On Nov. 17, 1959, one of the more legendary opening nights in jazz history took place: Ornette Coleman’s quartet debuted at the Five Spot in New York City.
The Fort Worth-born saxophonist was joined on stage by Don Cherry, Charlie Haden, and Billy Higgins in support of their revolutionary Atlantic Records LP “The Shape of Jazz to Come.” Informed by bebop, rhythm and blues, and Ornette’s harmolodic philosophies, the quartet was greeted by a collection of hipsters, aficionados, and even skeptics, all curious to see what this new turn in “free jazz” was all about.
As Coleman described his innovations later in the liner notes of his 1960 release “Change of the Century,” “The members of my group and I are now attempting a break-through to a new, freer conception of jazz, one that departs from all that is ‘standard’ and cliché.”
The Five Spot, located at Cooper Square just off the then-rundown Bowery, was already a hot spot for the newest in jazz when they booked pianist Cecil Taylor in 1957. But Ornette’s arrival was a downtown sensation. Lines snaked around the block, and celebrities of the creative world like James Baldwin and Robert Rauschenberg found their way to the packed venue.
The original two-week booking extended well into 1960.
Coleman’s stand at the Five Spot proved to be a pivotal moment in jazz and creative improvised music, marking a shift in musical consciousness and practice that continues to resound in Texas and across the globe.
Sources:
Maria Golia. Ornette Coleman: The Territory and the Adventure. London: Reaktion Books, 2020.
David Oliphant. Texan Jazz. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1996.
If you found the reporting above valuable, please consider making a donation to support it here. Your gift helps pay for everything you find on texasstandard.org and KUTX.org. Thanks for donating today.