Ornette Coleman - The Shape of Jazz to Come - EP Album

The Shape of Jazz to come album is an essential jazz recording which signaled the end of one era in the genre and paved the way for the next. On jazz classics like "Lonely Woman," "Congeniality," and "Focus on Sanity," Coleman used the songs' vocal harmonies rather than their chords, as a basis for his improvisations. In so doing, he opened up jazz soloing immeasurably and led the way for new freedoms--both for individuals and for groups. A lot of people are leery of Ornette because he has been labeled as "avant-garde," but this album is quite approachable and a good place to start for those new to his music.