Old and New Dreams
| Company type | Jazz ensemble |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1976 |
| Defunct | 1987 |
| Headquarters | United States |
Key people | Dewey Redman, Charlie Haden, Don Cherry, Ed Blackwell |
| Products | Jazz albums, live performances |
Old and New Dreams was a prominent American jazz ensemble active between 1976 and 1987, consisting of tenor saxophonist Dewey Redman (who also played musette), bassist Charlie Haden, trumpeter Don Cherry, and drummer Ed Blackwell.[1] Each musician had previously worked as a sideman for free jazz pioneer Ornette Coleman, performing a repertoire that combined Coleman's compositions with their own original pieces.[2]
The group's members shared deep connections with Coleman: Redman, who attended high school alongside Coleman in Fort Worth, Texas, contributed to multiple Coleman albums beginning in 1968. Blackwell first encountered Coleman in 1949 and became part of his band by 1959. Cherry formed his association with Coleman during the mid-1950s, participating in over a dozen recordings starting with Coleman's 1958 debut. Haden met Coleman following the 1958 session and collaborated extensively throughout the 1960s and 1970s.[3]
During the early 1970s, Redman and Haden were members of Keith Jarrett's ensemble, while Cherry and Blackwell frequently toured together. The four musicians also appeared jointly on Coleman's albums Science Fiction and Broken Shadows released in 1971. After Jarrett’s band dissolved and Coleman established an electric group in 1975, these four artists came together to record their inaugural album as Old and New Dreams in 1976.[4]
Haden explained that their musical philosophy centered on improvisation driven by melodies rather than traditional chord progressions, allowing them to create fresh harmonies during each performance. Redman supported this view, emphasizing intricate improvisations connected to the melodic framework.[3][5]
Over an eleven-year span, the group performed sporadically,[2] issuing two albums under the German label ECM Records: the eponymous Old and New Dreams (1979) and the live recording Playing (1980). Additionally, they released two records through the Italian label Black Saint/Soul Note: a studio self-titled album (1976) and A Tribute to Blackwell (1987), which was recorded during Blackwell’s birthday celebration. A 1986 concert featuring Paul Motian was later issued posthumously in 2017.[6] Cherry and Blackwell collaborated on Haden’s 1989 release The Montreal Tapes: with Don Cherry and Ed Blackwell, while the complete quartet reunited in 1991 at Alice Tully Hall alongside pianist Geri Allen.[7]
Blackwell passed away in 1992,[8] followed by Cherry in 1995,[9] Redman in 2006,[10] and Haden in 2014.[11]
In honor of Old and New Dreams, saxophonist Joshua Redman, son of Dewey Redman, recorded the album Still Dreaming in 2017.[12]
Reception
Critic Scott Yanow recognized Old and New Dreams as "one of the premier ensembles of the late 1980s," placing them alongside groups like The Mingus Dynasty, Sphere, and Dameronia that developed distinctive interpretations rooted in the works of influential composers. Stanley Crouch emphasized the band's unique ability to separate Ornette Coleman's innovations from other avant-garde jazz movements, highlighting their melodic sensibility and strong ties to jazz traditions dating back to bebop.
Robert Palmer described the ensemble's approach as widely diverse, functioning as a "mobile conservatory" that preserved the early free jazz style pioneered by Coleman. According to Francis Davis, Old and New Dreams effectively refuted the notion that Coleman's direct involvement was essential for an authentic rendition of his music, commending the group’s spirited and deliberate performances that underscored Coleman's compositional brilliance. The ensemble’s achievements confirmed that what was once considered controversial music by Coleman had secured a lasting place in jazz history.
Discography
Studio albums:
- Old and New Dreams (Black Saint, 1977)
- Old and New Dreams (ECM, 1979)
Live albums:
- Playing (ECM, 1980)
- A Tribute to Blackwell (Black Saint, 1987)
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
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<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedjazztimes - ↑ Senders, Warren (November 27, 2009). "The Old and New Dreams Band: A Lecture-Demonstration".
- ↑ Marx, Daniel. "Stumbling into The Archive".
- ↑ "Review/Jazz; Dewey Redman's Musical Reunion".
- ↑ "Ed Blackwell Dies".
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|url=(help) - ↑ "Don Cherry Is Dead".
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|url=(help) - ↑ "Dewey Redman Dies".
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|url=(help) - ↑ "Charlie Haden Dies".
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|url=(help) - ↑ "Joshua Redman: Still Dreaming".
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