Ornette Coleman

The Shape of Jazz to Come

First released1959

The Shape of Jazz to Come was recorded at the Atlantic Records studio in New York on March 6 and March 22, 1959, with producer Nesuhi Ertegun overseeing the sessions. The album featured Ornette Coleman's revolutionary alto saxophone alongside Don Cherry on pocket trumpet, Charlie Haden on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums, a quartet that pioneered free jazz. The recording was made in a relatively straightforward manner for the time, capturing the ensemble's innovative harmonic and rhythmic freedom with minimal overdubbing or studio manipulation. The album's stark production and direct sound reflected the avant-garde aesthetic Coleman was developing, with engineer Tom Dowd managing the technical aspects of the sessions. Released in 1959, the album became one of the most influential jazz recordings in history, establishing a new compositional and improvisational approach that moved away from bebop conventions.