Awadagin Pratt
In 1959 Ornette Coleman turned the Jazz world on its head with the release of his controversial “The Shape Of Jazz To Come.” Was it music? Was he serious? Music so polarizing that fist fights broke out during his legendary debut at New York’s 5 Spot that year. Ornette Coleman went on to become a hero to many for boldy sticking to his beliefs. His concept of freedom from musical convention is still debated today. But not debated is that Ornette Coleman expanded the dimension of how music was heard after his arrival. This performance features newly arranged versions of the complete album, performed by the Denardo Coleman led “Ornette Expressions” featuring Jamaaladeen Tacuma, Jason Moran, Lee Odom, Wallace Roney Jr, and special guest James Blood Ulmer plus the Bang on a Can Orchestra, conducted by Awadagin Pratt. Contributing composers include Nick Dunston, Craig Harris, Nicole Mitchell, Carman Moore, David Sanford.
photo by Rob Davidson