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''Of Human Feelings'' explores ] music and continues Coleman's ] approach to improvisation with Prime Time, whom he first introduced on his 1975 album '']''. He drew on ] influences from early in his career for ''Of Human Feelings'', which had shorter and more distinct compositions than ''Dancing in Your Head''. Coleman also applied ] principles from his music during the 1960s to elements of ]. ''Of Human Feelings'' explores ] music and continues Coleman's ] approach to improvisation with Prime Time, whom he first introduced on his 1975 album '']''. He drew on ] influences from early in his career for ''Of Human Feelings'', which had shorter and more distinct compositions than ''Dancing in Your Head''. Coleman also applied ] principles from his music during the 1960s to elements of ].


Following a change in management, Coleman signed with ], and ''Of Human Feelings'' was released in 1982 by its subsidiary label ]. It was well received by critics, who praised the album's expressive music and Coleman's harmolodic approach. However, ''Of Human Feelings'' made no commercial impact and subsequently went ]. After a dispute with his managers over the album's ], Coleman enlisted his son Denardo as manager, which inspired him to perform live again in public during the 1980s. Following a change in management, Coleman signed with ], and ''Of Human Feelings'' was released in 1982 by its subsidiary label ]. It was well received by critics, who praised Coleman's expressive music and harmolodic approach. However, the album made no commercial impact and subsequently went ]. Coleman enlisted his son Denardo as manager after a dispute with his former managers over the album's ], which inspired him to perform publicly again during the 1980s.


== Background == == Background ==
] was both challenged and enthused by ].]] ] (pictured in 2007) was challenged and enthused by ].]]
In the mid-1970s, Ornette Coleman decided to stop recording ] with acoustic ensembles and sought to recruit electric instrumentalists for his music, based on a creative theory he developed called ].{{sfn|Cohen|2012|p=97}} According to his theory, all the musicians are able to play individual melodies in any ], and all the while sound coherent as a group. He wanted to teach his young sidemen a new improvisational and ensemble approach, based on their individual tendencies, and also prevent them from being influenced by conventional styles.<ref name="Palmer"/> Coleman likened this group ethic to a spirit of "]" that stresses "human feelings" and "biological rhythms", and said that he wanted the music, rather than himself, to be successful.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Nelson|first1=Nels|last2=Bittan|first2=Dave|last3=Takiff|first3=Jonathan|last4=Carrier|first4=Jerry|newspaper=]|date=June 4, 1982|page=52|title=Kool Jazz Players}}</ref> ''Of Human Feelings'' continued his application of the theory with Prime Time, an electric quartet whom he introduced on his 1975 album '']''. It comprised guitarists Charlie Ellerbee and ], bassist ], and drummer ].<ref name="Palmer"/> In the mid-1970s, Ornette Coleman decided to stop recording ] with acoustic ensembles and sought to recruit electric instrumentalists for his music, based on a creative theory he developed called ].{{sfn|Cohen|2012|p=97}} According to his theory, all the musicians are able to play individual melodies in any ], and all the while sound coherent as a group. He wanted to teach his young sidemen a new improvisational and ensemble approach, based on their individual tendencies, and also prevent them from being influenced by conventional styles.{{sfn|Palmer|1986}} Coleman likened this group ethic to a spirit of "]" that stresses "human feelings" and "biological rhythms", and said that he wanted the music, rather than himself, to be successful.{{sfn|Nelson|Bittan|Takiff|Carrier|1982|p=52}} ''Of Human Feelings'' continued his application of the theory with Prime Time, an electric quartet whom he introduced on his 1975 album '']''. It comprised guitarists Charlie Ellerbee and ], bassist ], and drummer ].{{sfn|Palmer|1986}}


Tacuma, who was still in high school when he was enlisted by Coleman,{{sfn|Nicholson|1998|p=313}} first recorded with Prime Time in 1975 for the album '']'', which was released in 1978.{{sfn|Larkin|1998|p=5280}} He had been fired by jazz organist ] for what Tacuma felt was the excessive amount of attention his playing received from audiences, but Coleman encouraged him to remain what he called a "naturally harmolodic" player.{{sfn|Mandel|2007|p=161}} Although Coleman's theory initially challenged his knowledge and perception of music, Tacuma became enthused by the unconventional role each band member was given as a soloist and melodist: "When we read Ornette's music we have his ], but we listen for his ] and phrase the way he wants to. I can take the same melody, then, and phrase it like I want to, and those notes will determine the phrasing, the rhythm, the harmony – all of that."{{sfn|Mandel|2007|p=162}} Tacuma, who was still in high school when he was enlisted by Coleman,{{sfn|Nicholson|1998|p=313}} first recorded with Prime Time in 1975 for the album '']'', which was released in 1978.{{sfn|Larkin|1998|p=5280}} He had been fired by jazz organist ] for what Tacuma felt was the excessive amount of attention his playing received from audiences, but Coleman encouraged him to remain what he called a "naturally harmolodic" player.{{sfn|Mandel|2007|p=161}} Although Coleman's theory initially challenged his knowledge and perception of music, Tacuma became enthused by the unconventional role each band member was given as a soloist and melodist: "When we read Ornette's music we have his ], but we listen for his ] and phrase the way he wants to. I can take the same melody, then, and phrase it like I want to, and those notes will determine the phrasing, the rhythm, the harmony – all of that."{{sfn|Mandel|2007|p=162}}


== Recording == == Recording ==
In March 1979, Coleman brought Prime Time into ]' New York studio and tried to make an album by ]. The recording was ultimately rejected because of mechanical problems with the recording apparatus. Although the failed session was a project under Phrase Text, his ] company, Coleman wanted to set up his own record company with the same name and chose his longtime friend Kunle Mwanga to be his manager. In April, Mwanga arranged another session at ] in New York City.{{sfn|Litweiler|1992|p=170}} Coleman and Prime Time recorded ''Of Human Feelings'' there on April 25.<ref name="credits">{{cite AV media notes|title=Of Human Feelings|others=]|year=1982|publisher=]|id=AN-2001|type=LP liner notes}}</ref> The session was originally titled ''Fashion Faces''. For the album, Prime Time's original drummer ] was replaced by Calvin Weston as Denardo Coleman's drum partner.{{sfn|Litweiler|1992|p=170}} In March 1979, Coleman went to ]' New York studio and attempted to produce an album with Prime Time by ]. However, they encountered mechanical problems with the studio equipment, and their recording was ultimately rejected. The failed session was a project under Phrase Text, his ] company. Nonetheless, Coleman still wanted to set up his own record company with the same name, so he chose his longtime friend Kunle Mwanga to be his manager. In April, Mwanga arranged another session at ] in New York City.{{sfn|Litweiler|1992|p=170}} Coleman and Prime Time recorded ''Of Human Feelings'' there on April 25.{{sfn|Anon.|1982a}} The session was originally titled ''Fashion Faces''. For the album, Prime Time's original drummer ] was replaced by Calvin Weston as Denardo Coleman's drum partner.{{sfn|Litweiler|1992|p=170}}


''Of Human Feelings'' was recorded without problems with the equipment.{{sfn|Litweiler|1992|p=170}} Coleman found the production process for the album very simple: "We recorded all the pieces only once, so all the numbers were first takes. And there was no mixing. It is almost exactly as we played it."{{sfn|Wilson|1999|p=207}} It was recorded with a Sony ] two-track ], which was rare at the time, and few added effects, as Coleman did not use ], ], or ] during its production.<ref name="Butterworth">{{cite journal|last=Butterworth|first=Brent|date=May 26, 2013|url=http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/blog/2013/05/26/brent-butterworth-jump-street-ornette-coleman|title=Brent Butterworth on 'Jump Street' by Ornette Coleman|journal=]|location=New York|accessdate=April 11, 2013|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6J8DogPQq|archivedate=August 25, 2013|deadurl=no}}</ref> According to him, it was the first digitally recorded jazz album in the United States.{{sfn|Wilson|1999|p=207}} Coleman recorded ''Of Human Feelings'' without any equipment issues and found the production process very simple: "We recorded all the pieces only once, so all the numbers were first takes. And there was no mixing. It is almost exactly as we played it."<ref>{{harvnb|Litweiler|1992|p=170}}; {{harvnb|Wilson|1999|p=207}}.</ref> Unlike most albums at the time, it was recorded with a Sony ] two-track ]. Coleman did not want to embellish the album with added effects and avoided the use of ], ], or ] during its production.{{sfn|Butterworth|2013}} According to him, ''Of Human Feelings'' was the first digitally recorded jazz album in the United States.{{sfn|Wilson|1999|p=207}}


== Composition == == Composition ==
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''Of Human Feelings'' features ], a type of music that originated in 1970. It is characterized by intricate rhythmic patterns, a recurrent bass line, and ] rhythmic elements.{{sfn|Kennedy|Bourne|2004|p=152}} Lloyd Sachs of the '']'' remarked that, although Coleman was not viewed as a ] artist, the album can be described as such because of its combination of free jazz and ].<ref>{{cite news|last=Sachs|first=Lloyd|date=July 27, 1997|newspaper=]|page=10|title=10 jazz-rock standouts|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=CSTB&p_theme=cstb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB42319515DAE66&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|accessdate=April 11, 2013}} {{subscription required}}</ref> Jazz writer Stuart Nicholson viewed it as a culmination of Coleman's musical principles that dated back to his free jazz music in 1960, but reappropriated with a funk-oriented ].{{sfn|Harrison|Fox|Thacker|Nicholson|2000|p=574}} According to jazz critic Barry McRae, "it was as if Coleman was translating the concept of the famous double quartet" from his 1961 album '']'' to "the needs of funk jazz."{{sfn|McRae|Middleton|1988|p=67}} According to '']'' (2004), ''Of Human Feelings'' features ], a type of music that originated in 1970 and is characterized by intricate rhythmic patterns, a recurrent bass line, and ] rhythmic elements.{{sfn|Kennedy|Bourne|2004|p=152}} Lloyd Sachs of the '']'' remarked that, although Coleman was not viewed as a ] artist, the album can be described as such because of its combination of free jazz and ].{{sfn|Sachs|1997|p=10}} Jazz writer Stuart Nicholson viewed it as a culmination of Coleman's musical principles that dated back to his free jazz music in 1960, but reappropriated with a funk-oriented ].{{sfn|Harrison|Fox|Thacker|Nicholson|2000|p=574}} According to ] Barry McRae, "it was as if Coleman was translating the concept of the famous double quartet" from his 1961 album '']'' to "the needs of funk jazz."{{sfn|McRae|Middleton|1988|p=67}}


For ''Of Human Feelings'', Coleman drew on the ] he had played early his career and incorporated traditional ] and rhythms.{{sfn|Giddins|1985|p=241}} According to journalist Howard Mandel, the album's "snappy" and "unpretentious" music was more comparable to a coherent rhythm and blues band than jazz fusion.{{sfn|Mandel|2007|pp=162–3}} Coleman played the melody lines and employed two guitarists for ], as one part of the band comprised a melody contingent of guitar and drums, and the other guitarist and drummer were committed to a composition's rhythm.{{sfn|McRae|Middleton|1988|p=67}} Nix strummed variants on the melodies, while Ellerbee applied ] ].<ref name="Giddins"/> Coleman and Tacuma's instrumental ] were played as the foreground to the less prominent guitars.{{sfn|Litweiler|1992|p=170}} Coleman and Prime Time exchanged directional hints throughout the compositions, as one player changed tonality and the others ] accordingly.{{sfn|McRae|Middleton|1988|p=67}} The players made no attempt to harmonize their radically different parts.{{sfn|Mandel|2007|p=162}} However, the album's ] was generally in the middle ] range and had ], which resulted in neither extremely loud nor extremely soft ].{{sfn|Mandel|2007|p=162}} Coleman also drew on the ] he had played early his career and incorporated traditional ] and rhythms.{{sfn|Giddins|1985|p=241}} According to journalist Howard Mandel, the album's "snappy" and "unpretentious" music was more comparable to a coherent R&B band than jazz fusion.{{sfn|Mandel|2007|pp=162–3}} Coleman played the melody lines and employed two guitarists for ], as one part of the band comprised a melody contingent of guitar and drums, and the other guitarist and drummer were committed to a song's rhythm.{{sfn|McRae|Middleton|1988|p=67}} Nix strummed variants on the melodies, while Ellerbee provided ] ].{{sfn|Giddins|1982|p=4}} Coleman and Tacuma's instrumental ] were played as the foreground to the less prominent guitars.{{sfn|Litweiler|1992|p=170}} Coleman and Prime Time exchanged directional hints throughout the songs, as one player changed tonality and the others ] accordingly.{{sfn|McRae|Middleton|1988|p=67}} The band made no attempt to harmonize their radically different parts.{{sfn|Mandel|2007|p=162}} However, the album's ] was generally in the middle ] range and had ], which resulted in neither extremely loud nor soft ].{{sfn|Mandel|2007|p=162}}


''Of Human Feelings'' features shorter and more distinct compositions than ''Dancing in Your Head''.{{sfn|Palmer|1986}} "Sleep Talk", "Air Ship", and "Times Square" were originally performed by Coleman during his concerts in 1978 under the names "Dream Talking", "Meta", and "Writing in the Streets", respectively. "What Is the Name of That Song?" was titled as a sly reference to two of his older compositions, "Love Eyes" and "Forgotten Songs" (also known as "Holiday for Heroes"), whose ] were played concurrently and transfigured by Prime Time.{{sfn|Wilson|1999|p=207}} The theme from "Forgotten Songs", originally from Coleman's 1972 album '']'', was used as a ].{{sfn|Giddins|1982|p=4}} "Air Ship" comprises a six-] riff,{{sfn|Giddins|1982|p=4}} the ] "Times Square" has futuristic dance themes, and "Jump Street" is a ] piece with a ].{{sfn|Harrison|Fox|Thacker|Nicholson|2000|p=574}} "Love Words" heavily uses ], a central feature of harmolodics, and posits Coleman's extended solo against a dense, rhythmically complex backdrop. Nicholson observed ] rhythms and collective improsivation rooted in ] on "Love Words", and opined that "Sleep Talk" was derived from the opening ] solo in ]'s '']''.{{sfn|Harrison|Fox|Thacker|Nicholson|2000|p=574}}
=== Songs ===
The album features shorter and more distinct compositions than ''Dancing in Your Head''.<ref name="Palmer">{{cite news|last=Palmer|first=Robert|authorlink=Robert Palmer (writer)|date=July 16, 1986|url=http://www.nytimes.com/1986/07/16/arts/the-pop-life-ornette-coleman-s-music-develops-in-prime-time.html|title=The Pop Life – Ornette Coleman's Music Develops in Prime Time|newspaper=]|accessdate=April 11, 2013|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6HutVmZ0p|archivedate=July 6, 2013|deadurl=no}}</ref> "Sleep Talk", "Air Ship", and "Times Square" were originally performed by Coleman during his concerts in 1978 under the names "Dream Talking", "Meta", and "Writing in the Streets", respectively. "What Is the Name of That Song?" was titled as a sly reference to two of his older compositions, "Love Eyes" and "Forgotten Songs" (also known as "Holiday for Heroes"), whose ] were played concurrently and transfigured by Prime Time.{{sfn|Wilson|1999|p=207}} The theme from "Forgotten Songs", originally from Coleman's 1972 album '']'', was used as a ].<ref name="Giddins"/> "Air Ship" comprises a six-] riff,<ref name="Giddins"/> the ] "Times Square" has futuristic dance themes, and "Jump Street" is a ] piece with a ].{{sfn|Harrison|Fox|Thacker|Nicholson|2000|p=574}} "Love Words" heavily uses ], a central feature of harmolodics, and posits Coleman's extended solo against a dense, rhythmically complex backdrop. Nicholson observed ] rhythms and collective improsivation rooted in ] on "Love Words", and opined that "Sleep Talk" was derived from the opening ] solo in ]'s '']''.{{sfn|Harrison|Fox|Thacker|Nicholson|2000|p=574}}


== Release == == Release and promotion ==
A few weeks after the album was recorded, Mwanga went to Japan to complete arrangements for it to be issued as a Phrase Text release by ], who had previously released a compilation of Coleman's 1966 to 1971 live performances in Paris. He delivered the ] to Trio, who were ready to start production of the records. While in Japan, Mwanga also arranged for Coleman to perform his song "Skies of America" with the ]. However, according to him, Coleman cancelled both deals upon his return from Japan. Mwanga immediately resigned after only less than four months as Coleman's manager.{{sfn|Litweiler|1992|p=170}} In 1981, Coleman hired Stan and ] as his managers,{{sfn|Davis|1986|p=143}} who sold the album's recording tapes to ].{{sfn|Nicholson|1990|p=109}} He signed with the record label that year,{{sfn|Davis|1986|p=143}} and ''Of Human Feelings'' was released in 1982 on Island's subsidiary jazz label ].{{sfn|McRae|Middleton|1988|p=67}} A few weeks after the album was recorded, Mwanga went to Japan to complete arrangements for it to be issued as a Phrase Text release by ], who had previously released a compilation of Coleman's 1966 to 1971 live performances in Paris. He delivered the ] to Trio, who were ready to start production of the records. While in Japan, Mwanga also arranged for Coleman to perform his song "Skies of America" with the ]. However, according to him, Coleman cancelled both deals upon his return from Japan. Mwanga immediately resigned after only less than four months as Coleman's manager.{{sfn|Litweiler|1992|p=170}} In 1981, Coleman hired Stan and ] as his managers,{{sfn|Davis|1986|p=143}} who sold the album's recording tapes to ].{{sfn|Nicholson|1990|p=109}} He signed with the record label that year,{{sfn|Davis|1986|p=143}} and ''Of Human Feelings'' was released in 1982 on Island's subsidiary jazz label ].{{sfn|McRae|Middleton|1988|p=67}}


== Commercial performance ==
According to jazz writer ], "a modest commercial breakthrough seemed imminent" for Coleman, whose celebrity appeared to be "on the rise again."{{sfn|Davis|1986|pp=142–3}} German musicologist ] said that the album may have been the catchiest and most commercial-sounding of his career at that point.{{sfn|Wilson|1999|p=206}} The album's clean mix and relatively short tracks were interpreted as an attempt for ] by Mandel, who described its production as "the surface consistency that would put it in the pop sphere."{{sfn|Mandel|2007|p=162}} Its distinction as the first digital album recorded in New York City made front-page news in '']'' magazine.{{sfn|Litweiler|1992|p=170}} According to jazz writer ], "a modest commercial breakthrough seemed imminent" for Coleman, whose celebrity appeared to be "on the rise again."{{sfn|Davis|1986|pp=142–3}} German musicologist ] said that the album may have been the catchiest and most commercial-sounding of his career at that point.{{sfn|Wilson|1999|p=206}} The album's clean mix and relatively short tracks were interpreted as an attempt for ] by Mandel, who described its production as "the surface consistency that would put it in the pop sphere."{{sfn|Mandel|2007|p=162}} Its distinction as the first digital album recorded in New York City made front-page news in '']'' magazine.{{sfn|Litweiler|1992|p=170}}


Despite its commercial potential, ''Of Human Feelings'' had no success on the American ].{{sfn|McRae|Middleton|1988|p=68}} It ] at number 15 on the ],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/of-human-feelings-mw0000902383/awards|title=Of Human Feelings – Ornette Colement : Awards|publisher=]|accessdate=April 11, 2013|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6HutbENvF|archivedate=July 6, 2013|deadurl=no}}</ref> on which it spent 26 weeks.<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=8SQEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT54#v=onepage&q&f=false|accessdate=April 11, 2013|title=Jazz LPs|journal=]|location=New York|page=33|date=August 28, 1982}}</ref> Steve Lake of '']'' asserted that Coleman offered only a "funk/jazz compromise" to consumers with the album and consequently appealed to neither market.{{sfn|McRae|Middleton|1988|p=68}} '']'' magazine's Brent Butterworth speculated that the album was overlooked because it had electric instruments, rock and funk drumming, and did not conform to what he felt was the corny, romantic image of jazz that many of the genre's fans prefer.<ref name="Butterworth"/> Despite its commercial potential, ''Of Human Feelings'' had no success on the American ].{{sfn|McRae|Middleton|1988|p=68}} It ] at number 15 on the ],{{sfn|Anon.|n.d.}} on which it spent 26 weeks.{{sfn|Anon.|1982b|p=33}} According to Steve Lake of '']'', Coleman offered only a "funk/jazz compromise" to consumers with the album and consequently appealed to neither market.{{sfn|McRae|Middleton|1988|p=68}} '']'' magazine's Brent Butterworth speculated that the album was overlooked because it had electric instruments, rock and funk drumming, and did not conform to what he felt was the corny, romantic image of jazz that many of the genre's fans prefer.{{sfn|Butterworth|2013}}


== Critical reception == == Critical reception ==
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|filename = Ornette Coleman - Sleep Talk.ogg |filename = Ornette Coleman - Sleep Talk.ogg
|title = "Sleep Talk" |title = "Sleep Talk"
|description = A 21-second sample of the song, which was said to be among Coleman's best melodies by critics ]<ref name="Giddins"/> and ]<ref name="Kot"/> |description = The melody of "Sleep Talk" was said to be among Coleman's best by critics ] and ].<ref>{{harvnb|Giddins|1982|p=4}}; {{harvnb|Kot|1998|p=1}}.</ref>
}} }}
''Of Human Feelings'' was acclaimed by contemporary ].<ref>{{cite journal|journal=]|page=19|volume=49|date=April 1982|location=Chicago|last=Tinder|first=Cliff|title=Jamaaladeen Tacuma: Electric Bass in the Harmolodic Pocket|issue=4}}</ref> In his review for '']'', jazz critic ] hailed it as another landmark album from Coleman and his "fullest realization" of harmolodics, with compositions that are clearly expressed and occasionally timeless. Giddins said that its discordant keys radically transmute conventional ] and may be the most challenging for listeners, but recommended they concentrate on Coleman's playing and "let the maelstrom resolve itself around his center".<ref name="Giddins">{{cite journal|last=Giddins|first=Gary|authorlink=Garry Giddins|journal=]|date=July 1982|page=4|volume=98|issue=1|title=High Notes: The Five Best Recent Releases|location=New York}}</ref> Kofi Natambu of the '']'' said that Coleman's synergetic approach displays expressive immediacy rather than superficial technical flair and called the album "a multi-tonal mosaic of great power, humor, color, wit, sensuality, compassion and tenderness."<ref name="Natambu"/> He found the music both inspirational and danceable, and asserted that it encompasses a century of creative development in ].<ref name="Natambu">{{cite news|newspaper=]|last=Natambu|first=Kofi|date=June 1982|title=The Blues in 4-D: Of Human Feelings by Ornette Colement and the Prime Time Band|page=39}}</ref> ], writing in '']'', gave it an "A+" and claimed that it offers listeners enough "release from ]" to surprise the ] of the mind and body. He called the abstract rhythmic interplay and artless pieces of melody "humane" and stated, "the way the players break into ripples of song only to ebb back into the tideway is participatory democracy at its most practical and utopian."<ref name="Christgau">{{cite news|last=Christgau|first=Robert|authorlink=Robert Christgau|date=June 1, 1982|url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cgv6-82.php|title=Christgau's Consumer Guide|newspaper=]|location=New York|accessdate=April 11, 2013|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6HutgfkEW|archivedate=July 6, 2013|deadurl=no}}</ref> ''Of Human Feelings'' was acclaimed by contemporary critics.{{sfn|Tinder|1982|p=19}} In his review for '']'', jazz journalist ] hailed it as another landmark album from Coleman and his most accomplished work of harmolodics, with compositions that are clearly expressed and occasionally timeless. He remarked that its discordant keys radically transmute conventional ] and may be the most challenging for listeners, but recommended they concentrate on Coleman's playing and "let the maelstrom resolve itself around his center".{{sfn|Giddins|1982|p=4}} Kofi Natambu of the '']'' said that Coleman's synergetic approach displays expressive immediacy rather than superficial technical flair and called the album "a multi-tonal mosaic of great power, humor, color, wit, sensuality, compassion and tenderness." He found its songs inspirational, danceable, and encompassing of a century of creative development in ].{{sfn|Natambu|1982|p=39}} ], writing in '']'', said that it offers listeners enough "release from ]" to astonish the senses with music made tender by abstract rhythmic interplay and artless pieces of melody: "he way the players break into ripples of song only to ebb back into the tideway is participatory democracy at its most practical and utopian."{{sfn|Christgau|1982}}


In a mixed review, '']'' magazine's ] criticized Coleman's production and felt that the combination of saxophone and bizarre funk can be "quite mesmerizing", but ultimately loses clarity.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Albertson|first=Chris|authorlink=Chris Albertson|date=August 1982|page=83|journal=]|location=New York|volume=47|issue=8|title=Popular Music}}</ref> In his review for the '']'', ] said that the saxophone and guitar passages lack rapport when played in unison and believed that the stylistically ambiguous music is potentially controversial and "unratable, but worth checking out."<ref>{{cite news|last=Feather|first=Leonard|authorlink=Leonard Feather|newspaper=]|date=June 5, 1982|page=3|title=Options Widen for Jazz Buffs|url=http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=gT9PAAAAIBAJ&sjid=pwIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6803,6247300|accessdate=April 11, 2013}}</ref> Dan Sullivan of the '']'' felt that the album's supporters in "hip rock circles" have overlooked flaws such as the dilutive digital production and occasionally disjointed, one-dimensional playing, although he ultimately praised Tacuma's "stellar" bass work and Coleman's unique phrasing as a "beacon of clarity" amid an incessant background.<ref>{{cite news|last=Sullivan|first=Dan|date=July 25, 1982|page=K80|title=Album Briefs|newspaper=]|url=http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/667316032.html?dids=667316032:667316032&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Jul+25%2C+1982&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=ALBUM+BRIEFS&pqatl=google|accessdate=April 11, 2013}} {{subscription required}}</ref> ], writing in '']'' magazine, said that he would rate the album higher than its predecessor ''Body Meta'', but below the "pivotal" ''Dancing in Your Head'', although he remarked that his more knowledgeable friends have found ''Of Human Feelings'' to be the best of the three albums because of its composition and the players' execution.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Considine|first=J. D.|authorlink=J. D. Considine|journal=]|location=New York|page=73|issue=45|date=July 1982|title=Record Reviews}}</ref> In a mixed review for '']'' magazine, ] criticized Coleman's production and felt that the combination of saxophone and bizarre funk can be captivating, but ultimately loses clarity.{{sfn|Albertson|1982|p=83}} ], writing in the '']'', said that the saxophone and guitar passages lack rapport when played in unison and believed that the stylistically ambiguous music is potentially controversial and "unratable, but worth checking out."{{sfn|Feather|1982|p=3}} Dan Sullivan of the '']'' felt that the album's supporters in "hip rock circles" have overlooked flaws such as the dilutive digital production and occasionally disjointed, one-dimensional playing, although he ultimately praised Tacuma's playing and Coleman's phrasing as a unique "beacon of clarity" amidst an incessant background.{{sfn|Sullivan|1982|p=K80}} '']'' magazine's ] said that he would rate the album higher than its predecessor ''Body Meta'', but below the "pivotal" ''Dancing in Your Head'', although he remarked that his more knowledgeable friends have found ''Of Human Feelings'' to be the best of the three albums because of its composition and the players' execution.{{sfn|Considine|1982|p=73}}


In his year-end list for ''Billboard'', editor Peter Keepnews named ''Of Human Feelings'' the best album of 1982 and wrote that it is "the definitive statement to date on how to mix the best elements of so-called 'free jazz' with the best elements of contemporary funk."{{sfn|Keepnews|1983|p=68}} In their year-end lists for '']'', critics James Hunter and Howard Hampton ranked it number one and number four, respectively.{{sfn|Anon.|1983a|p=12}} ''Of Human Feelings'' was voted as the thirteenth best album of 1982 in the ], an annual critics poll run by ''The Village Voice''.{{sfn|Anon.|1983b}} Christgau, the poll's creator and supervisor, ranked it number one in an accompanying list.{{sfn|Christgau|1983}} In a 1990 list for the newspaper, he named it the second best album of the 1980s.{{sfn|Christgau|1990}} At that point, ''Of Human Feelings'' was one of only 18 albums to have received Christgau's "A+" grade, which the '']'' called "the ultimate accolade".{{sfn|Anon.|1990}}
=== Accolades ===
''Billboard'' magazine's Peter Keepnews named ''Of Human Feelings'' the best album of 1982 in his year-end list and wrote that it is "the definitive statement to date on how to mix the best elements of so-called 'free jazz' with the best elements of contemporary funk."<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=PSQEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT69#v=onepage&q&f=false|accessdate=April 11, 2013|title=Critics' Choice|journal=Billboard|page=68|date=January 8, 1983|location=New York}}</ref> In their year-end lists for '']'', critics James Hunter and Howard Hampton ranked it number one and number four, respectively.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=4H0hAAAAIBAJ&sjid=rooFAAAAIBAJ&pg=5566,303352|accessdate=April 11, 2013|title=Boston Phoenix Critics' Top 10 Albums for 1982|page=12|date=January 4, 1983|newspaper=]}}</ref> ''Of Human Feelings'' was voted as the thirteenth best album of 1982 in ''The Village Voice''{{'}}s annual ] critics' poll.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/pnj/pjres82.php|title=The 1982 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll|newspaper=The Village Voice|location=New York|date=February 22, 1983|accessdate=April 11, 2013|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6Hutoi4SB|archivedate=July 6, 2013|deadurl=no}}</ref> Christgau, the poll's creator, ranked it number one in an accompanying list.<ref>{{cite news|last=Christgau|first=Robert|date=February 22, 1983|url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/pnj/deans82.php|title=Pazz & Jop 1982: Dean's List|newspaper=The Village Voice|location=New York|accessdate=April 11, 2013|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6Hutuoexu|archivedate=July 6, 2013|deadurl=no}}</ref> In a 1990 list for the newspaper, he ranked it as the second best album of the 1980s.<ref>{{cite news|last=Christgau|first=Robert|date=January 2, 1990|url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/list/decade80.php|title=Decade Personal Best: '80s|newspaper=The Village Voice|location=New York|accessdate=April 11, 2013|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6Hutx5EI4|archivedate=July 6, 2013|deadurl=no}}</ref> At that point, ''Of Human Feelings'' was one of only 18 albums to have received Christgau's "A+" grade, which the '']'' called "the ultimate accolade".<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=]|location=Long Beach, California|date=October 22, 1990|title=Music Notes: Quincy Quotes, Christgau Clips, Janet Hits|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=LB&p_theme=lb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EAE8CA5F4831715&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|accessdate=April 11, 2013}} {{subscription required}}</ref>


== Aftermath == == Aftermath ==
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== Legacy == == Legacy ==
In a column for '']'', writer ] said that, although recorded in 1979, ''Of Human Feelings'' was "still very much in the forefront of musical developments" in 1982.<ref name="Palmer"/> Lloyd Sachs of the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' ranked it eighth on his 1986 list of "great-sounding" jazz CDs and wrote that it made the most sense out of Coleman's harmolodic theory.<ref>{{cite news|last=Sachs|first=Lloyd|date=September 28, 1986|page=4|newspaper=Chicago Sun-Times|title=The Bird, Billie, Monk and all that jazz|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=CSTB&p_theme=cstb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB36D2658870673&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|accessdate=April 11, 2013}} {{subscription required}}</ref> In a retrospective review for ], jazz critic ] gave it four stars and wrote that, although they never achieved popularity, Coleman's compositions succeeded within the context of an album that showcased his distinctive saxophone and "often witty and free (but oddly melodic) style."<ref>{{cite web|last=Yanow|first=Scott|authorlink=Scott Yanow|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/of-human-feelings-mw0000902383|title=Of Human Feelings – Ornette Coleman|publisher=Allmusic|accessdate=April 11, 2013|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6HutzEdoO|archivedate=July 6, 2013|deadurl=no}}</ref> Jazz journalist ] felt that it was more successful than ''Body Meta'', even though Coleman's simple, repetitive compositions were less accessible.{{sfn|Jenkins|2004|p=97}} In a retrospective article for '']'' on Coleman's work with Prime Time, ] said that ''Of Human Feelings'' was "still very much in the forefront of musical developments" in 1982, even though it had been recorded three years earlier.{{sfn|Palmer|1986}} Lloyd Sachs of the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' ranked it eighth on his 1986 list of "great-sounding" jazz CDs and wrote that it made the most sense out of Coleman's harmolodic theory.{{sfn|Sachs|1986|p=4}} In a retrospective review for ], jazz critic ] gave it four stars and wrote that, although they never achieved popularity, Coleman's compositions succeeded within the context of an album that showcased his distinctive saxophone and "often witty and free (but oddly melodic) style."{{sfn|Yanow|n.d.}} Jazz journalist ] felt that it was more successful than ''Body Meta'', even though Coleman's simple, repetitive compositions were less accessible.{{sfn|Jenkins|2004|p=97}}


According to Joshua Klein of '']'', ''Of Human Feelings'' is the best album for new listeners of Coleman's theory of harmolodics.<ref>{{cite news|last=Klein|first=Joshua|date=March 29, 2002|url=http://www.avclub.com/articles/ornette-coleman-the-complete-science-fiction-sessi,21761/|title=Ornette Coleman: The Complete Science Fiction Sessions|newspaper=]|location=Chicago|accessdate=April 11, 2013|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6Huu1qDfn|archivedate=July 6, 2013|deadurl=no}}</ref> In an article for the '']'', rock critic ] included the album in his guide for novice jazz listeners and named it as one of the select albums that helped him both become a better listener of rock music and learn how to enjoy jazz, which he said is "like learning a new language".<ref name="Kot">{{cite news|last=Kot|first=Greg|authorlink=Greg Kot|date=April 26, 1998|url=http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1998-04-26/news/9804260381_1_jazz-showcase-sonny-sharrock-chicago-jazz-festival|title=A Rock Critic's Education In Jazz|newspaper=]|accessdate=April 11, 2013|at=Arts & Entertainment section, p. 1|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6HuteP3d6|archivedate=July 6, 2013|deadurl=no}}</ref> In 2008, '']'' magazine's Martin Johnson included ''Of Human Feelings'' in his list of canonical albums from what he felt was New York's sceneless yet vital jazz in the previous 40 years. He said that the album "brims with urbane energy" and elements of funk, Latin, and ], all of which are encapsulated by music that is entirely jazz.<ref name="Johnson">{{cite journal|last=Johnson|first=Martin|date=April 7, 2008|url=http://nymag.com/anniversary/40th/culture/45768/|title=40th Anniversary: The New York Jazz Canon|journal=]|accessdate=April 11, 2013|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6Huu3kGbN|archivedate=July 6, 2013|deadurl=no}}</ref> According to Joshua Klein of '']'', ''Of Human Feelings'' is the best album for new listeners of Coleman's harmolodics-based music.{{sfn|Klein|2002}} Rock critic ] of the '']'' included the album in his guide for novice jazz listeners and named it one of the select albums that helped him both become a better listener of rock music and learn how to enjoy jazz, which he said is "like learning a new language".{{sfn|Kot|1998|p=1}} In 2008, '']'' magazine's Martin Johnson included ''Of Human Feelings'' in his list of canonical albums from what he felt had been New York's sceneless yet vital jazz scene in the previous 40 years. He said that the album "brims with urbane energy" and elements of funk, Latin, and ], all of which are encapsulated by music that retains a jazz identity.{{sfn|Johnson|2008}}


==Track listing== ==Track listing==
All compositions by Ornette Coleman.<ref name="credits"/> All compositions by Ornette Coleman.{{sfn|Anon.|1982a}}


;Side one ;Side one
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==Personnel== ==Personnel==
Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.<ref name="credits"/> Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.{{sfn|Anon.|1982a}}


;Musicians ;Musicians
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== Bibliography == == Bibliography ==
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book|ref=harv|last=Cohen|first=Thomas F.|title=Playing to the Camera: Musicians and Musical Performance in Documentary Cinema|year=2012|publisher=]|location=New York|isbn=978-1-906660-22-2}}
* {{cite book|ref=harv|editor1-last=Cooper|editor1-first=Kim|editor2-last=Smay|editor2-first=David|year=2004|title=Lost in the Grooves: Scram's Capricious Guide to the Music You Missed|publisher=]|location=New York|isbn=978-0-415-96998-7}} * {{cite journal|ref=harv|last=Albertson|first=Chris|authorlink=Chris Albertson|issue=August|year=1982|journal=]|location=New York|volume=47|issue=8|title=Popular Music}}
* {{cite AV media notes|ref={{SfnRef|Anon.|1982a}}|author=Anon.|year=1982|title=Of Human Feelings|others=]|publisher=]|id=AN-2001|type=LP liner notes}}
* {{cite journal|ref={{SfnRef|Anon.|1982b}}|author=Anon.|year=1982|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=8SQEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT54#v=onepage&q&f=false|accessdate=April 11, 2013|title=Jazz LPs|journal=]|location=New York|issue=August 28}}
* {{cite news|ref={{SfnRef|Anon.|1983b}}|author=Anon.|year=1983|url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/pnj/pjres82.php|title=The 1982 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll|newspaper=]|location=New York|issue=February 22|accessdate=April 11, 2013|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6Hutoi4SB|archivedate=July 6, 2013|deadurl=no}}
* {{cite news|ref={{SfnRef|Anon.|1983a}}|author=Anon.|year=1983|url=http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=4H0hAAAAIBAJ&sjid=rooFAAAAIBAJ&pg=5566,303352|accessdate=April 11, 2013|title=Boston Phoenix Critics' Top 10 Albums for 1982|issue=January 4|newspaper=]}}
* {{cite news|ref=harv|author=Anon.|year=1990|newspaper=]|location=Long Beach, California|issue=October 22|title=Music Notes: Quincy Quotes, Christgau Clips, Janet Hits|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=LB&p_theme=lb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EAE8CA5F4831715&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|accessdate=April 11, 2013}} {{subscription required}}
* {{cite web|ref=harv|author=Anon.|date=n.d.|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/of-human-feelings-mw0000902383/awards|title=Of Human Feelings – Ornette Colement : Awards|publisher=]|accessdate=April 11, 2013|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6HutbENvF|archivedate=July 6, 2013|deadurl=no}}
* {{cite journal|ref=harv|last=Butterworth|first=Brent|issue=May 26|year=2013|url=http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/blog/2013/05/26/brent-butterworth-jump-street-ornette-coleman|title=Brent Butterworth on 'Jump Street' by Ornette Coleman|journal=]|location=New York|accessdate=April 11, 2013|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6J8DogPQq|archivedate=August 25, 2013|deadurl=no}}
* {{cite news|ref=harv|last=Christgau|first=Robert|authorlink=Robert Christgau|issue=June 1|year=1982|url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cgv6-82.php|title=Christgau's Consumer Guide|newspaper=The Village Voice|location=New York|accessdate=April 11, 2013|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6HutgfkEW|archivedate=July 6, 2013|deadurl=no}}
* {{cite news|ref=harv|last=Christgau|first=Robert|issue=February 22|year=1983|url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/pnj/deans82.php|title=Pazz & Jop 1982: Dean's List|newspaper=The Village Voice|location=New York|accessdate=April 11, 2013|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6Hutuoexu|archivedate=July 6, 2013|deadurl=no}}
* {{cite news|ref=harv|last=Christgau|first=Robert|issue=January 2|year=1990|url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/list/decade80.php|title=Decade Personal Best: '80s|newspaper=The Village Voice|location=New York|accessdate=April 11, 2013|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6Hutx5EI4|archivedate=July 6, 2013|deadurl=no}}
* {{cite book|ref=harv|last=Cohen|first=Thomas F.|title=Playing to the Camera: Musicians and Musical Performance in Documentary Cinema|year=2012|publisher=]|isbn=978-1-906660-22-2}}
* {{cite journal|ref=harv|last=Considine|first=J. D.|authorlink=J. D. Considine|journal=]|location=New York|issue=45|issue=July|year=1982|title=Record Reviews}}
* {{cite book|ref=harv|editor1-last=Cooper|editor1-first=Kim|editor2-last=Smay|editor2-first=David|year=2004|title=Lost in the Grooves: Scram's Capricious Guide to the Music You Missed|publisher=]|isbn=978-0-415-96998-7}}
* {{cite book|ref=harv|last=Davis|first=Francis|authorlink=Francis Davis|year=1986|title=In the Moment: Jazz in the 1980s|publisher=]|isbn=978-0-19-504090-6}} * {{cite book|ref=harv|last=Davis|first=Francis|authorlink=Francis Davis|year=1986|title=In the Moment: Jazz in the 1980s|publisher=]|isbn=978-0-19-504090-6}}
* {{cite news|ref=harv|last=Feather|first=Leonard|authorlink=Leonard Feather|newspaper=]|issue=June 5|year=1982|title=Options Widen for Jazz Buffs|url=http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=gT9PAAAAIBAJ&sjid=pwIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6803,6247300|accessdate=April 11, 2013}}
* {{cite book|ref=harv|last=Giddins|first=Gary|authorlink=Gary Giddins|title=Rhythm-a-Ning: Jazz Tradition and Innovation in the '80s|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=1985|isbn=978-0-19-503558-2}}
* {{cite journal|ref=harv|last=Giddins|first=Gary|authorlink=Garry Giddins|journal=]|issue=July|year=1982|volume=98|issue=1|title=High Notes: The Five Best Recent Releases|location=New York}}
* {{cite book|ref=harv|last=Giddins|first=Gary|title=Rhythm-a-Ning: Jazz Tradition and Innovation in the '80s|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=1985|isbn=978-0-19-503558-2}}
* {{cite book|ref=harv|last1=Harrison|first1=Max|last2=Fox|first2=Charles|authorlink2=Charles Fox (jazz critic)|last3=Thacker|first3=Eric|last4=Nicholson|first4=Stuart|year=2000|title=The Essential Jazz Records: Modernism to Postmodernism|volume=2|series=The Essential Jazz Records|publisher=Mansell|isbn=978-0-7201-1822-3|location=London}} * {{cite book|ref=harv|last1=Harrison|first1=Max|last2=Fox|first2=Charles|authorlink2=Charles Fox (jazz critic)|last3=Thacker|first3=Eric|last4=Nicholson|first4=Stuart|year=2000|title=The Essential Jazz Records: Modernism to Postmodernism|volume=2|series=The Essential Jazz Records|publisher=Mansell|isbn=978-0-7201-1822-3|location=London}}
* {{cite book|ref=harv|last=Jenkins|first=Todd S.|authorlink=Todd S. Jenkins|year=2004|title=Free Jazz and Free Improvisation: An Encyclopedia, Volume 2|publisher=]|location=Westport|isbn=978-0-313-33314-9}} * {{cite book|ref=harv|last=Jenkins|first=Todd S.|authorlink=Todd S. Jenkins|year=2004|title=Free Jazz and Free Improvisation: An Encyclopedia, Volume 2|publisher=]|isbn=978-0-313-33314-9}}
* {{cite journal|ref=harv|last=Johnson|first=Martin|year=2008|url=http://nymag.com/anniversary/40th/culture/45768/|title=40th Anniversary: The New York Jazz Canon|journal=]|accessdate=April 11, 2013|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6Huu3kGbN|archivedate=July 6, 2013|deadurl=no}}
* {{cite journal|ref=harv|last=Keepnews|first=Peter|year=1983|issue=January 8|chapter=Peter Keepnews in New York|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=PSQEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT69#v=onepage&q&f=false|accessdate=April 11, 2013|title=Critics' Choice|journal=Billboard|location=New York}}
* {{cite book|ref=harv|editor1-last=Kennedy|editor1-first=Michael|editor1-link=Michael Kennedy (music critic)|editor2-last=Bourne|editor2-first=Joyce|year=2004|title=]|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-860884-4|edition=4th}} * {{cite book|ref=harv|editor1-last=Kennedy|editor1-first=Michael|editor1-link=Michael Kennedy (music critic)|editor2-last=Bourne|editor2-first=Joyce|year=2004|title=]|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-860884-4|edition=4th}}
* {{cite news|ref=harv|last=Klein|first=Joshua|issue=March 29|year=2002|url=http://www.avclub.com/articles/ornette-coleman-the-complete-science-fiction-sessi,21761/|title=Ornette Coleman: The Complete Science Fiction Sessions|newspaper=]|location=Chicago|accessdate=April 11, 2013|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6Huu1qDfn|archivedate=July 6, 2013|deadurl=no}}
* {{cite book|ref=harv|last=Larkin|first=Colin|authorlink=Colin Larkin (writer)|volume=7|title=]|year=1998|publisher=]|location=London|isbn=978-1-56159-237-1|edition=3rd}}
* {{cite news|ref=harv|last=Kot|first=Greg|authorlink=Greg Kot|issue=April 26|year=1998|url=http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1998-04-26/news/9804260381_1_jazz-showcase-sonny-sharrock-chicago-jazz-festival|title=A Rock Critic's Education In Jazz|newspaper=]|accessdate=April 11, 2013|at=Arts & Entertainment section|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6HuteP3d6|archivedate=July 6, 2013|deadurl=no}}
* {{cite book|ref=harv|last=Litweiler|first=John|year=1992|title=Ornette Coleman: A Harmolodic Life|publisher=]|location=New York|isbn=978-0-688-07212-4}}
* {{cite book|ref=harv|last=Larkin|first=Colin|authorlink=Colin Larkin (writer)|volume=7|title=]|year=1998|publisher=]|isbn=978-1-56159-237-1|edition=3rd}}
* {{cite book|ref=harv|last=Litweiler|first=John|year=1992|title=Ornette Coleman: A Harmolodic Life|publisher=]|isbn=978-0-688-07212-4}}
* {{cite book|ref=harv|last=Mandel|first=Howard|title=Miles, Ornette, Cecil: Jazz Beyond Jazz|year=2007|publisher=Routledge|location=New York|isbn=978-0-203-93564-4}} * {{cite book|ref=harv|last=Mandel|first=Howard|title=Miles, Ornette, Cecil: Jazz Beyond Jazz|year=2007|publisher=Routledge|location=New York|isbn=978-0-203-93564-4}}
* {{cite book|ref=harv|last1=McRae|first1=Barry|last2=Middleton|first2=Tony|year=1988|title=Ornette Coleman|series=Jazz Masters Series|publisher=Apollo|isbn=978-0-948820-08-3|location=Port Orchard}} * {{cite book|ref=harv|last1=McRae|first1=Barry|last2=Middleton|first2=Tony|year=1988|title=Ornette Coleman|series=Jazz Masters Series|publisher=Apollo|isbn=978-0-948820-08-3}}
* {{cite news|ref=harv|last=Natambu|first=Kofi|issue=June|year=1982|newspaper=]|title=The Blues in 4-D: Of Human Feelings by Ornette Colement and the Prime Time Band}}
* {{cite book|ref=harv|last=Nicholson|first=Stuart|year=1990|title=Jazz: The 1980s Resurgence|publisher=]|location=Cambridge|isbn=978-0-306-80612-4}}
* {{cite news|ref=harv|last1=Nelson|first1=Nels|last2=Bittan|first2=Dave|last3=Takiff|first3=Jonathan|last4=Carrier|first4=Jerry|newspaper=]|issue=June 4|year=1982|title=Kool Jazz Players}}
* {{cite book|ref=harv|last=Nicholson|first=Stuart|year=1998|title=Jazz Rock: A History|publisher=]|location=Edinburgh|isbn=978-0-86241-817-5}}
* {{cite book|ref=harv|last=Nicholson|first=Stuart|year=1990|title=Jazz: The 1980s Resurgence|publisher=]|isbn=978-0-306-80612-4}}
* {{cite book|ref=harv|last=Nicholson|first=Stuart|year=1998|title=Jazz Rock: A History|publisher=]|isbn=978-0-86241-817-5}}
* {{cite news|ref=harv|last=Palmer|first=Robert|authorlink=Robert Palmer (writer)|issue=July 16|year=1986|url=http://www.nytimes.com/1986/07/16/arts/the-pop-life-ornette-coleman-s-music-develops-in-prime-time.html|title=The Pop Life – Ornette Coleman's Music Develops in Prime Time|newspaper=]|accessdate=April 11, 2013|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6HutVmZ0p|archivedate=July 6, 2013|deadurl=no}}
* {{cite news|ref=harv|last=Sachs|first=Lloyd|issue=September 28|year=1986|newspaper=]|title=The Bird, Billie, Monk and all that jazz|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=CSTB&p_theme=cstb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB36D2658870673&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|accessdate=April 11, 2013}} {{subscription required}}
* {{cite news|ref=harv|last=Sachs|first=Lloyd|issue=July 27|year=1997|newspaper=Chicago Sun-Times|title=10 jazz-rock standouts|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=CSTB&p_theme=cstb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB42319515DAE66&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|accessdate=April 11, 2013}} {{subscription required}}
* {{cite news|ref=harv|last=Sullivan|first=Dan|issue=July 25|year=1982|title=Album Briefs|newspaper=]|url=http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/667316032.html?dids=667316032:667316032&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Jul+25%2C+1982&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=ALBUM+BRIEFS&pqatl=google|accessdate=April 11, 2013}} {{subscription required}}
* {{cite journal|ref=harv|last=Tinder|first=Cliff|year=1982|issue=April|journal=]|volume=49|location=Chicago|title=Jamaaladeen Tacuma: Electric Bass in the Harmolodic Pocket|issue=4}}
* {{cite book|ref=harv|last=Wilson|first=Peter Niklas|year=1999|title=Ornette Coleman: His Life and Music|publisher=Berkeley Hills Books|isbn=978-1-893163-04-1}} * {{cite book|ref=harv|last=Wilson|first=Peter Niklas|year=1999|title=Ornette Coleman: His Life and Music|publisher=Berkeley Hills Books|isbn=978-1-893163-04-1}}
* {{cite web|ref=harv|last=Yanow|first=Scott|authorlink=Scott Yanow|date=n.d.|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/of-human-feelings-mw0000902383|title=Of Human Feelings – Ornette Coleman|publisher=Allmusic|accessdate=April 11, 2013|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6HutzEdoO|archivedate=July 6, 2013|deadurl=no}}
{{refend}}


== External links == == External links ==

Revision as of 03:43, 28 May 2014

Untitled

Of Human Feelings is a studio album by American jazz saxophonist and composer Ornette Coleman. He recorded the album on April 25, 1979, at CBS Studios in New York City with his band Prime Time, which featured guitarists Charlie Ellerbee and Bern Nix, bassist Jamaaladeen Tacuma, and drummers Calvin Weston and Coleman's son Denardo. It followed Coleman's failed attempt to record a direct-to-disc session earlier in March 1979.

Of Human Feelings explores jazz-funk music and continues Coleman's harmolodic approach to improvisation with Prime Time, whom he first introduced on his 1975 album Dancing in Your Head. He drew on rhythm and blues influences from early in his career for Of Human Feelings, which had shorter and more distinct compositions than Dancing in Your Head. Coleman also applied free jazz principles from his music during the 1960s to elements of funk.

Following a change in management, Coleman signed with Island Records, and Of Human Feelings was released in 1982 by its subsidiary label Antilles Records. It was well received by critics, who praised Coleman's expressive music and harmolodic approach. However, the album made no commercial impact and subsequently went out of print. Coleman enlisted his son Denardo as manager after a dispute with his former managers over the album's royalties, which inspired him to perform publicly again during the 1980s.

Background

Jamaaladeen Tacuma (pictured in 2007) was challenged and enthused by harmolodics.

In the mid-1970s, Ornette Coleman decided to stop recording free jazz with acoustic ensembles and sought to recruit electric instrumentalists for his music, based on a creative theory he developed called harmolodics. According to his theory, all the musicians are able to play individual melodies in any key, and all the while sound coherent as a group. He wanted to teach his young sidemen a new improvisational and ensemble approach, based on their individual tendencies, and also prevent them from being influenced by conventional styles. Coleman likened this group ethic to a spirit of "collective consciousness" that stresses "human feelings" and "biological rhythms", and said that he wanted the music, rather than himself, to be successful. Of Human Feelings continued his application of the theory with Prime Time, an electric quartet whom he introduced on his 1975 album Dancing in Your Head. It comprised guitarists Charlie Ellerbee and Bern Nix, bassist Jamaaladeen Tacuma, and drummer Denardo Coleman.

Tacuma, who was still in high school when he was enlisted by Coleman, first recorded with Prime Time in 1975 for the album Body Meta, which was released in 1978. He had been fired by jazz organist Charles Earland for what Tacuma felt was the excessive amount of attention his playing received from audiences, but Coleman encouraged him to remain what he called a "naturally harmolodic" player. Although Coleman's theory initially challenged his knowledge and perception of music, Tacuma became enthused by the unconventional role each band member was given as a soloist and melodist: "When we read Ornette's music we have his notes, but we listen for his phrases and phrase the way he wants to. I can take the same melody, then, and phrase it like I want to, and those notes will determine the phrasing, the rhythm, the harmony – all of that."

Recording

In March 1979, Coleman went to RCA Records' New York studio and attempted to produce an album with Prime Time by direct-to-disc recording. However, they encountered mechanical problems with the studio equipment, and their recording was ultimately rejected. The failed session was a project under Phrase Text, his music publishing company. Nonetheless, Coleman still wanted to set up his own record company with the same name, so he chose his longtime friend Kunle Mwanga to be his manager. In April, Mwanga arranged another session at CBS Studios in New York City. Coleman and Prime Time recorded Of Human Feelings there on April 25. The session was originally titled Fashion Faces. For the album, Prime Time's original drummer Ronald Shannon Jackson was replaced by Calvin Weston as Denardo Coleman's drum partner.

Coleman recorded Of Human Feelings without any equipment issues and found the production process very simple: "We recorded all the pieces only once, so all the numbers were first takes. And there was no mixing. It is almost exactly as we played it." Unlike most albums at the time, it was recorded with a Sony PCM-1600 two-track digital recorder. Coleman did not want to embellish the album with added effects and avoided the use of overdubbing, multi-tracking, or remixing during its production. According to him, Of Human Feelings was the first digitally recorded jazz album in the United States.

Composition

People have started asking me if I'm really a rhythm-'n'-blues player, and I always say, why, sure. To me rhythm is the oxygen that sits under the notes and moves them along and blues is the colouring of those notes, how they're interpreted in an emotional way.

Ornette Coleman, 1981

According to The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music (2004), Of Human Feelings features jazz-funk, a type of music that originated in 1970 and is characterized by intricate rhythmic patterns, a recurrent bass line, and Latin rhythmic elements. Lloyd Sachs of the Chicago Sun-Times remarked that, although Coleman was not viewed as a jazz fusion artist, the album can be described as such because of its combination of free jazz and funk. Jazz writer Stuart Nicholson viewed it as a culmination of Coleman's musical principles that dated back to his free jazz music in 1960, but reappropriated with a funk-oriented backbeat. According to jazz critic Barry McRae, "it was as if Coleman was translating the concept of the famous double quartet" from his 1961 album Free Jazz to "the needs of funk jazz."

Coleman also drew on the rhythm and blues he had played early his career and incorporated traditional structures and rhythms. According to journalist Howard Mandel, the album's "snappy" and "unpretentious" music was more comparable to a coherent R&B band than jazz fusion. Coleman played the melody lines and employed two guitarists for contrast, as one part of the band comprised a melody contingent of guitar and drums, and the other guitarist and drummer were committed to a song's rhythm. Nix strummed variants on the melodies, while Ellerbee provided accented linear counterpoint. Coleman and Tacuma's instrumental responses were played as the foreground to the less prominent guitars. Coleman and Prime Time exchanged directional hints throughout the songs, as one player changed tonality and the others modulated accordingly. The band made no attempt to harmonize their radically different parts. However, the album's mix was generally in the middle frequency range and had compressed dynamics, which resulted in neither extremely loud nor soft passages.

Of Human Feelings features shorter and more distinct compositions than Dancing in Your Head. "Sleep Talk", "Air Ship", and "Times Square" were originally performed by Coleman during his concerts in 1978 under the names "Dream Talking", "Meta", and "Writing in the Streets", respectively. "What Is the Name of That Song?" was titled as a sly reference to two of his older compositions, "Love Eyes" and "Forgotten Songs" (also known as "Holiday for Heroes"), whose themes were played concurrently and transfigured by Prime Time. The theme from "Forgotten Songs", originally from Coleman's 1972 album Skies of America, was used as a refrain. "Air Ship" comprises a six-bar riff, the atonal "Times Square" has futuristic dance themes, and "Jump Street" is a blues piece with a bridge. "Love Words" heavily uses polymodality, a central feature of harmolodics, and posits Coleman's extended solo against a dense, rhythmically complex backdrop. Nicholson observed West African rhythms and collective improsivation rooted in New Orleans jazz on "Love Words", and opined that "Sleep Talk" was derived from the opening bassoon solo in Igor Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring.

Release and promotion

A few weeks after the album was recorded, Mwanga went to Japan to complete arrangements for it to be issued as a Phrase Text release by Trio Records, who had previously released a compilation of Coleman's 1966 to 1971 live performances in Paris. He delivered the record stamper to Trio, who were ready to start production of the records. While in Japan, Mwanga also arranged for Coleman to perform his song "Skies of America" with the NHK Symphony Orchestra. However, according to him, Coleman cancelled both deals upon his return from Japan. Mwanga immediately resigned after only less than four months as Coleman's manager. In 1981, Coleman hired Stan and Sid Bernstein as his managers, who sold the album's recording tapes to Island Records. He signed with the record label that year, and Of Human Feelings was released in 1982 on Island's subsidiary jazz label Antilles Records.

According to jazz writer Francis Davis, "a modest commercial breakthrough seemed imminent" for Coleman, whose celebrity appeared to be "on the rise again." German musicologist Peter Niklas Wilson said that the album may have been the catchiest and most commercial-sounding of his career at that point. The album's clean mix and relatively short tracks were interpreted as an attempt for radio airplay by Mandel, who described its production as "the surface consistency that would put it in the pop sphere." Its distinction as the first digital album recorded in New York City made front-page news in Billboard magazine.

Despite its commercial potential, Of Human Feelings had no success on the American pop charts. It charted at number 15 on the Top Jazz Albums, on which it spent 26 weeks. According to Steve Lake of The Wire, Coleman offered only a "funk/jazz compromise" to consumers with the album and consequently appealed to neither market. Sound & Vision magazine's Brent Butterworth speculated that the album was overlooked because it had electric instruments, rock and funk drumming, and did not conform to what he felt was the corny, romantic image of jazz that many of the genre's fans prefer.

Critical reception

"Sleep Talk" The melody of "Sleep Talk" was said to be among Coleman's best by critics Gary Giddins and Greg Kot.
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Of Human Feelings was acclaimed by contemporary critics. In his review for Esquire, jazz journalist Gary Giddins hailed it as another landmark album from Coleman and his most accomplished work of harmolodics, with compositions that are clearly expressed and occasionally timeless. He remarked that its discordant keys radically transmute conventional polyphony and may be the most challenging for listeners, but recommended they concentrate on Coleman's playing and "let the maelstrom resolve itself around his center". Kofi Natambu of the Detroit Metro Times said that Coleman's synergetic approach displays expressive immediacy rather than superficial technical flair and called the album "a multi-tonal mosaic of great power, humor, color, wit, sensuality, compassion and tenderness." He found its songs inspirational, danceable, and encompassing of a century of creative development in African-American music. Robert Christgau, writing in The Village Voice, said that it offers listeners enough "release from tension" to astonish the senses with music made tender by abstract rhythmic interplay and artless pieces of melody: "he way the players break into ripples of song only to ebb back into the tideway is participatory democracy at its most practical and utopian."

In a mixed review for Stereo Review magazine, Chris Albertson criticized Coleman's production and felt that the combination of saxophone and bizarre funk can be captivating, but ultimately loses clarity. Leonard Feather, writing in the Toledo Blade, said that the saxophone and guitar passages lack rapport when played in unison and believed that the stylistically ambiguous music is potentially controversial and "unratable, but worth checking out." Dan Sullivan of the Los Angeles Times felt that the album's supporters in "hip rock circles" have overlooked flaws such as the dilutive digital production and occasionally disjointed, one-dimensional playing, although he ultimately praised Tacuma's playing and Coleman's phrasing as a unique "beacon of clarity" amidst an incessant background. Musician magazine's J. D. Considine said that he would rate the album higher than its predecessor Body Meta, but below the "pivotal" Dancing in Your Head, although he remarked that his more knowledgeable friends have found Of Human Feelings to be the best of the three albums because of its composition and the players' execution.

In his year-end list for Billboard, editor Peter Keepnews named Of Human Feelings the best album of 1982 and wrote that it is "the definitive statement to date on how to mix the best elements of so-called 'free jazz' with the best elements of contemporary funk." In their year-end lists for The Boston Phoenix, critics James Hunter and Howard Hampton ranked it number one and number four, respectively. Of Human Feelings was voted as the thirteenth best album of 1982 in the Pazz & Jop, an annual critics poll run by The Village Voice. Christgau, the poll's creator and supervisor, ranked it number one in an accompanying list. In a 1990 list for the newspaper, he named it the second best album of the 1980s. At that point, Of Human Feelings was one of only 18 albums to have received Christgau's "A+" grade, which the Press-Telegram called "the ultimate accolade".

Aftermath

Coleman performing in 1982

Since the album's release, Coleman and the Bernstein Agency have expressed conflicting views of their deal and its aftermath. According to Coleman, his managers sold Of Human Feelings for less money than it had cost him to record, and he "never saw a penny of the royalties." Stan Bernstein claimed that Coleman made financial demands that were "unreleastic in this business unless you're Michael Jackson." Coleman was paid $25,000 for the publishing rights to the album, which Antilles label executive Ron Goldstein said was neither a "terrific" nor "modest sum" for a jazz artist.

After Coleman went over budget to record a follow-up album, Island did not release it nor pick up their option on him, and in 1983, he left the Bernstein Agency. He chose his son Denardo to manage his career and consequently overcame his reticence of public performance, which had also been rooted in his distrust of doing business with a predominantly White music industry. According to Nicholson, "the man once accused of standing on the throat of jazz was welcomed back to the touring circuits with both curiosity and affection" during the 1980s. Coleman did not record another album for six years and instead performed internationally with Prime Time. Of Human Feelings later went out of print.

After showcasing his style of avant-garde jazz on the album, Tacuma became widely viewed as one of the most distinctive bassists since Jaco Pastorius. He subsequently formed his own group and recorded albums that used Prime Time's complex vertical compositions, but composed them with more commercial hooks and melodic themes.

Legacy

In a retrospective article for The New York Times on Coleman's work with Prime Time, Robert Palmer said that Of Human Feelings was "still very much in the forefront of musical developments" in 1982, even though it had been recorded three years earlier. Lloyd Sachs of the Chicago Sun-Times ranked it eighth on his 1986 list of "great-sounding" jazz CDs and wrote that it made the most sense out of Coleman's harmolodic theory. In a retrospective review for Allmusic, jazz critic Scott Yanow gave it four stars and wrote that, although they never achieved popularity, Coleman's compositions succeeded within the context of an album that showcased his distinctive saxophone and "often witty and free (but oddly melodic) style." Jazz journalist Todd S. Jenkins felt that it was more successful than Body Meta, even though Coleman's simple, repetitive compositions were less accessible.

According to Joshua Klein of The A.V. Club, Of Human Feelings is the best album for new listeners of Coleman's harmolodics-based music. Rock critic Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune included the album in his guide for novice jazz listeners and named it one of the select albums that helped him both become a better listener of rock music and learn how to enjoy jazz, which he said is "like learning a new language". In 2008, New York magazine's Martin Johnson included Of Human Feelings in his list of canonical albums from what he felt had been New York's sceneless yet vital jazz scene in the previous 40 years. He said that the album "brims with urbane energy" and elements of funk, Latin, and African music, all of which are encapsulated by music that retains a jazz identity.

Track listing

All compositions by Ornette Coleman.

Side one
  1. "Sleep Talk" – 3:34
  2. "Jump Street" – 4:24
  3. "Him and Her" – 4:20
  4. "Air Ship" – 6:11
Side two
  1. "What Is the Name of That Song?" – 3:58
  2. "Job Mob" – 4:57
  3. "Love Words" – 2:54
  4. "Times Square" – 6:03

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.

Musicians
Additional personnel
  • Steve Backer – A&R
  • Susan Bernstein – cover painting
  • Peter Corriston – cover design
  • Joe Gastwirt – mastering
  • Ron Saint Germain – engineering
  • Ron Goldstein – executive direction
  • Harold Jarowsky – second engineering
  • Steven Mark Needham – photography
  • Ken Robertson – tape operation

References

  1. Cohen 2012, p. 97.
  2. ^ Palmer 1986.
  3. Nelson et al. 1982, p. 52.
  4. ^ Nicholson 1998, p. 313.
  5. Larkin 1998, p. 5280.
  6. Mandel 2007, p. 161.
  7. ^ Mandel 2007, p. 162.
  8. ^ Litweiler 1992, p. 170.
  9. ^ Anon. 1982a.
  10. Litweiler 1992, p. 170; Wilson 1999, p. 207.
  11. ^ Butterworth 2013.
  12. ^ Wilson 1999, p. 207.
  13. Harrison et al. 2000, p. 573.
  14. Kennedy & Bourne 2004, p. 152.
  15. Sachs 1997, p. 10.
  16. ^ Harrison et al. 2000, p. 574.
  17. ^ McRae & Middleton 1988, p. 67.
  18. Giddins 1985, p. 241.
  19. Mandel 2007, pp. 162–3.
  20. ^ Giddins 1982, p. 4.
  21. ^ Davis 1986, p. 143.
  22. ^ Nicholson 1990, p. 109.
  23. Davis 1986, pp. 142–3.
  24. Wilson 1999, p. 206.
  25. ^ McRae & Middleton 1988, p. 68.
  26. Anon. n.d.
  27. Anon. 1982b, p. 33.
  28. Giddins 1982, p. 4; Kot 1998, p. 1.
  29. Tinder 1982, p. 19.
  30. Natambu 1982, p. 39.
  31. Christgau 1982.
  32. Albertson 1982, p. 83.
  33. Feather 1982, p. 3.
  34. Sullivan 1982, p. K80.
  35. Considine 1982, p. 73.
  36. Keepnews 1983, p. 68.
  37. Anon. 1983a, p. 12.
  38. Anon. 1983b.
  39. Christgau 1983.
  40. Christgau 1990.
  41. Anon. 1990.
  42. Davis 1986, pp. 143–4.
  43. Davis 1986, p. 144.
  44. Cooper & Smay 2004, p. 238.
  45. Sachs 1986, p. 4.
  46. Yanow n.d.
  47. Jenkins 2004, p. 97.
  48. Klein 2002.
  49. Kot 1998, p. 1.
  50. Johnson 2008.

Bibliography

External links

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