Ornette Coleman – Skies Of America (1972) [Japan 2000] [SACD / SME Records – SRGS 4554]

Title: Ornette Coleman – Skies Of America (1972) [Japan 2000]
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO + DSF DSD64 + Hi-Res FLAC

Skies of America, Ornette Coleman’s 17th album, released in 1972 on Columbia Records, is a single orchestral composition. Performed by the London Symphony Orchestra under David Measham, it features Coleman soloing in only a few segments. British union rules prevented Coleman’s quartet from playing, forcing him to adapt the work without its concerto grosso form. To fit on one LP, Coleman cut many recurring themes, and the recording quality is subpar. This was Coleman’s first recorded orchestral work, employing his innovative harmolodic theory, allowing simultaneous solos in different keys. The album, with 21 marked bands, is one unbroken piece with recurring themes tied to Coleman’s musical evolution. Notable themes, like “The Good Life,” trace back to 1962’s “School Work” and later became “Dancing in Your Head.” Coleman’s solos, from “The Artist in America” to “Sunday in America,” are emotionally and politically charged. The work’s dissonance challenges Western harmonic norms, making it both compelling and ahead of its time. Skies of America remains a bold, unreplicated challenge in music, still sounding revolutionary.

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Tracklist:

01. Skies Of America
02. Native Americans
03. The Good Life
04. Birthdays And Funerals
05. Dreams
06. Sounds Of Sculpture
07. Holiday For Heroes
08. All Of My Life
09. Dancers
10. The Soul Within Woman
11. The Artist In America
12. The New Anthem
13. Place In Space
14. Foreigner In A Free Land
15. Silver Screen
16. Poetry
17. The Men Who Live In The White House
18. Love Life
19. The Military
20. Jam Session
21. Sunday In America

Personnel:

Ornette Coleman — alto saxophone
London Symphony Orchestra — instruments
David Measham — conductor

Note:

Recorded on April 17-20, 1972 at Abbey Road Studios in London.

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