Friday's Playlist: Free Jazz

In the mood for something a little challenging? Something wild, exhilarating, mysterious? Good. We got you. Check out this playlist of classic Free Jazz. Spontaneous combustions of sound, free-form expression, bursts of micro-tonal melodies, dissonant waves of pure music, improvised pathways to the subconscious.

Not always the most accessible genre, but once you've unlocked its mystery, one of the most rewarding. All you need is to find the key. For me, the key was Ornette Coleman's aptly titled record Free Jazz, which I couldn't include here as it is one track divided on two sides (or, since the advent of digital, one long track) but you can buy it HERE. 

The configuration is that of a double quartet: effectively two bands playing together, or against one another. One of the most fascinating listens in any genre. Like an abstract painting, the big picture is confusing and doesn't seem to make sense. But after hearing the whole piece once of twice you can zoom in and focus on the details. Like the interplay between the players in each quartet. Or how the bass players in the two bands play against each other. Or how the drums interlock even though they play in different times. You can almost feel the electrical telepathy between all the players. It is an absolutely life-changing, riveting experience.

Hopefully one of the tunes in the following playlist will trigger such a revelation in someone. Enjoy, comment and share.