Ornette Coleman the (in)famous alto sax jazz musician died last week. I have his seminal recording, The Shape of Jazz to Come. He was the only musician (or one of the few) to earn a Pulitzer Prize. Below is a live recording of him in his latter years. I, personally, like his tone and the movement he inspired. Many did not like the free jazz movement he advanced. When people say they don't like the seemingly chaotic structure of jazz, they are referring to free jazz. Bill Evans actually was not a fan of the movement when it emerged.
Still, Coleman is a giant and had a generous and creative spirit. His personal biography is interesting and compelling and worth looking in to. But, in the end, it is his contribution to jazz and the music world that is, and will be, remembered.
My takeaway from Coleman, is that it is important to just "be yourself" and although that sounds like a cliche, it is important and takes a lot of work and a lot of risk but in the end it is the essence of the meaning of life. As St. Catherine of Sienna said, "be who you are created to be and you will set the world on fire!"
Still, Coleman is a giant and had a generous and creative spirit. His personal biography is interesting and compelling and worth looking in to. But, in the end, it is his contribution to jazz and the music world that is, and will be, remembered.
My takeaway from Coleman, is that it is important to just "be yourself" and although that sounds like a cliche, it is important and takes a lot of work and a lot of risk but in the end it is the essence of the meaning of life. As St. Catherine of Sienna said, "be who you are created to be and you will set the world on fire!"
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