The Shape of Jazz to Come

The Shape of Jazz to Come was a watershed event in the genesis of avant-garde jazz. The record shattered traditional concepts of jazz harmony, disposing of both the piano player and the whole idea of concretely outlined chord changes. The compositions here follow almost no predetermined harmonic structure, allowing Coleman and Don Cherry unprecedented freedom to take the melodies of their solo lines in whatever direction they felt in the moment, regardless of what the piece’s tonal center appeared to be. This was the first time Coleman recorded with a rhythm section –consisting of bassist Charlie Haden and drummer Billy Higgins – that was open-eared and loose enough to follow his already controversial conception.