Which year was the most important in the history of jazz? It would take a long time to list the premiere dates of the revolutionary recordings or the most important concerts. Despite this, it seems that there is one year that is universally agreed on as exceptional: 1959. That was when Dave Brubeck’s Time Out and Ornette Coleman’s The Shape of Jazz to Come were released. It is the latter album that is particularly interesting in the context of the opening night of the 21st Jazztopad Festival as we will hear its contemporary interpretation.

The music proposed by Ornette Coleman caused consternation, shock and even anger in his time. Although its roots reached the tradition of folk blues and Charlie Parker’s fast-paced bebop, the fruits of these inspirations turned out to be impossible for many contemporaries to digest. Coleman was the first artist to free jazz from harmonic obligations and predictable roles in a band in a distinctive and uncompromising way. He focused on the rawness and roughness of the sound, far-reaching freedom of expression – and he did this regardless of the harsh criticism he encountered. Many disagreed with him, but everyone wanted to hear him. When in 1959 his quartet was to perform for two weeks at the New York club Five Spot, the residency was extended to over two months.

When you listen to The Shape of Jazz to Come today, it turns out that the album invariably emanates sincerity. The sounds recorded on it breathe empathy towards what is imperfect, human and... authentic. The avant-garde album was recorded by a small, four-person line-up. However, the line-up of the Wrocław concert was conceived differently. The jazz sextet will be led by Ornette Coleman’s son – the drummer Denardo – and the group will be accompanied by an orchestra conducted by Ernst Theis. Born in 1956, Denardo Coleman played with his father for most of his life. Today, he leads several initiatives that bring back that repertoire. One of them is The Shape of Jazz to Come Orchestra Concert.