| 2-disc set!
A really incredible performance from Ornette Coleman -- recorded in Italy in 1968, and featuring a unique lineup that includes Ed Blackwell on drums, plus the dual basses of Charlie Haden and David Izenzon! The two-bass lineup gives the set an amazingly tight edge -- with one player bowing the instrument, and the other playing rhythm -- in a way that bounces magically over the drums of Ed Blackwell, making for a rhythmic spirit that's missing from a lot of Ornette's other work from the time! There's still a sense of sound texture and exploration here that matches some of the Blue Note late 60s recordings -- but the overall feel is a bit more focused, and (dare we say it?) more rhythmically swinging! Titles include long takes on "Lonely Woman", "Monsieur Le Prince", "Forgotten Children", "Tutti", "Three Wisemen & The Saint", "New York", and "Buddah Blues".
The material collected for this 2-CD set corresponds to the February 1968 European tour, featuring the Coleman's Quartet with his regular unusual group inclufing David Izenzon and Charlie Haden on bass, and Ed Blackwell on drums. The first CD includes the Rome concert, with extended versions of four original compositions, including a fantastic interpretation of the already popular "Lonely Woman." The second CD includes the Milan's Teatro Lirico performances, with three original compositions. The sum of this material on one edition, makes this an essential release, capturing a crucial period of the career of an artist that without a doubt, remains the ultimate contemporary musician of the jazz vanguard. |