[Saxmusiclover]

To our UK friends,
Did anyone see Ornette Coleman at the Royal Festival Hall the other night? If you did, please share.
Thanks in advance.

Ben

 

[gary]

Gonna see/hear him tonight here in Perugia, Italy. If I can get back to an internet connection, I'll give some thoughts, as well.

BTW, after Ornette's concert, I'll be going across the Piazza to hear the SF Collective, with Joe Lovano -who I coincidentally just ran into on the piazza a few minutes ago. Very friendly man. It was good to chat with him.

 

[Saxmusiclover]

Gonna see/hear him tonight here in Perugia, Italy. If I can get back to an internet connection, I'll give some thoughts, as well.

BTW, after Ornette's concert, I'll be going across the Piazza to hear the SF Collective, with Joe Lovano -who I coincidentally just ran into on the piazza a few minutes ago. Very friendly man. It was good to chat with him.

You're a very lucky man Gary! :cheers:
Will be waiting to hear from you.

Ben

 

[gary]

Heard Ornette last night and I'm glad I did. I think anyone who had the chance, should; he's a legend and there are less and less of them around. There were several tunes that lit his fire and it was great to hear. Otherwise, though, much of his playing was a bit redundant - lots of blues licks.

What I found really interesting was the playing of the three bass players. They played with very big ears and not only never got in one another's way, but supported Ornette wonderfully.

As I listened to it I was amused at how normal it now sounds and how revoloutionary and avant guard it seemed when he first hit the scene.

 

[Saxmusiclover]

Heard Ornette last night and I'm glad I did. I think anyone who had the chance, should; he's a legend and there are less and less of them around. there were several tunes that lit his fire and it was great to hear. Otherwise, though, much of his plaing was a bit redundant - lots of blues licks.

What I found really interesting was the playing of the three bass players. They played with very big ears and not only never got in one another's way, but supported Ornette wonderfully.

As I listened to it I was amused at how normal it now sounds and how revoloutionary and avant guard it seemed when he first hit the scene.

Thanks Gary. Appreciate it.

Ben

 

[JimD]

Gary's review is pretty well what I felt when I saw Ornette in London a year or so ago. He only had two bass players then but they really worked together. While I wouldn't go quite so far as describing a lot of his playing as redundant it did verge on being fill, but when he really engaged with it the music was thrilling. Lonely Woman was a heart stopper. Denardo was the one I found to be redundant.

 

[docformat]

I was there (in London).

Probably the best gig I've ever been to - how can a group with 3 bass players and a guy playing sax, trumpet, and violin, which breaks all the established rules of form and harmony sound so right? Ornette is from another planet!

Actually the 3 bass thing works reallly well - the acoustic was bowed to give a kind of harmonic base, the electro-acoustic provided the rhthym, and the electric was played in the tenor range like another lead instrument. Far out!!
Denardo (Denato?) wasn't great on the drums - but it was acceptable.

What was really exciting was the humility he showed (read Gary's KJ thread). He didn't say much but before he even played a note he leant into the mic and said "Tonight we will try to play a set that allows the musicians to play only what they truly love and believe in." The place went nuts. Hold on I've got to change my sig!

 

[jazzyblackbarry]

i was on ornette consert at molde jazz festival last year ,loooove it.this consert he had 2 bass players Al and Albert/Al great people,my friend Albert/Al is amazing on the el bass.it`s really something to listen to when he play`s.ornette had a singer from china with him to .patti smith was having a consert to at this festival,and later in the ornette consert patti smith came on stage with him..all the people was -----well you know.surprise.
the SF collective consert was great to.and joe lovano is really a nice guy,nice to talk with....i`m glad i had the chance to see a consert with ornette coleman..