Manafonistas

In verschiedenen Nachrufen auf Ornette wird erwähnt, dass er 2009 beim Konzert auf dem brandenburgischen Schloss Neuhardenberg bei einsetzendem Regen “Billy Jean” von Michael Jackson (1958-2009) spielte. Erstaunlich? Nein, eigentlich nicht. Die Klänge des Stücks kommen von weiter her, von tief unten.
 
 
V I D E O “Billy Jean” (Michael Jackson)
 
 
 

 
 
 
V I D E O “Little Rootie Tootie” (Thelonius Monk)
 
 
 

 
 
 
Wie mag Ornettes Gruppe geklungen haben? Wer war dabei?
 

auch von weiter her:
 
 
V I D E O long Bill Bailey’s moonwalk 1955
 
V I D E O short Bill Bailey’s moonwalk 1955
 
 
 

 

 

 
 
 
Ornette, he has gone. He changed our way of listening …
 

„I have always wanted to have more rhythm. Rhythm doesn´t have any parents and doesn´t have a style either. It just changes everything that touches it equally. You can´t dominate rhythm. Some call it the upbeat or the downbeat, but you either have to find a way to relate to it or let it pass.“

from Ornette´s conversation with WAX POETICS’ John Kruth to read H E R E
 
 
Ornette ist es stets gelungen, so über Klang und Musik zu reden, dass letztere nicht festnagelbar waren!

It´s quite strange that the German obituaries don´t mention or deal with Ornette´s work with Joachim Kühn … Reasons?
 
 
A chronological selection of audio/video of recordings you can find HERE

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? …

Ornette, he has gone. He changed our way of listening …