But At Heart It's Just The Blues

A series of disks was issued to coincide with the mammoth tv documentary on the history of jazz by director Ken Burns. The only one that I have in my collection is The Definitive Ornette Coleman. And it is a wonderful album, full of life affirming music that is not in the least difficult to listen to, regardless of the reputation that it has in some quarters. It is now easy to see that however radical some of it might appear to be, it is always rooted in blues. Purist improv fans see that as a weakness, I'm afraid the way my ears are adjusted make it a great strength. Even First Take from the Free Jazz album, while lacking any immediately recognisable theme, has a driving pulse that is easy to hang onto as the soloists take flight. Ornette's alto is a joy throughout. Most of the takes are in a quartet format with various accomplices but all fully attuned to the sound world. There are telling contributions on trumpet, primarily from Don Cherry, and the rhythm section is rock solid and both bass and drums also provide richly rewarding solos. Much of it so damn danceable too, check out Ramblin' and try to keep the smile off your face.