Ornette Coleman

As is often said, 1959 was something of an Annus Mirablis for jazz.  It is said that there were four groundbreaking albums each of which in their own way pushed jazz in new directions.  (For the record they are:

Miles Davis: Kind of Blue
The Dave Brubeck Quartet: Time Out
Ornette Coleman: The Shape of Jazz to Come
Charles Mingus: Mingus Ah Um

(Although a case can perhaps be made for John Coltrane's Giant Steps as well - and there were a number of other records that in any other year would themselves have seemed remarkable).

So when googling around I discovered that Ornette Coleman was going to be playing in London, I had to book tickets.

Last Sunday it happened, at the Royal Festival Hall.  Last act of the London Jazz Festival. 

A small, hunched 81-year-old man carefully shepherded across the stage by the other three members of his band.

And then, it was electrifying.  He still pushes boundaries, experiments, takes the audience, sometimes, into places that feel unccomfortable and challenging.  He freely adapts and changes the music he is famous for, testing and trying what is possible.

Wonderful stuff.  Severall standing ovations. 

The Guardian gave five stars while saying that while much of it was incredible, they didn't like all of it (as if it was about liking).

I feel very lucky.