Ornette Coleman Live in Wellington

Ornette Coleman played in Wellington’s Michael Fowler Centre tonight. I was definitely looking forward to seeing this jazz legend perform in the flesh – though given his age I wasn’t sure what to expect. I would have been the poorer for missing this, but it promised much that it didn’t deliver. In flashes you gained a glimpse of what made Coleman such a controversial figure in 20th Century music, but for much of the time he sounded tired. Near the end of the concert, with a piece from his album Dancing In Your Head he really hit his stride,  sounding vibrant, interesting and interested. From there he finished strongly and the encore was strikingly beautiful. A rare chance to see a legend – and at times he still showed how he became one.

~ by Doug Newdick on February 22, 2008.