggageassociatedwithfreejazz(neverColemanspreferredterm),youreleftwiththejoyfulidiosyncrasyofthatsound.Manyofhismelodiesandsoloschanneltraditionalsongstyles,whilehisarrangementsand

harmoniesarefrequentlyunexpectedandinspired.Colemansinterestincollaboration,whetherwithJerryGarciaortheMasterMusiciansofJajouka,alsosetsahighstandardforrisk-takingthatcanappealtoartisticseekersworkinginanygenre.Onthenightofthe2014ProspectParkgig,Colemantookhisfinalriskonapublicstage.Hehadntperformedforacrowdinseveralyears;hislastofficialrecordingwas2006sPulitzerprize-winningSoundGrammar.Intheinterim,journalistsandfanspassedonrumorsregardingthegeniusfailinghealth.Sowhenthe84-year-oldColemanemergedfromthewingsoftheProspectParkbandshell,mid-concert,withhiswhitealtosaxophoneinhand,itwasamodestsurpriseeventohissonandlongtimedrummer,Denardo.Afterwalkingoutcarefullyandtakingaseatneartheothersaxophonists,Ornettesimplylistenedforabit.Soonafter,hedelivered20minutesofplaying:astretchthatdrewontwoofhisearlycompositions(RamblinandTurnaround).Withinayear,hewouldbedead.Heardnow,onanarchivalreleasefromDenardoColemansnewSongXimprint,itsclearthatColemanstechniquein2014wasmorefragilethanatanyotherpointinhisimmortalcareer.Hisphrasesflowmoreslowly.SometimesColemanreachesforanotewithaudibledifficulty.Whilehisreducedphysicalcapabilitiesareobvious,thespiritualintensitycommunicatedbyhisplayingisequallyapparentand

allthemoreremarkableforthecontext.Everyelderlybodyconfrontsdecline.Butsomeveteranspiritscandiscovernewstrategiesforpersisting,recognizabletothelast.TheresafrailtyinColemanstone,earlyon,duringRamblin.Despitetheoccasionaltremoroftimbre,theresnodesiretohidefromhislimitations.AndColemanswayoffollowingupalong-held,bluesytonewithasprightlyflourishofnotesremainsforceful,unmistakable.WhenDenardosfunk-influencedbackinggroupcomesin,asaxophonesectionalsojoins.(TheirranksincludeThreadgillandDavidMurray.)TheextraplayershelpthickenoutthesoundandliftOrnetteupwiththeiconeventuallycontributingsomeecstatic,piercingnotesthatcutthroughthegrouptexture.Afterfinishingupwithhisplayingforthenight,thesaxophonisthungaroundonstageforaportionoftherestofthegig.Whathetookinwasajammy,consistentlypotenttributetohiscatalog,andhisspiritofcreativity.ItsthrillingtohearThreadgillsaltosoundoneconsciousofOrnettesstyle,butnotoverlyindebtedtoitduringaperformanceofBluesConnotation.(AndFleaholdshisown,onbass!)ApowerhouseensemblethatincludesBranfordMarsalis,theMasterMusiciansofJajouka,andBruceHornsbygathersforafierytakeofSongX.OnPeace,RaviColtranessopranosaxleapscreateanexcitablefeelalongsidethespikyblues

playingofguitaristJamesBloodUlmer.AndGeriAllen,thepianistwithperhapsthebesttrackrecordofcollaboratingwithColemanandhismysteriousharmolodictheory,turnsinimaginativesupportinglinesthroughoutaperformanceofTheSphinx.Theless-canonicaltributesalsowork.GuitaristNelsClinehandlesthemelodyofSadnesswhileThurstonMoorelaysdownadinofexpressionisticnoiseinthebackground.LaurieAndersonsgroupwhichincludesavant-saxophonistJohnZornandbassistBillLaswellcreatesalyricalsquallthatfeelsfullyappropriate(inpart,becauseitoftenreferencesColemansfamouscompositionLonelyWoman).PattiSmithplaysapairoftunesfromherthen-recentalbumBanga;thewaysheswitchesbetweenvocalsandstrayblastsofclarinetcomesacrossasatributetoColemansownmulti-instrumentalpractice.Bythetimetheconcertcloseswithacathartic,all-hands-on-deckrenditionofLonelyWomanitseemsasthoughfewaspectsoftheartistsvastplaybookhavebeenignored.WhatsparticularlytouchingistheknowledgethateveryonethoughttopullthisgigtogetherintimeforOrnettetoexperiencetheirloveforhiswork.PerformancesfromColemanspublicfuneralarealsoincludedinthisnewarchivalset.Themoodofthat2015concertisnecessarilymoresomberthanthatofthetheProspectParkshow,buttheresultsaresimilarly

intriguing,andnolessstar-studded.PharoahSandersbrieftenorsaxsolocarriesanaffectingtenderness.Thelastlivingmemberoffreejazzsinauguralclassdropsbytopayhisrespects,aswell:CecilTaylorseight-minutetributeencompassespoetry(totheconfusionofsomeintheaudience),stark-but-statelypianomotifs,andoneswirlofatonaldensityatitsmidpoint.Itsastunner.Asamultimediapackage,CelebrateOrnetteprovidesfansawiderangeofperspectivesonbothshows.ItsthreeCDsgiveacompleteaccountoftheProspectParkblowoutandtheperformancesfromtheRiversideChurchfuneral.TheProspectParkdiscsstrayfromachronologicalpresentation,inordertocreateamoreidealflowforhomelistening.(Andyes,Ornettesownappearancesarequeuedupfirst.)ApairofDVDsalsogivesyouvisualrepresentationofeacheventthoughsomeperformancesfromProspectParkareomitted,infavorofsomebackstagecommentaryfromkeyparticipants.TheDVDoftheRiversideservicealsoincludesalleulogiesandremembrances,whichtheaudiodiscbreezespast.Thislavish,priceyartifactisntanidealfirstportofentrytoColemansart.Butthewaythesetexploresthecumulativeimpactofhisworkmakesitadeeplyrewardingexperiencefordevotedadmirers.