Old And New Dreams

The ensemble Old and New Dreams emerged as a collective reincarnation of Ornette Coleman's earliest groups, uniting trumpeter Don Cherry, tenor saxophonist Dewey Redman, bassist Charlie Haden, and drummer Ed Blackwell in an effort to revisit the composer's initial body of work. All four participants had already established themselves as bandleaders pursuing independent ventures by the 1978 release of the first recording, ECM's Old and New Dreams, a circumstance that likely accounts for the sporadic schedule of their joint activity, which yielded three albums across a decade. Every document the ensemble produced maintained an equally elevated standard, with the pair of ECM releases distinguished by the imprint's signature sonic transparency. Cherry's and Blackwell's passing during the 1990s naturally precluded any additional meetings, yet the group's modest but exceptional legacy stands as a vital counterpart to the performances its members contributed to Coleman's own projects from the late 1950s into the early 1960s.