Happy Birthday Ornette!

[Alexander]

It's Ornette Coleman's birthday tomorrow, March 19th. Everybody find their copy of "The Shape of Jazz to Come," or beg, borrow, or do whatever you have to do to get one, and give it a spin. If you haven't heard it, approach with an open mind and a willingness to listen to it two times in a row. It's kind of like listening to Monk for the first time: kind of unsettling and more than a little disorienting. I don't really know how to describe this record. It's "free" without being totally unhinged. It cooks in spots. It screes and wails and moans in parts. It's one of my favorite records!

Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue" came out two months after Ornette's release, and, apparently, Miles was pissed off at the attention that Ornette received. Apparently the radical departure on Shape, the exploding of boundaries, overshadowed Kind of Blue initially. Trying to compare the two records is like comparing apples and oranges. Now, this might be sacrilegious to some, but I like "Shape" better, much better--oranges. To continue to blaspheme, I think "Blue" is overrated and over-touted, a little boring and a little slow--apples. Don't get me wrong; it was my gateway into jazz. I know the record inside and out, but, pound for pound, lick for lick, I'll take Ornette every time. I'll also take "E.S.P." and "Miles Smiles" over "Kind of Blue" also.

Happy Birthday Ornette!

[Paul Luscusk]

PS, Matt Great Picture.

[Chris Sommovigo]

Someday and Sketches are my two major favs from Miles, although I've got all the mosaic complilations and they all have something fantastic to listen to

[Paul Luscusk]

Looks like we all seem to like Miles and that is what matters.

[Matt Greenwood]

I'll jump on the bandwagon and agree that regardless of whether they're better or not, I certainly listen to "E.S.P." "Miles Smiles," and "Someday My Prince Will Come" far more often than "Kind of Blue"

[Paul Luscusk]

I don't what became of all my Ornette Lp's .I had few promo copies from my "radio days' and after reading this post I went looking for them, All Gone!!!! Kind of Blue is a jazz touchstone, it changed jazz, the fools at Rolling Stone has it in the greatest 'Rock albums". That being said as much as I love this album, it is not my favorite Miles. "Birth Of the Cool," "Milestones","Four and More,"" Miles Smiles, "Porgy& Bess"" Someday My Price Will Come""Bags Grove""Mile Davis at Carnegie Hall" (1961) ,and "Sketches Of Spain" are.

[Chris Sommovigo]

Ornette did a duet with Charlie Haden on Artists House records called "Soapsuds" ... absolutely a must-have record.