New six CD Ornette Coleman box set

A major new six CD box set showcases avante-garde saxophonist Ornette Coleman’s years on Atlantic Records. ‘Beauty Is A Rare Thing’ compiles his output from 1959 to 1962 in chronological order together with previously unreleased material. The box set includes Coleman’s classic albums ‘The Shape Of Jazz To Come’, ‘Change Of The Century’, ‘Ornette!’, ‘This Is Our Music’, ‘Free Jazz’ and ‘Ornette On Tenor’ plus more material.

Alto saxophonist Ornette Coleman is one the most influential jazz saxophonists in the history of the music and regarded as one of the great innovators. He was also a violinist. He was a pioneer of ‘free jazz’ with an emotional and sharp alto saxophone tone and language. Now 85, he continued to play up until recently but has been suffering failing health. A new recording with the outfit New Vocabulary appeared at the end of 2014.

This new box set features commentary from Ornette himself, photographs and an extensive 70 page booklet.