DISQUS

DwDunphy · 1 year ago

Excellent work, Michael! Thanks for filling us in on Coleman, a name we're all probably familiar with but whose music is completely off the radar...

Darren · 1 year ago

Dayum, this is just jam-packed with greatness. Musically and journalistically...BRAVO, Michael!

Jeff Gee · 1 year ago

Wow. Let me repeat that, this time in caps: WOW. Thank you. (I couldn't open "Broadway Blues" or "Love Call," but since there's nearly 4 hours of music here without them, I'm not complaining.)

jefito · 1 year ago

Links fixed -- and two more added elsewhere in the post. Enjoy!

Jeff Gee · 1 year ago

Thanks, I've now grabbed the two you fixed and the two you added. (Having trouble getting "Friends and Neighbors" tho.) (Bitch bitch bitch). This definitely represents a major upgrade on my scratchy vinyl Atlantic "Best of Ornette Coleman," found at a Harmony Hut in Wayne, New Jersey in 1976...

WHarrisBullzEye · 1 year ago

Excellent job, Michael...although each passing day makes it harder and harder for me to believe that you and I first encountered each other because you were excited to interview a member of SLAYER!

MichaelFortes · 1 year ago

What could be more harmolodic than that? Thanks, Will!

Zack · 1 year ago

Orenette, I don't use the word "hero" very often, but you, sir, are the greatest hero in American History...

tmrtgo · 1 year ago

Great job, Mike. Passionate and well-informed. As usual.

MichaelFortes · 1 year ago

Thanks, one and all! Your satisfaction is mine as well.

Jeff Gee · 1 year ago

If they give a Pulitzer for Popdose Guides, you've got the inside track for sure. But the link for "Friends and Neighbors" is not working, and I'm salivatin'!

rsbrandt · 1 year ago

When I was in high school I found an odd record at our library called "Science Fiction." My initial reaction was approximately WTF? Not to worry, I felt the same way when my youthful ears first heard John Coltrane playing "My Favorite Things." I wasn't ready yet. Then along came college and it was a whole 'nother story...

Pico · 1 year ago

Very informative and well written, Michael. I have a lot of his music (the Beauty Is A Rare Thing box is IMHO one of the 4-5 essential recordings of all time...not just jazz, but for all of music), but for some reason I never got that much up to speed on the overall story behind the music, just certain albums. This guide does the job of filling in all those gaps.

I once tried to explain what "harmolodics" meant in writing a review of "Voice Poetry" a little while back; I struggled to do that and found in researching it that others struggled in adequately explaining it as well. You've done by far the best job I've seen at attempting a nearly impossible task. But your observation that harmolodics is much more easier to listen to than explain is especially right on.

Good stuff, man. Good stuff.

Karissa · 1 year ago

Michael, a great piece on Ornette's music. I went to Ornette's show 3 weeks ago and I was fortunate enough to have an one-on-one interview with him. Like countless others in my situation, I also popped the question on Harmolodics. Here's what Ornette said:

"It is not only a way of life .... you know harmony when you put two different notes together, you have harmony and language ..... like you have so many different forms of hearing words spoken in different concepts .... like 'how you're doing?' in different languages ... but all of it mean the same thing ... it is the quality of being human ... human is the most precious thing that Earth recommends." He then took a discourse on humanity.

I really enjoy reading what you wrote here. Thanks!

Karissa
Hong Kong