Ornette Coleman

Skies of America is a fully (though controversially) scored concerto grosso, comprised of, as Coleman wrote in liner notes for the original LP release, "melody, harmony, and the movement of forms. . .based on the four clefs bass, treble, tenor and alto. . .meaning to modulate in range without changing keys." Coleman's improvising jazz ensemble is nestled between and overlapping with orchestral passages, with the massive yet sometimes delicate atonal...

Coleman continues his ideals of freedom in jazz in this album pleasing loyal and casual fans alike. " ... It's the entire album, which still has such freshness: it spills all over your idea of what jazz is but makes inherent sense, cohering with the like-mindedness of a suite"--