ORNETTE COLEMAN - Body Meta (1975-1996) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The establishment of Ornette Coleman's self-determining Artists House label and his electric double-trio Prime Time coincided with the release of Body Meta, which changed many of the business and musical contours of jazz in the mid- to late '70s. Coleman proved that jazz musicians could determine their own fate and market their music without a major-label contract. He also advanced the orientation of jazz away from swing rhythms and into a deeper blues driven by funk and angular electric guitars inspired by the precepts of Thelonious Monk. A music that turned out to be crazier than most while attempting to be more people-oriented resulted in controversy. It was an indisputable new music amalgam that Coleman could claim as his own, yet which sprang forth into the so-called M-Base music movement of New York City. Jamaaladeen Tacuma on electric bass guitar, Bern Nix and Charlie Ellerbe on electric guitars, and drummers Denardo Coleman and Ronald Shannon Jackson comprise the first Prime Time band heard here. They are loud, boisterous, imaginative, unfettered by conventional devices, and wail beyond compare with Coleman within relatively funky, straight beats. "Voice Poetry" sets the tone, a boogaloo funk with an unmistakable kinship to the churning Bo Diddley beat, with Coleman's obtuse alto sax between the guitarists' obtuse castings creating intense, passionate, and obsessed music. Where "Home Grown" uses the same wall-rattling sound within repeated lines, there are dense and bulky layers embedded deeply in the thick rhythms. Fans of Coleman will relate more to "Macho Woman," which spurs on a sound similar to his style from years past, as the brief melody gives way to solos. "Fou Amour" is a soulful, off-minor, bitter ballad, while "European Echoes" is a militaristic waltz -- hardly a traipse through flowers -- with various free sections. As every track is different, Coleman's vision has a diffuse focus, but it's clear that things have changed. Even his personal sound is more pronounced, unleashed from shackles, and more difficult to pin down. Michael G. Nastos  
Tracklist :
1     Voice Poetry 8'10
Ornette Coleman
2     Home Grown 7'47
Ornette Coleman
3     Macho Woman 7'43
Ornette Coleman
4     Fou Amour 8'36
Ornette Coleman
5     European Echoes 9'39
Ornette Coleman
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Producer – Ornette Coleman
Bass – Jamaaladeen Tacuma
Drums – Ronald Shannon Jackson
Guitar – Bern Nix, Charlie Ellerbe

ORNETTE COLEMAN - Dancing in Your Head (1977-2000) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Following the symphonic explorations of 1972's Skies of America, Ornette Coleman became fascinated with the music of Morocco. Dancing in Your Head is the chaotic result of that experimental period with the formation of Prime Time. "Theme From a Symphony" (Variation One and Two) is a 27-minute dervish whirlwind mixed with funk. This was the first opportunity listeners had to hear the two-guitar assault of Charles Ellerbee and Bern Nix. With its infectious danceable melody, Coleman fused these musics together in a unique unpredictable way that had not previously been attempted. "Midnight Sunrise" is a field recording with Ornette playing in Morocco alongside the Master Musicians of Jajouka during a religious ceremony. Music critic Robert Palmer, the first to expose Ornette to the music and culture of Morocco, plays clarinet. Unfortunately this fascinating piece clocks in at only 4:36, with an alternative take not on the original album, at 3:50 featuring Coleman and Palmer playing in an absolute frenzy. Dancing In Your Head sustained Ornette Coleman's role of controversial innovator. Al Campbell
Tracklist :
1     Theme from a Symphony (Variation One) 15'47
Ornette Coleman
2     Theme from a Symphony (Variation Two) 11'10
Ornette Coleman
3     Midnight Sunrise 4'45
Ornette Coleman
Clarinet – Robert Palmer
Wind [Ghaita], Strings, Percussion – Master Musicians Of Jajouka
4     Midnight Sunrise (Alternative Take) 3'49
Ornette Coleman
Clarinet – Robert Palmer
Wind [Ghaita], Strings, Percussion – Master Musicians Of Jajouka
Credits :
Bass – Jamaaladeen Tacuma
Drums – Ronald Shannon Jackson
Guitar – Bern Nix, Charles Ellerbee
Alto Saxophone, Producer [Original Recordings] – Ornette Coleman

ORNETTE COLEMAN - Of Human Feelings (1979-1985) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

When one thinks of Ornette Coleman's innovative Prime Time Band, it is of crowded ensembles played by the altoist/leader, two guitars, two electric bassists, and two drummers. Actually, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, who plays enough for two musicians, is the only bassist on this date, but guitarists Charlie Ellerbee and Bern Nix, along with drummers Denardo Coleman and Calvin Weston, keep the ensembles quite exciting. None of the eight Coleman originals (which includes a tune titled "What Is the Name of That Song?") would catch on, but in this context they serve as a fine platform for Coleman's distinctive horn and often witty and free (but oddly melodic) style. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Sleep Talk 4'34
Ornette Coleman
2     Jump Street 4'24
Ornette Coleman
3     Him And Her 4'20
Ornette Coleman
4     Air Ship 6'11
Ornette Coleman
5     What is the Name of That Song? 3'58
Ornette Coleman
6     Job Mob 4'57
Ornette Coleman
7     Love Words 2'54
Ornette Coleman
8     Times Square 6'03
Ornette Coleman
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Producer – Ornette Coleman
Bass Guitar – Jamaaladeen Tacuma
Drums – Calvin Weston, Ornette Denardo Coleman
Guitar – Bern Nix, Charlie Ellerbee

ORNETTE & PRIME TIME - Opening the Caravan of Dreams (1985) LP | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Ornette Coleman's innovative Prime Time band is heard at the peak of its powers on this LP from the small Caravan of Dream label. The altoist/leader is the main voice throughout the otherwise very democratic ensembles, which feature guitarists Bern Nix and Charles Ellerbee, bassists Jamaaladeen Tacuma and Albert MacDowell, and drummers Denardo Coleman and Sabir Kamal. The six originals, which include such titles as "To Know What to Know," "Harmolodic Bebop" and "Sex Spy," feature dense ensembles, equal doses of dissonance and wit, and more than their share of high energy. This was the leading "free funk" band of the 1980s, and this LP, which is worth a search by open-eared listeners, gives one a definitive look into the group's unusual music. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
A1    To Know What To Know    7:56
Composed By – Ornette Coleman
A2    Harmolodic Bebop    6:04
Composed By – Ornette Coleman
A3    Sex Spy    5:36
Composed By – Ornette Coleman
B1    City Living    6:01
Composed By – Ornette Coleman
B2    See-Thru    4:31
Composed By – Ornette Coleman
B3    Compute    8:40
Composed By – Ornette Coleman
Credits :
Bass – Albert MacDowell, Jamaaladeen Tacuma
Drums – Denardo Coleman, Sabir Kamal
Guitar – Bern Nix, Charles Ellerbee
Sax, Trumpet, Violin  – Ornette Coleman