Ornette, he has gone. He changed our way of listening …
He was one of the great artists of the (bygone) 20th century
He uncovered something, trusted his ears and (inner) voice,
kept track, distinguished and made no hierarchal differences
for me the quintessential song of Ornette still is UNA MUY BONITA,
listen H E R E
recorded in october 1959 with Don Cherry, Charlie Haden and Billy Higgins, produced by Nesuhi Ertegün for Atlantic. It is from the album Change Of The Century, released in june 1960
Here are two obituary texts I like, one by Peter Margasak and one by Taylor Ho Bynum
And here is what Charles Lloyd said when he heard Ornette had left the planet
„Loneliness of the long distance runner. He knew his name and wouldn’t play the game. Deep in stardust he transposed the fight of Bird into the key of the Universe – the sighs, the cries, the tenderness, the warmth, the longing, the injustice and the justice. He understood and was beyond all that. Despite Kooliwaukee and Perspepitou, Pyramids came to say hello to him. He played on Vesuvius before it was swallowed by Pompeii. Music of the Spheres, his song is your song. Celestial. Manifest in the Absolute. Hologram.“
Charles Lloyd met Ornette during the formative Los Angeles years
Ornette created a song „Sadness“,
performed in 1962 at NY Town Hall w/David Izenzon — double bass Charles Moffat — drums Selwart Clark — violin Nathan Goldstein — violin Julian Barber – Kermit Moore — cello and himself on alto,
listen H E R E
And here is what Ornette had to say in Berlin, 1971. All from bygone days but …
listen H E R E
Was it (something) simple? …