The Strange Album that Changed Jazz Forever

[@4Gunzo]

Man I’d like to see a polyphonic video on Charles Mingus

[@roosolini7105]

I second this

[@AkimboCorndogs]

And Thelonious Monk, too!

[@kilik2049]

YES PLEASE

[@ettoremacca2927]

There aren't enough videos about him on KZbin

[@johnparadise3134]

Especially Mingus and Monk! !!!! ⭐️ 🌟 💫 🌟 ....and Coltrane! 💫 (If you haven’t done Coltrane already?)

[@maxmeeder1542]

Please make musicians that shaped jazz a running series it’s so insanely good!

[@hanadiamin6914]

yes please!! i've found so much jazz through these videos

[@BanDaniel23]

Agreed

[@ruaoneill9050]

Yes please!!!!

[@EclecticoIconoclasta]

Yes please. Do a video on Kenny G

[@rafi_mota]

Yeeppp

[@gblewz]

At one time improvisation based on chord changes was considered by innovators like Charlie Parker as liberating. That Coleman later saw it as “rigid” is testament to jazz music’s constant evolution. BTW, listening to free jazz got me my first apartment. Yeah, moms couldn’t stand it so she kicked me out. 😂

[@royareyzabal823]

Jajajajaja nice story, serves incredibly well for a joke at meetings

[@kanacubana827]

When Miles Davis actually went to see Ornette live in NY he recanted his comment about him being "all screwed up inside" and actually became his fan, same thing happened with Charles Mingus, who initially disliked Coleman's work but would later go on to celebrate it.

[@paisleyprincess7996]

Miles telling someone “screwed up Inside” is like the pot calling the kettle black

[@monsterjazzlicks]

Fool!

[@elragman]

Max Roach, who punched Ornette, when he first played in NY, later accepted "free jazz" playing with Cecil Taylor and others.

[@rhythmking10]

Miles became more of a fan of his Prime Time band than the NY quartet, he mentioned it in Autobiography

[@juniorjames7076]

@@rhythmking10 I heard that many people hated Mile's On The Corner when it came out. I find that astounding!!!

[@ruaoneill9050]

Me 15 mins ago: I have never heard of Ornette Coleman Me now: I need to listen to all his musoc and read every word he has ever said/written

[@musamusashi]

Got the honor of seeing the original Ornette's quartet perform live in a unique reunion in 1987. Transcendental.

[@MagneticDonut]

I cannot express enough how I love this channel. Wonderful work every time. Makes me love music even more and that's... wow

[@readymade83]

In college a friend played me some Ornette on his radio show and I was awestruck. He let me borrow Shape of Jazz and then suggested I find Free Jazz at the campus library. That made for an intense listening experience.

[@wallac11]

You did an absolutely incredible job analyzing Ornette Coleman’s music. Coleman is to jazz what Bartok and Schoenberg are to classical music.

[@py_a_thon]

There is perhaps a hidden and potentially irrelevant yet interesting aspect of this idea. There is a composer who wrote a piece for a television show, and the title is "The Shape of Things to Come". The title "The Shape of Jazz to Come" seems significant in context. The composer I am referencing is named Bear McCreary, and the specific show is the reboot of Battlestar Galactica. The interesting aspect is that McCreary apprenticed under the iconic composer Leonard Bernstein. And the originating composer of that tv show was Richard Gibbs. He was the keyboard player for Oingo Boingo. And another member of that band was the esteemed cinematic composer: "Danny Elfman". Music has a way of being.

[@dryzalizer]

As a former sax player, in my high school jazz band I never even heard the name Ornette Coleman spoken. It wasn't until I went to college and hung out with a guy there who played bass and really knew all about NYC jazz that I listened to The Shape of Jazz to Come. It's one of those albums I liked more and more every time I listened to it. Strangely enough, it may have influenced my improvisation too much as I got some weird looks when I would do more experimental solos...let's just say I was no Ornette Coleman as a player, but I still love that album.

[@phantomvhs3537]

Polyphonic never fails to show me how many unique legends I never would have known about otherwise. I love it.

[@freeman10000]

Absolutely agree.

[@JordanClifford]

You never would have heard of ornette coleman without this video? That’s truly unfortunate

[@thick_air]

@@JordanClifford wow aren't you just so cool

[@halaman9500]

Yup

[@alleykat5188]

They know how dig up buried treasures.

[@BlairCarlyle]

This is amazing. A vid on Chet Baker would be really cool! He had a wild life and a tragic end like must jazz guys. It's really cool thinking about how Chet went the opposite direction of a lot of jazz musicians. Instead of hitting the highest notes Chet went low, instead of playing fast, he went slow. People didn't know if it was a girl or a boy singing because he sang so softly. He focused on feeling instead of technical skill. Another amazing thing is he became of the most famous trumpet plays in the world but he couldn't read music. He played purely from ear and let the notes carry him to where he needed to go. His whole story is just crazy.

[@OsKarMike1306]

Chet Baker isn't the most famous trumpet player in the world though, what about Miles and Louis ?

[@BlairCarlyle]

@@OsKarMike1306 What does being famous have to do with anything?

[@zippitydoodah8771]

He had perfect pitch so that would help immensely.

[@bobjary9382]

An examination of capt Beefhearts ' Trout Mask Replica' would be interesting as an adjunct or foil or juxtaposition to Colemans lp

[@kif411]

Thanks to you, I finally understand the reasoning why one of my favorite punk bands named their album "A shape of punk to come" by Refused. It's an album that definitely destroyed the idea of what punk music is and what it could be, similarly like Ornette's take on Jazz. So for that piece of musical discovery, thank you!

[@Creepy-Cash]

You should check out Nation of Ulysses. The Refused kind of bit their sound.

[@Dorderhan]

Your editing is insane, props to you

[@AndrewStopfords]

‘Stone Praise Technique’ is a testament to what Ornette Coleman has been saying for years. Harmolodics truly exists, and this legend has changed the world of Jazz. Ornette Coleman is the greatest ❤

[@pigeon1935]

Can you please do a video on how Charlie Haden shaped bass playing in Jazz. My mom was his cleaning lady and I grew up watching him play is Bass and piano I wish I was a lot older to appreciate his pure genius. It was a sad day for my mom and I when he passed away. My he rest in peace.

[@farshimelt]

Change of the Century is one of Coleman's most accessible recordings and a classic in the Jazz idiom.

[@kelleesmi]

Una Muy Bonita is one of my favorite songs ever!

[@williamgregory1848]

I remember when I first heard The Shape of Jazz to Come, I hated it. But after listening to it for 4 months, I realized it was based on standard song form. I started telling cats that Ornette sounds amazing and they looked at me like I was crazy.

[@WitchKing-Of-Angmar]

They probably looked at you like you were crazy because you were talking to them, a group of cats and they knew better to indulge you.

[@lars1588]

His work with Pat Metheny in the eighties was amazing. Guitar and saxophone together are certainly very intriguing to listen to.

[@spacealienjesus709]

I love Miles but I think he was mad that Coleman came out with that album in 59. Plus Miles would go on to do the same type of style 10 years later.. And Zappa is too stubborn to say Ornette influenced him..

[@andyokus5735]

I never heard anyone speak of Ornette. Man what a beautiful name. Been playing Jazz since I began 45 years ago and I was blessed to see Ornette twice live; in London with his symphony and Prime Time at '84 Atlanta Jazz Fest. They kicked Royal ass. I'm still studying him on my own hoping a little will rub off. Ornette Coleman forever!!

[@jacpod2046]

I know a comment like this is on every video you make but man, your editing gets better and better. This episode was so pleasing and smooth and fun too look at throughout. Thank you for the story!

[@AaronFitzgerald]

Polyphonic I've learned so much from your videos. They're so diverse, in depth, and just help me to be more educated about musical history, all while doing it with daughter high quality. Don't you ever stop making these videos

[@daviday87]

Ornette mentored my childhood friend, Casimir Liberski, and he used to host open door non-stop jam sessions in his NYC apartment - my buddy said literally every type of musician used to pass through Ornette's place (Flea from RHCP for example).

[@MnMsandOreos]

It kinda sounds like when you go to see a musical and you’re waiting for the show to start and the orchestra is warming up. There are melodies there, but it’s still improvisational

[@Deshadow25]

Here is some jazz artists recommendations for future episodes like this. Piano/Keyboards Herbie Hancock(Headhunters) Chick Corea(Return To Forever) Jan Hammer(Mahavisnu Orchestra) Lyle Mays(Pat Metheny Group and his amazing chemistry with Pat) Drums Jack Dejohnette(his solo career and how he not only has been in a lot of things, but he is so good and versatile and he can play piano and keyboards too) Billy Cobham(may possibly be the best Fusion Drummer out there. Saxophone John Coltrane(not even that familar with him, but he is obviously top of that list) Michael Brecker(I even avoided jazz albums featuring saxophone before I heard Brecker and I can't even put my finger on why i gravitated towards him. first heard him on an album by John Abercrombie on Night and then proceeded to buy his solo stuff with my favorite being Now You See it(Now You Don't) Guitarists Wes Montgomery(i mean I think he is the main guy to thank for guitar in Jazz. his record The Incredble Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery is a must listen) Pat Metheny(my favorite jazz guitarist and has a crazy amount of Grammy's so he must have done something right in his career also see Lyle Mays above) John Abercrombie John Mclaughlin I think its best to make a episode on the three big Johns of jazz fusion guitar playing and how their styles are different and how they all shaped jazz in their own little corners John Scofield Double Bassist Ron Carter(the most recorded jazz Double Bassist and may be up their in number of jazz recording's period) Dave Holland(another guy that gets around and is amazing in everything he is in.) Charlie Haden(Not really familar with him, but he was brought up in this episode so why not) Miroslav Vitous(I mean the man was in Weather Report, ezpz) Bass Guitar Jaco Pastorius(I mean he is the bass guitar god) Stanley Clarke(Return To Forever and it was his album Children of Forever that was the unofficial start of that whole thing, also pretty good bass player as it turns out as well) Paul Jackson(Doesn't have much of a career in terms of lots of recordings as a bandleader or a sideman, but he was part of the Headhunters and his bass playing is a huge part of why The Headhunters are so good. As a good example go listen to Palm Grease from Herbie Hancock's record Thrust to see what I mean the enitre track feels like it revolves around his bass playing and everyone else is playing around that, it's great.) If none of these episodes get made, then at least the people reading this has some artist recommendations which alone was worth the half an hour it took to write this.

[@marciamakesmusic]

Bruh you left out so many foundational players

[@masonduke5647]

Never expected Derrida to come up in one of these videos

[@NeilRaouf]

«Ornette thaught me to think outside of the box.» - A. Einstein

[@jaykewedel501]

Jaco Pastorius next!

[@marciamakesmusic]

We're talking about jazz though

[@chano1283]

He was a jazz player, he jus didn’t always play jazz. Arguably, just like Coleman

[@240high]

Eric dolphy. Next please!!

[@sozeytozey]

Those skillshare classes are paying off. This video is beautiful!

[@pczYT]

Great Video! I had Free Jazz when I was a teen back in the 80s... Ornette and Peter Brotzmann were my favourite crazy jazzers

[@lupcokotevski2907]

Laura Nyro seismically influenced songwriting with her revolutionary 1968 art pop album Eli and the Thirteenth Confession in which she broke all the rules - "it blew everybody's mind " Todd Rundgren. One track is entitled Lonely Women, featuring the great Zoot Sims on sax.

[@mwobbe66]

I've never been a fan of Coleman, but after watching this I intend to take a deep dive. Bravo!

[@theekaleeb6268]

Let me just say i love everything about this channel. Truly underrated and iconic literally nothing like it.

[@Scott-et4kd]

Wow, you did a beautiful job on this vid. Perfect script, perfect audio, perfect editing, perfect art, Wow.

[@omnikosm8472]

Thank you, this was beautiful !

[@pedrodeeg3893]

Last time I was this early jazz hadn’t even taken off

[@HailGrega]

It’d be awesome if you made a video about The Band or about The Last Waltz! I’ve been watching a lot of these video essays about the history of music and musicians but haven’t seen any about The Band, one of my favorite groups! Keep up the great work, your content is top notch!!

[@marshallbrooks2296]

Okay, you deserve way more attention for what you do! Your channel is one of my favourites. Keep up the work!

[@jacktowers7533]

How did I miss this polyphonic video for over a year

[@Watcher4111]

I have many Ornette Coleman albums. Even i bought Colemans 6 cd box set which i love

[@djautotur4875]

i remember having to make a presentation about ornette coleman jn music class, i didn't appreciate him as much back then and i was mad someone else in the class got to do one about coltrane :/ i regret not putting more work into it

[@joethomas7841]

This video popped up on my feed today and made me really happy to see that it had reached so many people. I am so into his music, did a whole showcase on it in Brooklyn for my first jazz gig in NYC. Man, you made such a great video! Thank you so much for what you do. Would love to hang and talk some time.

[@gregdahlen4375]

what do you mean did a showcase on it?

[@jessehilton1337]

Incredible video man. Coleman’s life and work is so fascinating and interesting.

[@DonovanPresents]

Hearing Ornette Coleman's quotes 🤯

[@ruaoneill9050]

Right there with ya, like, where has this artist been all me life?!?!

[@georgecromarty5372]

Kudos to doing an essay on Ornette Coleman! Please consider doing more on leading jazz innovators. May I nominate George Russell, a master of alternative modes, who once wrote a song on the topic, titled "The Lydiot."

[@RanBlakePiano]

George Russell great composer Essential !

[@congruentcrib]

I think it’d be really nice to see the alternative spectrum looked at and pulled apart just like you’ve done for Jazz.

[@mariosimas]

but in the end, it still swings :) Love the "The shape of jazz to come "

[@quintenhazebroek18]

Would love a closer look on SURF ROCK (especially the king of surf guitar;)). Ps: realy appreciate the time and effort you put into these vids! And those animations are astonishing

[@TK-fk4po]

He did a good analysis of “good vibrations”.

[@quintenhazebroek18]

@@TK-fk4po yeah definitely. Would love his take on Dick Dale, the surfaris, etc. or the genre as a whole

[@gibusgamer93]

7:03 Ornette Coleman has acquired a taste for... FREE FORM JAZZ

[@thevfxmancolorizationvfxex4051]

How Miles Davis shaped Jazz Fusion next please

[@haydinwebkinz]

Love love love hearing about Coleman's musical philosophy and philosophy in general. The more I learn about him, the more and more it makes sense why his musical ideas and music resonates with me so much, especially "Free Jazz".

[@giorgiodemurtas2933]

Dude, that's insanely good, keep on with this amazing videos!

[@doorsofperception18]

Your Jazz videos are some of your best and a absolute joy to watch. Please do more.

[@jurrienvanrooy7469]

Thank you for making this video about one of my heroes. More people should know him and your efforts on this platform are really helping the cause!

[@mikeytaylor3901]

would love to see a video about Anthony Braxton

[@thee_rita5156]

Yes the King!

[@MooseRocka]

Video is well done. I’m not an Ornette fan, but I respect what he was doing as it was consistent within his own structures that he had developed. And I’ll take a guy like him pushing the envelope over people trying to rehash old shit any day.

[@jorisvandenhoek6251]

Anorher fascinating freejazz guy is Albert Ayler, who combined very simple marching tunes from his childhood with raging wild free improvisation. It sounds very bombastic and spiritual. He was a good friend with the late Coltrane, but he never made it into the relative mainstream that free jazz guys like coleman got in. Free jazz that sounds like no other, very interesting. Highly reccomend.

[@marcb.3896]

Lonely Woman is one of the most beautiful pieces of all time.

[@tmac2744]

I think that Coleman's push was correct in that it was needed to move jazz forward. That said, knowing how and when to break the rules of standard jazz like Coleman does requires a deep understanding of jazz. Without that understanding all you can produce is noise, but with it, you can push the edges and create new music that no one has heard before. To be more succinct, it is a progression. Day one, someone can pick up a saxophone and play notes, but that doesn't mean they are playing jazz. With time, they learn how jazz is played and are capable of playing what has come before, but they may still be learning to improvise. Once they understand the rules of both jazz, and jazz improvisation, they can start to push the rules, or break them entirely, in order to evoke the specific emotive content they are looking for. They are now capable of taking the conversations in new directions, brining in new concepts that no one else has brought to the listeners before. Not everyone has to go all the way to the end of that progression to become great, in fact, I would suggest that most never do. The ones that do, however, are the ones that become legends.

[@shelbot]

I love your videos. Your graphics are beautifully done, and the information is very informative. This was an artist I was not familiar with, and it was so great to learn about him! Thank you so much. 🙏

[@pnadell9231]

I was lucky enough to experience Ornette live in Boston. He was with Prime Time, the double quartet,with his son,Denardo as one of the drummers.It was a transformative musical experience, for which I am eternally thankful.

[@RanBlakePiano]

Please submit your Catalogue .not iPad savvy

[@pnadell9231]

I was there.

[@pnadell9231]

Are you the young guy sitting next to me?

[@noahreese-clauson4121]

Thank you for this video. It's my second time watching it, you introduced me to one of my favorite albums.

[@rnm723]

Yo you're really at your A game! Thanks to this I'm checking out Ornette Coleman! Job well done !

[@terryjames548]

In 1984 Ornette played in Munich. I went to his show never having heard of him. I thought he turned music on its head. Absolute master musician. Mesmerizing.

[@jasperchance3382]

Just a great album taking Parker's innovations to another level

[@careyvinzant]

Vernon Reid (Living Colour) did his apprenticeship in Ronald Shannon Jackson's Decoding Society (Jackson had been Ornette's drummer).

[@cgrimland]

It's incredible to think of the far-reaching influence of a single relatively unknown music teacher: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I.M._Terrell_High_School#Music_program

[@djjoeykmusic]

Thank you so much! Awesome video. I learned so much and have been looking for a video of this caliper. Awesome

[@chelseacristoffor]

Great video! Would love one on Sun Ra.

[@ofermashiach4519]

Great video! It really makes me view music in a new light.

[@jayumble8390]

This was fantastic, thank you!!

[@xavierhuc2125]

I'm only 2 minutes into the video but you've made a cracking job evoking the cover arts with the visuals.

[@dadudeguy2vlog]

A lot of jazz players weren’t warm to his playing initially because he often didn’t play in tune and it wasn’t evident that he knew how to play in different keys.

[@mattfrank5811]

I'd like to see a Rat Pack video at some point. Thanks Keep up the great work

[@deangranros8493]

Truly great that you are hipping people to Ornette. My hero since I was 15, a looonng time ago . Thanks for doing this. One thing though, if I am not mistaken, Ornette's compadres in the original quartet were musicians he knew in Los Angeles and by the time they got to knew York they were fully formed and ready to go. Correct me if I am wrong but that's how I understand it.

[@farshimelt]

You're correct. They were playing together in the late 1950s.

[@yasin-ali]

I saw him live in Austin, TX. Amazing musician.

[@HipNerd]

Love this video. To quote an Ornette Coleman album title, something else!

[@farshimelt]

That's a Cannonball Adderly album title.

[@michaelclark9387]

The title should have been How Ornette Coleman Shaped jazz To Come

[@kirbymia6209]

I love these jazz videos! Please keep making em'. I adore your effort visually, through content and aurally!

[@RanBlakePiano]

Please send us your complete catalogue . I tried to seek your channel ,finding rpn ,but not musical episodes

[@chano1283]

Thank you so much for this video.

[@denvercarlstrom8874]

Many of his ablums blew me away, but 'Skies of America' is astounding

[@tonyblitz1]

Ironic that there are people discounting rap music for not fitting into the handy little boxes defined as "real music"

[@WilliamCarterII]

Its crazy bc Eventually sounds kinda tame considering the Free Jazz that was about to hit the scene lmao

[@paaao]

Lou Reed said in an interview once that jazz never made any sense to him until he randomly heard lonely woman play on a late night black radio station and he was so jolted and amazed by what he heard that he decided to apply those same dissonant sounds and noise to the typical power chords of rock guitar. With John Cale's help, the velvet underground was born. Venus in furs and the entire debut album probably would not exist or sound as haunting and complex as it did without Ornette Coleman's eccentric sound.

[@mgconlan]

"The Shape of Jazz to Come" and its companion album, "Change of the Century," were actually recorded in Los Angeles before Coleman and his bandmates moved to New York. These albums are seminal works in jazz history, but at this late date Coleman's playing sounds less radical and more like a logical evolution of Charlie Parker's style. In fact, if Parker had lived past 1955 it's conceivable he would have grown, shaped and changed his own music in the direction Coleman actually took. Parker was already playing a plastic alto sax in the May 15, 1953 Massey Hall concert in Toronto before Coleman took up the plastic horn.

[@platznine]

Fantastic job on the high quality video presentation and editing. Lots of hard work and it shows!

[@Mrbeat-88]

Thank you sir. Coleman's music is as inspiring as the effort you put into these. Future generations will study both for sure. In your own words, "new art is allowed to thrive". Hell yeah

[@williamshakespeare9815]

Improvising during a march is something I would love to see loool.

[@leonelnoris3249]

Man please make a polyphonic video on Michael Brecker, Chick Corea and Jamiroquai

[@TooOldFor]

One minor correction. Ornette did not play a plastic saxophone "throughout his entire career". When he could afford to, to switched to a conventional (brass) Selmer alto. Your video includes pictures of him playing a metal alto, one if which I believe dates to the 1970's.

[@nickwetherall4008]

Please may you make a video on Chuck Berry’s influence on Rock ‘n’ Roll

[@Headhunter_212]

I was lucky enough to get turned onto Coleman when I was in JHS (76-78) and gorged on his work, Mingus , James Blood Ulmer, Don Cherry, Ed Blackwell, world Saxophone Quartet, art Ensemble of Chicago, Defunkt, Jamaladeen tacuma, David Murray. Lucky enough to see all of these acts in HS and beyond. JFC, NYC was a great place to grow up.

[@JoeDiMinicoZenithPhracker]

I love your videos. How about one on Zappa? You know you want to...

[@mariusgoddert2502]

Thanks for your great videos. They are always so interesting and stylishly made. Can't wait for more. Keep it up!

[@sebastianseufferheld]

Really enjoy all of your content. Beautifully put together, flows very well and manages to inform and inspire simultaneously.

[@SSNewberry]

This is like the introduction to Coleman's work. For example the quotes in "Eventually" stand out and the listener need to be guided by the theme and quotes, including a quote to "Koko" by one C. Parker.

[@Atomchild]

I am a synesthete, and I create music based on what it makes me see and think. People's overall vibe and character have rhythm for me, as do other everyday objects. Everything exudes this intrinsic value of rhythm and sound for me based on what I see and how it progresses over time. This effect bleeds into my philosophy and mood and emotion and mental head spaces. And hearing the way that he describes his Inspirations makes me wonder if he's a synesthete too, but that always seems to happen, like when I first started taking LSD I suddenly thought maybe this person is on LSD or maybe that person is too.. I get the same thing with him regarding synesthesia, and I'm wondering if he was a synesthete, or if it's my egocentric projection.

[@kanacubana827]

6:31 actually Ornette only used the plastic saxophone he bought in 1954 on his first albums, and would later change to a traditional metal saxophone painted in white. The reason for that is that since his metal saxophone was destroyed in the assault in Baton Rouge in 1949, he could only afford to buy the plastic one.