Album of the Day

Saxophonist Ornette Coleman named his Atlantic Records debut THE SHAPE OF JAZZ TO COME, and the music he recorded for the label makes that title seem like an understatement. BEAUTY IS A RARE THING – THE COMPLETE ATLANTIC RECORDINGS presents all of Coleman's 1959-1961 sessions for producer Nesuhi Ertegun (including several unreleased tracks), and listening to free jazz and “harmolodics” flower at the hands of these brilliant improvisers (among them pocket trumpeter Don Cherry and bassist Charlie Haden) is nothing short of thrilling. Back in print after several years of unavailability, the 6-CD BEAUTY IS A RARE THING may no longer be rare, but this essential jazz collection remains a thing of strange beauty.