This is an excellent overview of the Avant Garde jazz movement, covering key figures in the late 50s and 60s (Coleman, Coltrane, Ayler) to the next generation of the 70s and the pollination of Europe. I'd have liked to have seen Britain better represented (no mention of Keith Tippett or his cohorts), but that could be a film unto itself.
The talking heads involved are tolerable, knowledgeable, and many were in the thick of things when this music was birthed. (Thankfully, Wynton Marsalis is nowhere to be seen or heard.) Incisive observations from Carla Bley and Ornette Coleman regarding the hardships the musicians endured, as well as why they chose this difficult path, but expressed in non-academic terms.
The performance excerpts are well chosen (especially the Albert Ayler piece) and should whet listeners' appetites for more. Presently available to view via the Criterion Channel.
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