Opening the Caravan of Dreams

Opening the Caravan of Dreams is a 1985 live album by jazz saxophonist Ornette Coleman and his Prime Time ensemble. It was recorded at a concert inaugurating the Caravan of Dreams, a then-newly opened performing arts center in Coleman's hometown of Fort Worth, Texas.[2]

Opening the Caravan of Dreams
Live album by
Released1985
Recorded1985
VenueCaravan of Dreams in Fort Worth
GenreJazz, harmolodic funk[1]
Length36:21
LabelCaravan Of Dreams Productions
Ornette Coleman chronology
Of Human Feelings
(1982)
Opening the Caravan of Dreams
(1985)
Prime Design/Time Design
(1985)

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [3]
The Village VoiceA−[4]

In a contemporary review for The Village Voice, Robert Christgau said Opening the Caravan of Dreams "lacks the studio-engendered beginning-middle-end that focuses Of Human Feelings and for that matter Metheny/Coleman's Song X. When it threatens to break altogether 'free,' its risks seem more like entropy than thrills and chills. But it's a live album showcasing one of the great improvisers, as well as musicians who never sound more authoritative than when following his orders."[4] Robert Palmer wrote in The New York Times, "The event lent the music a certain raw edge and a bluesy vitality. But it also attains an impressive clarity; in many ways, it's a more openly accessible piece of work than the thick, thundering group improvisations heard on the Coleman-Pat Metheny Song X album."[2] Scott Yanow later wrote in a review published by AllMusic, "this was the leading 'free funk' band of the 1980s, and this LP, which is worth a search by open-eared listeners, gives one a definitive look into the group's unusual music".[3]

Track listing

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Side one

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  1. "To Know What To Know" – 8:03
  2. "Harmolodic-Bebop" – 6:17
  3. "Sex Spy" – 5:43

Side two

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  1. "City Living" – 6:15
  2. "Seethru" – 4:35
  3. "Compute" – 9:01

Personnel

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Ornette Coleman and Prime Time at the Caravan of Dreams in 1985
  • Denardo Coleman – Drums
  • Ornette Coleman – Alto Saxophone, Trumpet, Violin
  • Charlie Ellerbie – Guitar
  • Sabir Kamal – Drums
  • Albert MacDowell – Bass
  • Bern Nix – Guitar
  • Jamaaladeen Tacuma – Bass

References

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  1. ^ Anon. (November 15, 1986). "Reviews". Billboard. p. 88. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  2. ^ a b Palmer, Robert (July 16, 1986). "The Pop Life; Ornette Coleman's Music Develops in Prime Time". The New York Times. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  3. ^ a b Yanow, Scott. Ornette Coleman & Prime Time – Opening the Caravan of Dreams > Review at AllMusic. Retrieved December 5, 2014.
  4. ^ a b Christgau, Robert (February 3, 1987). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
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