Coleman, Ornette

Coleman, Ornette, 1930–, African-American saxophonist and composer, b. Fort Worth, Tex. Largely self-taught, he began playing the alto saxophone in rhythm-and-blues bands. He later developed an unorthodox and impassioned style of free jazz characterized by broken rhythms, atonal harmonies, and improvised melody, which made him an enduringly controversial figure in the jazz avant-garde. Coleman made his first real impact in the commercial jazz world after he moved from Los Angeles to New York City in 1959, and he has since played in a number of small groups with various musicians. In the mid-1970s he formed Prime Time, an electric band. Coleman has written several modernist concert pieces, notably the orchestral Skies of America (1972). In 2007 he was awarded the Pultizer Prize for his recording Sound Grammar (2006).

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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