Revision as of 22:57, 23 March 2014 editMonkbot (talk | contribs)Bots3,695,952 editsm →Recording: Replace deprecated parameters before migration to Module:Citation/CS1; see talk;← Previous edit | Revision as of 03:43, 28 May 2014 edit undoTeflon Peter Christ (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers140,333 edits →BibliographyNext edit → | ||
(11 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown) | |||
Line 21: | Line 21: | ||
''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 |
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 |
] (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. |
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 |
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'' |
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 == | ||
Line 40: | Line 40: | ||
|quoted = true | |quoted = true | ||
|bgcolor = #FFFFF0 | |bgcolor = #FFFFF0 | ||
|width = |
|width = 22% | ||
|salign = right | |salign = right | ||
|align = left | |align = left | ||
Line 46: | Line 46: | ||
|fontsize = 89% | |fontsize = 89% | ||
}} | }} | ||
''Of Human Feelings'' features ], a type of music that originated in 1970 |
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}} | ||
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 === | |||
⚫ | |||
== 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 ], |
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 == | ||
Line 65: | Line 63: | ||
|filename = Ornette Coleman - Sleep Talk.ogg | |filename = Ornette Coleman - Sleep Talk.ogg | ||
|title = "Sleep Talk" | |title = "Sleep Talk" | ||
|description = |
|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 |
''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 |
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 == | ||
Line 84: | Line 81: | ||
== Legacy == | == Legacy == | ||
In a |
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 |
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. |
All compositions by Ornette Coleman.{{sfn|Anon.|1982a}} | ||
;Side one | ;Side one | ||
Line 104: | Line 101: | ||
==Personnel== | ==Personnel== | ||
Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes. |
Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.{{sfn|Anon.|1982a}} | ||
;Musicians | ;Musicians | ||
Line 129: | Line 126: | ||
== 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=] |
||
* {{cite |
* {{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 |
||
* {{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=] |
* {{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=] |
||
* {{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=] |
||
⚫ | * {{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 |
* {{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=] |
||
* {{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=] |
||
⚫ | * {{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
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
— Ornette Coleman, 1981People 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.
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.Problems playing this file? See media help.
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
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
- "Sleep Talk" – 3:34
- "Jump Street" – 4:24
- "Him and Her" – 4:20
- "Air Ship" – 6:11
- Side two
- "What Is the Name of That Song?" – 3:58
- "Job Mob" – 4:57
- "Love Words" – 2:54
- "Times Square" – 6:03
Personnel
Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.
- Musicians
- Denardo Coleman – drums
- Ornette Coleman – alto saxophone, production
- Charlie Ellerbee – guitar
- Bern Nix – guitar
- Jamaaladeen Tacuma – bass guitar
- Calvin Weston – drums
- 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
- Cohen 2012, p. 97.
- ^ Palmer 1986.
- Nelson et al. 1982, p. 52.
- ^ Nicholson 1998, p. 313.
- Larkin 1998, p. 5280.
- Mandel 2007, p. 161.
- ^ Mandel 2007, p. 162.
- ^ Litweiler 1992, p. 170.
- ^ Anon. 1982a.
- Litweiler 1992, p. 170; Wilson 1999, p. 207.
- ^ Butterworth 2013.
- ^ Wilson 1999, p. 207.
- Harrison et al. 2000, p. 573.
- Kennedy & Bourne 2004, p. 152.
- Sachs 1997, p. 10.
- ^ Harrison et al. 2000, p. 574.
- ^ McRae & Middleton 1988, p. 67.
- Giddins 1985, p. 241.
- Mandel 2007, pp. 162–3.
- ^ Giddins 1982, p. 4.
- ^ Davis 1986, p. 143.
- ^ Nicholson 1990, p. 109.
- Davis 1986, pp. 142–3.
- Wilson 1999, p. 206.
- ^ McRae & Middleton 1988, p. 68.
- Anon. n.d.
- Anon. 1982b, p. 33.
- Giddins 1982, p. 4; Kot 1998, p. 1.
- Tinder 1982, p. 19.
- Natambu 1982, p. 39.
- Christgau 1982.
- Albertson 1982, p. 83.
- Feather 1982, p. 3.
- Sullivan 1982, p. K80.
- Considine 1982, p. 73.
- Keepnews 1983, p. 68.
- Anon. 1983a, p. 12.
- Anon. 1983b.
- Christgau 1983.
- Christgau 1990.
- Anon. 1990.
- Davis 1986, pp. 143–4.
- Davis 1986, p. 144.
- Cooper & Smay 2004, p. 238.
- Sachs 1986, p. 4.
- Yanow n.d.
- Jenkins 2004, p. 97.
- Klein 2002.
- Kot 1998, p. 1.
- Johnson 2008.
Bibliography
- Albertson, Chris (1982). "Popular Music". Stereo Review. 47 (8). New York.
{{cite journal}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help) - Anon. (1982). Of Human Feelings (LP liner notes). Ornette Coleman. Antilles Records. AN-2001.
- Anon. (1982). "Jazz LPs". Billboard (August 28). New York. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
- Anon. (1983). "The 1982 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll". The Village Voice. No. February 22. New York. Archived from the original on July 6, 2013. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
{{cite news}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - Anon. (1983). "Boston Phoenix Critics' Top 10 Albums for 1982". The Boston Phoenix. No. January 4. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
- Anon. (1990). "Music Notes: Quincy Quotes, Christgau Clips, Janet Hits". Press-Telegram. No. October 22. Long Beach, California. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
{{cite news}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help) (subscription required) - Anon. (n.d.). "Of Human Feelings – Ornette Colement : Awards". Allmusic. Archived from the original on July 6, 2013. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
{{cite web}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help); Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - Butterworth, Brent (2013). "Brent Butterworth on 'Jump Street' by Ornette Coleman". Sound & Vision (May 26). New York. Archived from the original on August 25, 2013. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
{{cite journal}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help); Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - Christgau, Robert (1982). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. No. June 1. New York. Archived from the original on July 6, 2013. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
{{cite news}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help); Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - Christgau, Robert (1983). "Pazz & Jop 1982: Dean's List". The Village Voice. No. February 22. New York. Archived from the original on July 6, 2013. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
{{cite news}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help); Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - Christgau, Robert (1990). "Decade Personal Best: '80s". The Village Voice. No. January 2. New York. Archived from the original on July 6, 2013. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
{{cite news}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help); Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - Cohen, Thomas F. (2012). Playing to the Camera: Musicians and Musical Performance in Documentary Cinema. Columbia University Press. ISBN 978-1-906660-22-2.
{{cite book}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help) - Considine, J. D. (1982). "Record Reviews". Musician (July). New York.
{{cite journal}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help) - Cooper, Kim; Smay, David, eds. (2004). Lost in the Grooves: Scram's Capricious Guide to the Music You Missed. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-96998-7.
{{cite book}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help) - Davis, Francis (1986). In the Moment: Jazz in the 1980s. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-504090-6.
{{cite book}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help) - Feather, Leonard (1982). "Options Widen for Jazz Buffs". Toledo Blade. No. June 5. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
{{cite news}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help) - Giddins, Gary (1982). "High Notes: The Five Best Recent Releases". Esquire. 98 (1). New York.
{{cite journal}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help) - Giddins, Gary (1985). Rhythm-a-Ning: Jazz Tradition and Innovation in the '80s. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-503558-2.
{{cite book}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help) - Harrison, Max; Fox, Charles; Thacker, Eric; Nicholson, Stuart (2000). The Essential Jazz Records: Modernism to Postmodernism. The Essential Jazz Records. Vol. 2. London: Mansell. ISBN 978-0-7201-1822-3.
{{cite book}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help) - Jenkins, Todd S. (2004). Free Jazz and Free Improvisation: An Encyclopedia, Volume 2. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-313-33314-9.
{{cite book}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help) - Johnson, Martin (2008). "40th Anniversary: The New York Jazz Canon". New York. Archived from the original on July 6, 2013. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
{{cite journal}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help); Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - Keepnews, Peter (1983). "Critics' Choice". Billboard (January 8). New York. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
{{cite journal}}
:|chapter=
ignored (help); Invalid|ref=harv
(help) - Kennedy, Michael; Bourne, Joyce, eds. (2004). The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-860884-4.
{{cite book}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help) - Klein, Joshua (2002). "Ornette Coleman: The Complete Science Fiction Sessions". The A.V. Club. No. March 29. Chicago. Archived from the original on July 6, 2013. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
{{cite news}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help); Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - Kot, Greg (1998). "A Rock Critic's Education In Jazz". Chicago Tribune. No. April 26. Arts & Entertainment section. Archived from the original on July 6, 2013. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
{{cite news}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help); Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - Larkin, Colin (1998). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 7 (3rd ed.). Muze UK. ISBN 978-1-56159-237-1.
{{cite book}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help) - Litweiler, John (1992). Ornette Coleman: A Harmolodic Life. W. Morrow. ISBN 978-0-688-07212-4.
{{cite book}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help) - Mandel, Howard (2007). Miles, Ornette, Cecil: Jazz Beyond Jazz. New York: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-203-93564-4.
{{cite book}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help) - McRae, Barry; Middleton, Tony (1988). Ornette Coleman. Jazz Masters Series. Apollo. ISBN 978-0-948820-08-3.
{{cite book}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help) - Natambu, Kofi (1982). "The Blues in 4-D: Of Human Feelings by Ornette Colement and the Prime Time Band". Detroit Metro Times. No. June.
{{cite news}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help) - Nelson, Nels; Bittan, Dave; Takiff, Jonathan; Carrier, Jerry (1982). "Kool Jazz Players". Philadelphia Daily News. No. June 4.
{{cite news}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help) - Nicholson, Stuart (1990). Jazz: The 1980s Resurgence. Da Capo Press. ISBN 978-0-306-80612-4.
{{cite book}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help) - Nicholson, Stuart (1998). Jazz Rock: A History. Canongate Books. ISBN 978-0-86241-817-5.
{{cite book}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help) - Palmer, Robert (1986). "The Pop Life – Ornette Coleman's Music Develops in Prime Time". The New York Times. No. July 16. Archived from the original on July 6, 2013. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
{{cite news}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help); Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - Sachs, Lloyd (1986). "The Bird, Billie, Monk and all that jazz". Chicago Sun-Times. No. September 28. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
{{cite news}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help) (subscription required) - Sachs, Lloyd (1997). "10 jazz-rock standouts". Chicago Sun-Times. No. July 27. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
{{cite news}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help) (subscription required) - Sullivan, Dan (1982). "Album Briefs". Los Angeles Times. No. July 25. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
{{cite news}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help) (subscription required) - Tinder, Cliff (1982). "Jamaaladeen Tacuma: Electric Bass in the Harmolodic Pocket". Down Beat. 49 (4). Chicago.
{{cite journal}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help) - Wilson, Peter Niklas (1999). Ornette Coleman: His Life and Music. Berkeley Hills Books. ISBN 978-1-893163-04-1.
{{cite book}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help) - Yanow, Scott (n.d.). "Of Human Feelings – Ornette Coleman". Allmusic. Archived from the original on July 6, 2013. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
{{cite web}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help); Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help)
External links
- Of Human Feelings at Discogs (list of releases)