By Matt Micucci
Celebrate Ornette is the title of a new, deluxe, limited-edition box set which pays tribute to the legendary saxophonist and bandleader Ornette Coleman and will be released on Sound X Records on Jan 29, 2016.
One of the all time great jazz visionaries, Ornette Coleman passed away on June 11, just as a live recording of the Celebrate Ornette tribute concert was being prepared for release.
Celebrate Ornette was curated by Ornette Coleman’s own son and longtime collaborator Denardo. It will comprise four LPs, three CDs, two DVDs, extensive liner notes, exclusive photographs, a Coleman poster featuring an image by renowned photographer Elena Carminati and a program from the June 2015 memorial service honoring Coleman’s passing, signed by Denardo himself.
Most of the material on the new box set was derived from Celebrate Ornette: The Music of Ornette Coleman, a 2014 concert held at Brooklyn’s Prospect Park Bandshell to pay tribute to the great musician and his contributions to modern music. Aside from a performance by Coleman himself, other musicians who paid homage that day included Bill Laswell, Branford Marsalis, Bruce Hornsby, Laudie Anderson, Joe Lovano, Patti Smith, Thurston Moore and many others. Sonny Rollins turned up at the event as well, and offered kind words about his dear friend, although he did not perform.
The box set will also feature an exclusive recording of Coleman’s memorial service, held on June 27 at Manhattan’s Riverside Church. The memorial service saw inspired tributes by many of Coleman’s fans and followers. Among them Oharoah Sanders, Cecil Taylor, Al McDowell and members of Ornette’s renowned Prime Time band.
Celebrate Ornette was mixed by S. Husky Hoskulds, mastered by Ted Jensen and pressed on 180 gram vinyl at United Record Pressing in Nashville. For more information, or to pre-order a copy of Celebrate Ornette, click here ->http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/ornettecoleman<-