Ornette Coleman: Ornette At 12, Crisis To Man On The Moon, Revisited

The re-release albums on Ezz-thetics, by jazz legends from the 1940s, '50s and '60s, have been widely praised, particularly for their sound quality which is invariably much improved compared to the originals or later rereleases. Another impressive aspect of these re-releases is the behind-the-scenes detective work which has tracked down rarities by some iconic musicians. One notable example of this is the three previously unreleased live recordings by the Albert Ayler Quintet, from their autumn 1966 European tour, which appeared for the first time on Lost Performances 1966 Revisited (Ezz-thetics, 2023). Now, this Ornette Coleman album, covering the period from August 1968 to June 1969, has tracks which may have bypassed many Coleman aficionados.

Firstly, though, this album includes two albums recorded live, Ornette at 12 from University of California at Berkeley on August 11 1968, and Crisis from New York University on March 22 1969, both originally Impulse LPs. At both concerts the line-up comprised familiar Coleman bandmates, Dewey Redman on tenor sax, Charlie Haden on double bass and, at New York only, Don Cherry on trumpet or flute. At the time, the inclusion of Coleman's son—the twelve-year-old Denardo Coleman—on drums, set tongues wagging, even though he had been the drummer alongside Haden on The Empty Foxhole (Blue Note, 1966) when he was ten. Here Denardo is in terrific form from the start, the driving force propelling the band along... a role he would fulfil for decades. Some commentators have labelled the late 1960s "the lost years" of Coleman's career, but these two live albums debunk that and eloquently demonstrate that he and his band were producing music as vibrant and satisfying as that of any other period. Anyone who thinks otherwise should invest time in listening to this album.

This album's real surprise comes right at the end, with its two final tracks, "Man on the Moon" and "Growing Up" which have running times of 3:10 and 2:16, respectively, and were studio-recorded in New Jersey, on June 7th 1969. The personnel are as before except Ed Blackwell is on drums, not Denardo, and Dr. Emmanuel Ghent is present on "Man on the Moon" on electronics devices. The giveaway is the recording dates of these two tracks—some forty-four days before Neil Armstrong walked on the moon—and their short durations. The two were issued on a vinyl single to commemorate Armstrong's moonwalk. Underpinned by Ghent's electronic background sounds, "Man on the Moon" is a frantic, hard-blowing free-for-all with enough solos surfacing to identify it as Ornette. "Growing Up" is slower and more reflective, with an Ornette solo which steals the track. For reasons too many to tell, this album is essential listening. Enjoy.