Change of the Century

Ornette Coleman | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 25, 1992)
• Original Release Date: 1960
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Atlantic
• ASIN: B000002IIL
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #131,898 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential recording

Ornette Coleman suggests in his liner notes for this 1960 release that "there is no single right way to play jazz." He and this, his great quartet (with Don Cherry, pocket trumpet; Charlie Haden, bass; and Billy Higgins, drums), fully confirm that statement and dismiss the railings of Coleman's detractors. This classic's assurance and achievement fully justify its cocky title. In its free group improvising, as Coleman puts it, "each member goes his own way and still adds tellingly to the group endeavor." The later formalization of that approach, as "harmolodics," was from this point inevitable. The selections include tunes like "Ramblin'" and "Una Muy Bonita" that would be standards today if more musicians had deigned to venture down the paths that Coleman blazed. --Peter Monaghan

Product Description

2002 remastered reissue of 1959 album. Featuring the extraordinary talents of Don Cherry, Charlie Haden & Billy Higgins. Digipak. Warner Jazz. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superior Jazz, May 6, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Galena, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Change of the Century (Audio CD)

I thought that this album was great. I admire how Ornette Coleman and his fellow musicians could create Jazz right on the spot like that. I may be only 11 years old, but I know what kind of music I like and I like this.

20 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Music necessary for this new century [& every 1 after it], May 17, 2001

By 

Funkmeister G - See all my reviews

This review is from: Change of the Century (Audio CD)

Change of the Century, Ornette's 4th album is a work of stunning brilliance. Any doubts that because it is sandwiched between the definitive classic The Shape Of Jazz To Come & the revolutionary Free Jazz that it would be somewhat lesser can be thrown right out. This is a great a jazz album as any ever made & amongst the greatest of any music, seriously all the labels, genre-specificness & niche marketing should be thrown right out, like OC fan Captain Beefheart meant when he said "Lick my decals off, baby!", I'm sure Ornette would agree. 1st of all there is the striking stark portrait of the man himself by Lee Friedlander to get yr attention, I've seen a book full of her photography & it's good stuff [note the similar style on Miles Davis' Greatest Hits lp cover of the late 60s]. Then there are the liner notes explaining the philosophy driving the music, Ornette believes deeply in what his group were doing [I should now mention that drummer Billy Higgins recently died & a sad shame it is, also the great Don Cherry has been gone since 1995], the bold titles of the albums were not an exercise to build an ego but just great confidence in the power of the music. Now, Ramblin' which opens the album is something that should be listened to every day to wake you up & get you in the mood for lifeliving, very catchy & great playing from all members, pure genius. Free is the name of the next track & it's worth noting this is preceding the term 'free jazz' slightly, the intro of it really superb, a streaming sea of sound & then of course there is a lot of free group improvisation. The Face Of The Bass highlights the talents of Charlie Haden [& rightly so!], daring to give him an extended solo before the whole band jumps in again. Una Muy Bonita is an overwhelmingly joyous tune but never embarrassingly so, another classic. The only tune to not grab you immediately & predict the more out there abrasiveness of the free jazz scene is the title track which closes the lp, it is also the shortest track here. The other songs are top notch too of course, particularly Forerunner. Like Ornette says in the liner notes, music can't be analysed too much or it loses what makes it great in the 1st place, so all I can say is it's something I highly recommend & yr ears will thank you for it. P.S. [3 months after initial write-up]: THIS IS THE PINNACLE, IT DOES NOT GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS!! An absolute classic that can be played every day & is always compelling. That's not to say there's not a whole lot more worth checking out, the electric Body Meta & semi-orchestral Chappaqua Suite are brilliant too. Start here though.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The only way to play jazz, well., August 8, 2000

By 

"jazzfanmn" (St Cloud, MN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Change of the Century (Audio CD)

Says Ornette in the liner notes: "I say, there is no single way to play jazz. Some of the comments made about my music make me realize though that modern jazz, once so daring and revolutionary, has become, in many respects, a rather settled and conventional thing." Just as bop had befuddled and angered critics to ask such narrow minded questions as, "where is the melody?", the music of Ornette Coleman confused and angered the majority of critics. But the muscicians were listening. Even Coleman's seminal "Free Jazz" sounds relatively tame when compared to the avante garde of the middle to late 60's, but it can be argued much of that music, good and bad, could never have come about without the adavnces of Ornette Coleman. A genius on par with names like: Ellington, Coltrane, Parker, jazz is still wrestling with his revolution. His lack of traditional structures, total absence of chorded instruments (i.e. piano, guitar), and even playing his plastic alto were all part of his revolution. But lets focus on what matters, this album is a delight from beginning to end. Ornette is in top form thoughout, check out his furious solo on "Forerunner". Bassist Charlie Haden and drummer Billy Higgins move with fluidity and cohesiveness through out. Donald Cherry on the pocket trumpet, while not impressive to me, is essential to the group for his willingness to take chances. To these ears this music swings as hard as any, and needs to be in any serious collection of jazz recordings, not because it is revoloutionary, but because it is good!