ORNETTE COLEMAN - Twins (1971-2008) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Ornette Coleman's Twins (first issued on LP in 1971) has been looked at as an afterthought in many respects. A collection of sessions from 1959, 1960, and 1961 with different bands, they are allegedly takes from vinyl LP sessions commercially limited at that time to 40 minutes on vinyl, and not initially released until many years later. Connoisseurs consider this one of his better recordings in that it offers an overview of what Coleman was thinking in those pivotal years of the free bop movement rather than the concentrated efforts of The Art of the Improvisers, Change of the Century, The Shape of Jazz to Come, This Is Our Music, and of course the pivotal Free Jazz. There are three most definitive selections that define Coleman's sound and concept. "Monk & the Nun" is angular like Thelonious Monk, soulful as spiritualism, and golden with the rhythm team of bassist Charlie Haden and drummer Billy Higgins driving the sweet and sour alto sax of Coleman and piquant trumpeting of Don Cherry. "Check Up" is a wild roller coaster ride, mixing meters, tempos, and dynamics in a blender in an unforgettable display of sheer virtuosity, and featuring bassist Scott LaFaro. "Joy of a Toy" displays the playful Ornette Coleman in interval leaps, complicated bungee jumps, in many ways whimsical but not undecipherable. It is one of the most intriguing of all of Coleman's compositions. Less essential, "First Take" showcases his double quartet in a churning composition left off the original release This Is Our Music, loaded with interplay as a showcase for a precocious young trumpeter named Freddie Hubbard, the ribald bass clarinet of Eric Dolphy, and the first appearance with Coleman's groups for New Orleans drummer Ed Blackwell. "Little Symphony" has a great written line with room for solos in a joyful hard bop center with the quartet of Coleman, Cherry, Haden, and Blackwell. All in all an excellent outing for Coleman from a hodgepodge of recordings that gives a broader view of his vision and the music that would come later in the '60s. Michael G. Nastos  
Tracklist :
1    The Ornette Coleman Double Quartet–    First Take 17'06
Alto Saxophone [L] – Ornette Coleman
Bass Clarinet [R] – Eric Dolphy
Bass [L] – Scott Lafaro
Bass [R] – Charlie Haden
Drums [L] – Billy Higgins
Drums [R] – Ed Blackwell
Engineer [Recording] – Tom Dowd
Trumpet [Pocket Trumpet] [L] – Don Cherry
Trumpet [R] – Freddie Hubbard
2    The Ornette Coleman Quartet–    Little Symphony 5'17
Alto Saxophone – Ornette Coleman
Bass – Charlie Haden
Drums – Ed Blackwell
Engineer [Recording] – Phil Iehle, Tom Dowd
Trumpet – Don Cherry
3    The Ornette Coleman Quartet–    Monk And Nun 5'56
Alto Saxophone – Ornette Coleman
Bass – Charlie Haden
Cornet – Don Cherry
Drums – Billy Higgins
Engineer [Recording] – Bones Howe
4    The Ornette Coleman Quartet–    Check Up 10'13
Alto Saxophone – Ornette Coleman
Bass – Scott Lafaro
Drums – Ed Blackwell
Engineer [Recording] – Tom Dowd
Trumpet [Pocket Trumpet] – Don Cherry
5    The Ornette Coleman Quartet–    Joy Of A Toy 4'55
Alto Saxophone – Ornette Coleman
Bass – Charlie Haden
Drums – Ed Blackwell
Engineer [Recording] – Tom Dowd
Trumpet – Don Cherry

ORNETTE COLEMAN - To Whom Who Keeps a Record (1975-2006) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist :
1    Music Always    5:28
Ornette Coleman
2    Brings Goodness    6:35
Ornette Coleman
3    To Us    4:35
Ornette Coleman
4    All    4:27
Ornette Coleman
5    P.S. Unless One Has (Blues Connotation No. 2)    5:50
Ornette Coleman
6    Some Other    7:20
Ornette Coleman
7    Motive For Its Use    5:40
Ornette Coleman
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Ornette Coleman
Bass – Charlie Haden
Cornet – Don Cherry (pistas: 1)
Drums – Billy Higgins (pistas: 1), Ed Blackwell (pistas: 2 to 7)
Trumpet – Don Cherry (pistas: 2 to 7)

ALBERT AYLER - Nuits de La Fondation Maeght 1970 (1970-2002) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

A little over three months before he was found drowned, Ayler was caught performing in concert at the height of his powers. Unlike his Impulse releases which often featured him trying to incorporate commercial elements into his music, the release from the European label Jazz View (the first of two CDs) allows Ayler to stretch out and "preach" in his emotional and unique style with just sparse backing (pianist Call Cobbs, bassist Steve Tintweiss and drummer Allen Blairman). This and the second volume would be Albert Ayler's final recordings and are quite memorable. Scott Yanow
Nuits De La Fondation Maeght Volume 1
1     In Heart Only 5'16
Albert Ayler
2     Spirits (New Ghosts) 15'05
Albert Ayler
3     Holy Family 11'44
Albert Ayler
4     Spirits Rejoice 7'26
Albert Ayler
Nuits De La Fondation Maeght Volume 2
5     Truth Is Marching In 8'10
Albert Ayler
6     Universal Message 8'17
Albert Ayler
7     Spiritual Reunion 7'57
Albert Ayler
8     Music Is the Healing Force of the Universe 10'00
Albert Ayler
Credits :
Bass – Steve Tintweiss
Drums – Allen Blairman
Piano – Call Cobbs
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Albert Ayler
Vocals, Soprano Saxophone – Mary Parks