A Free Jazz Icon

Ornette: Made in America chronicles the career of one of the innovators of free jazz, Ornette Coleman, a famous jazz saxophonist from Fort Worth, Texas. Coleman found success and acclaim in the 1960s for his unique approach to jazz, which was to strip down the rigid chord progressions and song structures from the bebop genre. However, his newfound style led some musicians to believe that Coleman was playing out of tune due to his loud, raw sound, which not many were used to at the time. The film follows his decade-spanning career with music videos, performance footage, reenactments, and interviews with the likes of Robert Palmer, William Burroughs, and Yoko Ono. Although it focuses mainly on his musical career, it overflows with American history as Coleman grew up in segregated Texas and subsequently became a cultural pioneer. Essential viewing for any lover of jazz or American culture of the ’60s and ’70s. It screens at 9:15 tonight and at 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday night at the Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque. Tickets are $9. (Manno)