Ornette Coleman

There are a few traces of Coleman's early Texas gutbucket R&B days, plus a few spots where he explores a breathier tone, but for the most part his spiraling solo lines are very similar to his other Atlantic albums, and his upper-register sound is often a dead ringer for his plaintive alto cries. With Coleman ostensibly exploring new territory, it's hard not to be a little disappointed that Ornette on Tenor doesn't have the boundary-shattering impact of his previous work -- but then again, it's probably asking too much to expect a revolution every time out.

PERSONNEL:

• ORNETTE COLEMAN, tenor sax
• DONALD CHERRY, trumpet
• JIMMY GARRISON, bass
• ED BLACKWELL, drums

New York, March 22 & 27, 1961

TRACKS:

• 01. Cross Breeding
• 02. Mapa
• 03. Enfant
• 04. Eos
• 05. Ecars