When I made the switch from vinyl to cd's in the late
eighties, one of the first albums I bought was the
Metheny-Coleman collaboration "Song X". However I returned
my copy after just one listening session. Not that
bringing records back to the shop was a habit of mine. It
only happened a couple of times.
This story
outlines what
an
impression
Coleman
could
leave on the unexperienced
listener. I was shocked and obviously didn't get the
harmolodics. Nowadays Ornette Coleman is not a frequent
run on my turntable or cd player either but I learned to
appreciate his involvement in modern music. He took
chances, he was a creator and did not fear or
compromise.
Like many of the true innovators he dedicated his life to
his art.
It was through the Jorn Zorn's Naked City version of
Lonely Woman that I learned to appreciate Coleman's music
and it's potential beauty. The man still remains a mystery
to many of us and people will rediscover his music for
generations to come.
Photo by
Andy Newcombe.
