Ornette Coleman attended the Lenox School of Jazz in 1959 with Don Cherry as his private instructor. His education was sponsored by Atlantic Records. Coleman had a revolutionary sound that deviated from conventional jazz. Despite his deviations, Coleman retained the basic key and common time of traditional jazz. In 1953, he met drummer Ed Blackwell, who is featured on the album. John Coltrane studied with Coleman, and they frequently played together but never made an album together. The Avant-Garde is a result of their mutual respect and friendship. Coltrane, Coleman, and Cherry played together in ensembles as they explored new ways of playing jazz. With this album Coltrane contributed to the formation of free jazz through his "modal school of improvisation". "The Blessing" is the first time he recorded on soprano saxophone.
Track background
"Focus on Sanity" was first recorded in Los Angeles, California, on May 2, 1959. "Cherryco" was recorded in 1960 under the title "Untitled Opus #1". The title was considered a play on words with the name "Cherokee", though the style of the song has nothing to do with the name. Some of the tapes are missing from the song and "are presumed lost". "The Invisible" was first performed and recorded for Coleman's album Something Else!!!! which was released in 1958. According to Claire O'Neal, author of Ornette Coleman, this song "pokes fun at traditional musical structure, featuring a tonal center that hides from the listener". "The Blessing" was another piece that appeared on Something Else!!!! Reviewer Chris Kesley calls Coltrane's approach to the tune "restrained".
Analysis
The Avant-Garde is one of seven albums that Coltrane recorded for Atlantic between 1959 and 1962. The free jazz style of the album was considered controversial and "lacking the necessary discipline to represent America's art form." This new jazz composition by Coleman features surprising rhythmic accents, asymmetrical melodic phrases, and the incorporation of brass instruments and drums into the melody of the song. A unique feature of this album is its lack of pianist and usage of brass instruments to carry each piece. On "Focus on Sanity", Cherry and Coltrane complement each other with contrasting sound as Coltrane "leaps into like a man possessed, while Cherry answers with a feathery tone."
