Biography
Ornette Coleman (born Randolph Denard Ornette Coleman) was an American composer, saxophonist, violinist and trumpeter. Born in Fort Worth, Texas, on 9 March 1930, he died in New York on 11 June 2015. He was a leading figure in the development of free jazz from the late 1950s and developed the harmolodic approach to composition and improvisation.
Coleman composed and performed on the soundtrack for David Cronenberg’s film Naked Lunch (1991), working with Howard Shore and the London Philharmonic Orchestra. He also contributed music to the film Detective (1985). His other film work includes scores or performances for Who’s Crazy? (1965) and Boxoffice (1982). He received a MacArthur Fellowship in 1994.
