Ornette Coleman, The Shape of Jazz to Come, reviewed by Junior Bop and Lil' Groove
Ornette Coleman's highly influential album from 1959,
The Shape of Jazz to Come, featured Ornette Coleman on alto sax, Don Cherry on cornet, Charlie Haden on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. What made this album unique was Ornette Coleman's music writing style and unusual approach to solos, which greatly influenced the jazz landscape. The album was actually considered shocking to those in the jazz world, because his group did not include a pianist, but more importantly, the songs didn't have a recognizable chord structure and at times included simultaneous improvisations by the musiciains, which was unheard of at the time. This type of music became known as "free jazz," for the free style of play that the musicians used.
