Pulitzer Prize-winning saxophonist Ornette Coleman was a towering influence on modern jazz playing and became one of the pioneers of the so-called free jazz movement in the 1960s. His unorthodox approach to playing with its unusual approach to chord progressions and harmony didn't always find an appreciative audience and in his early years his radical approach was often misunderstood by his less enlightened peers.

Regarded as an iconoclast by some and a genius by others, one of his defining albums was his 1960 release 'Free Jazz: A Collective Improvisation'. The album had a polarising effect on listeners; some hardened jazz fans viewed it as a step too far into the unknown whereas others saw it as the dawning of an exciting new era. From these avant-garde beginnings Coleman progressed into more accessible material combining elements of funk, rock and jazz. During his playing career Coleman continued to push the boundaries of music often experimenting with much younger musicians and adapting material from a wide range of cultural influences. He continued to perform and record right up until he was 80 years old. Coleman died of a heart attack in 2015 aged 85.

Ornette Coleman

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