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Lonely Woman By Ornette Coleman

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The first thing I noticed about Lonely Woman by Ornette Coleman was the contrast between the fast rhythm on the ride cymbal and the laidback demeanor of the other instruments. It immediately added a diversity in sounds that seem distinctive from previous jazz styles. The reappearance of the cornet in this piece does add a smoother brass noise, it comparison to the bright trumpet, and the cornet itself blends very well with the alto saxophone. The overall sound of the musicians is very bluesy, with plaintive tones thrown in to add a haunting quality to the piece. True to its title, I do feel slightly lonely while listening to the piece. It is almost as if I am waking up from this crazy dream, where I was surrounded by things to do and people to see, then waking up by myself and missing the complexities of the dream I had left behind. Although at first it sounds like the rhythm section and horns are playing the two different songs, they eventually blend together seamlessly, providing an anxiously beautiful piece. This also required a lot of skill from the musicians themselves who had to maintain their tempos (slow and relaxed for horns and bass, and rapid fire for the drums) throughout the piece and the constant switching between major and minor keys in the bass requires a high skill. In Willisau Concert, Part 3 by Cecil Taylor, we know the only instrument is piano, but Taylor’s type of playing is chaotic and masterful. He flies over the chord providing clashing chords,
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