Ornette Coleman – Skies Of America VG+/VG+

Skies of America is a remarkable album by the legendary jazz saxophonist and composer Ornette Coleman, released on April 28, 1972 by Columbia Records. It is a single, continuous piece of orchestral jazz music that spans both sides of the vinyl record, performed by the London Symphony Orchestra and conducted by David Measham. Coleman himself only plays his alto saxophone on a few sections of the album, creating a contrast between his free improvisation and the structured orchestration.

The album is the result of Coleman’s exploration of his own theory of “Harmolodics”, which allows multiple players to solo in different keys at the same time, creating a rich and complex harmonic texture. The album also reflects Coleman’s personal and political views, as he was inspired by his encounter with Native Americans in Montana and his critique of American society. The album consists of 21 tracks, each with a descriptive title, but they are not separate songs, but rather parts of a unified musical vision. The album features some of Coleman’s most memorable themes, such as “The Good Life”, “The Soul Within Woman”, and “Sunday in America”, which he would revisit in his later works.

Skies of America received critical acclaim and commercial success, reaching No. 4 on the US Billboard Jazz Albums chart and No. 191 on the US Billboard 200 chart.