It's been a month since the departure of Ornette Coleman from the surly bonds of this earth. Reflecting on his legacy, brothers Charles Simic and Milan Simich sat down to talk about Ornette and how he tore up the downtown jazz scene — most notably Slugs' in the Far East.
Some may not have been able to access the immediate world of Ornette Coleman during his reign in the 1960s. Frequenting many of the jazz hotspots in the East Village, the saxophonist kept his cool while checking out some of the local talent.
Milan Simich was a resident of New York at the time and would ultimately cross paths with the jazz heavyweight. Their meeting was uncanny and the two bonded over a common interest in the Eric Dolphy-Booker Little Quintet At the Five Spot record.
Recalling that fateful night, Simich reports:
"So here I am at this loft four years later and who's sitting opposite me but Ornette Coleman with a good-looking lady. Between Archie and Pharaoh's sets somebody put on the Eric Dolphy-Booker Little Quintet At the Five Spot record. There's a Booker tune aptly titled 'Aggression' where twice he does this smeared notes thing and at that moment our eyes met across the room and we both broke out laughing. Me and Ornette. Two guys diggin' jazz on the Bowery in 1964! After the gig he gave me his address and invited me to visit. "
Simich's book, A Night At Birdland And Other Places: The Golden Age Of Modern Jazz In New York 1949-1959, which will be available from The Jazz Record Center soon, talks not only about Coleman but the entire East Village scene back in the day.
Living alongside Leon Trotsky, cutting it with Sonny Rollins as he made his comeback and where John Coltrane started his own group, the East Village is vital pool of artistry. It served as a hotbed for poets in the '50s and the folk revival the spilled into the '60s.
The interview can be found here. But, until the undated release drops, here is Coleman to keep you busy for now.
