The Shape of Jazz to Come

This is my favorite record by Ornette Colman. Recorded and released on Atlantic Records in 1959, it contains both improvisational and compositional brilliance. The haunting, dirge-like melody of the tune "Lonely Woman" combined with Billy Higgins' double-time drums practically blew my head off the first time I heard it. A must-have record for any lover of jazz.

  • Ornette Coleman: alto sax
  • Don Cherry: cornet
  • Charlie Haden: bass
  • Billy Higgins: drums
  • Tracks:
    1. Lonely Woman
    2. Eventually
    3. Peace
    4. Focus on Sanity
    5. Congeniality
    6. Chronology