While there have been a few
Ornette Coleman tributes, relatively few compositions by the groundbreaking free jazz saxophonist have entered the jazz canon. Drummer
Todd Bishop believed that
Coleman's work was deserving of attention and chose nine songs for his quintet, only one of which, "Lonely Woman," has been widely recorded.
Bishop's light touch on the drums works very well throughout the session. The band includes
Richard Cole (bass clarinet, baritone, tenor, and soprano saxophones), Tim Willcox (tenor and soprano saxophones), pianist
Weber Iago, and bassist Bill Athens. The omission of alto sax may have been deliberate, since that has long been
Coleman's primary instrument, while many of the composer's bands have excluded piano, so
Bishop's approach provides a different perspective. The mysterious "Mothers of the Year" is a tantalizing opener with rich unison lines for tenor and soprano (though the liner notes give no track-by-track information as to who plays each instrument), with the soprano taking the freer line.
Cole's robust baritone is prominent in the brisk workout of "Engant," while the funky "Feet Music" has
Iago switching to Wurlitzer, with
Cole on baritone and Willcox on tenor playing bluesy solos. The midtempo "Check Up" is another tenor/soprano pairing, with a steady gait behind the angular solos of the saxophonists.
Bishop and Athens open the brooding setting of "Lonely Woman," with
Cole's haunting bass clarinet and Willcox's mournful tenor blending beautifully as
Iago darts in and out.
Little Played Little Bird is a well-conceived
Ornette Coleman songbook that consistently delivers with superb solos and arrangements, while it may also provoke more mainstream jazz fans to check the original recordings if they haven't already done so. ~ Ken Dryden