Ornette Coleman - RIP

[Justin V]

Thank you, Mr. Coleman, and rest in peace.

[Scott Dolan]

Glad I got to see him back in 2007 with my then 7 y.o. son.

Thanks for the fantastic music, Mr. Coleman.

[Peter Friedman]

R.I.P.

[Stefan Wood]

RIP

[Cyril]

Terrible news....!!!

Thanks for the music, Mr. Coleman.

R.I.P.

[jlhoots]

"Change Of The Century"

RIP

[Late]

I heard my first Ornette record when I was sixteen years old. I checked out (vinyl!) The Best of Ornette Coleman, on Atlantic, from my local library. I was entranced — some of the most natural sounds I'd heard from a saxophone. Later, I found out, his music was "controversial."

His legacy will only expand.

[Hoppy T. Frog]

Nothing I can add would be adequate, but "Free Jazz" was my first jazz album purchase maybe 15 years ago and it did my head in (in a good way). So glad I saw him live at Carnegie Hall with Abby Lincoln about 10 years ago. Drove up to New York from Maryland just for that.

Edited June 11, 2015 by Hoppy T. Frog

[clifford_thornton]

Exactly, Late.

I heard Ayler and Coltrane first, and they were something - that music was very exciting. Then I heard Ornette's music not too long afterwards, and it all made sense - so absolutely natural. That was nearly twenty years ago but could've been yesterday.

Edited June 11, 2015 by clifford_thornton

[brownie]

This was our music!

It still is!

[BillF]

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/jun/11/jazz-great-ornette-coleman-dies-aged-85

[sidewinder]

Very sad news - a giant has gone. Glad I got the chance to see him, RIP.

That 70s Atlantic 'Best Of' LP was my introduction to his music too.

Edited June 11, 2015 by sidewinder

[CJ Shearn]

RIP, thank you for everything and your contributions to this music, Mr. Coleman!

[Carl Baugher]

He was exactly like this music: direct, original and warm. He was a great artist, father and friend. Ornette was a REAL human being.

[A Lark Ascending]

Very sad.

Beautiful music and a wonderful role model.

Personifies asymmetrical music for me.

[Late]

That 70s Atlantic 'Best Of' LP was my introduction to his music too.

I love the track order. It's one of the few best-of comps, for nostalgic reasons I suppose, that I consider an album to itself.

[mjzee]

WSJ obituary

[A Lark Ascending]

There's a link to this within the link Bill F posted but you might miss it:

http://www.theguardian.com/music/gallery/2015/jun/11/ornette-coleman-life-in-pictures

Also a Richard Williams article:

http://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2015/jun/11/ornette-coleman-ourage-and-rightness

[SMB1968]

ohhh man -- RIP Mr. Coleman. I'm going to have to tie one on tonight after this news.

[blind-blake]

That 70s Atlantic 'Best Of' LP was my introduction to his music too.

I love the track order. It's one of the few best-of comps, for nostalgic reasons I suppose, that I consider an album to itself.

I agree wholeheartedly. I'm going to put this one on later in the man's honor. A sad day indeed.

[bluesoul]

WKCR is doing a memorial broadcast for 24 hours.

[B. Goren.]

15 years ago I had the pleasure to see him & Charlie Haden playing together at the battery park.

RIP Mr. Coleman.

[bluesoul]

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/06/11/jazz-titan-ornette-coleman-stayed-at-the-front-of-the-avant-garde-pack-all-his-life.html

http://www.npr.org/sections/ablogsupreme/2015/06/11/413630335/ornette-coleman-jazz-iconoclast-dies-at-85

Also, from Josh Haden:

http://joshhaden.blogspot.com/2015/06/your-music-is-our-music-rip-ornette.html

Edited June 11, 2015 by bluesoul

[Big Beat Steve]

Change of the Century, baby

RIP, sir

Time to spin this record (60s Danish Atlantic pressing). (Yes, Steve R., you and I know we deeply disagree about the overwhelming importance of "free jazz" to jazz OVERALL, but for the record, I always could see the continuity of the music on that record and where it came from in the long line of jazz (unlike that of some other - European, in particular - free exponents).

I'll go on record as saying that many other jazz heroes did more for my love of jazz but he WAS a true giant.

RIP and I doff my hat.

Edited June 11, 2015 by Big Beat Steve

[Leeway]

The best way to honor Ornette is to keep the spirit of innovation alive. Before he was an icon, he was an object of ridicule, a change agent, and he changed the music through belief in what he did.