Ornette Coleman, who died of heart failure at the age of 85 in June 2015, is one of the most influential musicians in the history of jazz. His importance lies not only in the groundbreaking recordings of the late 50s/early 60s, but also in the educational impact of his work, in the fact that his work always pointed far beyond itself to the very end. A little more than a month after his groundbreaking work Free Jazz, Coleman recorded this album, on which he perhaps conceptually distanced himself from this idea, but nevertheless guided his quartet to ever greater detail and creativity. Ornette! was the first recording by bassist Scott LaFaro and Coleman, and the difference in approach between LaFaro and Charlie Haden is evident from the first notes of W. R.U.. His playing is more direct and agile, and you can hear him pushing Coleman and Don Cherry forward more actively and aggressively than Haden's warm, languid phrasing. The pieces, with titles taken from the works of Sigmund Freud, are all gems and serve as wonderful starting points for the musicians' improvisations. Coleman was already very comfortable in extended pieces at this point, he and his partners had no trouble filling the time without running out of ideas. Special mention should go to Ed Blackwell, who is at his best. Ornette! is a great release and a must for all fans of Coleman and creative improvised music in general. Ornette Coleman (as); Donald Cherry (pt-tp); Scott LaFaro (b); Ed Blackwell (dr) This Speakers Corner production was made using analog master tape and mastering 100% pure analog.