In Nov. 1987, a three-concert
Ed Blackwell Festival was held in Atlanta. The festival served as a good excuse to reunite the members of
Old And New Dreams (trumpeter
Don Cherry, tenor-saxophonist
Dewey Redman, bassist
Charlie Haden and drummer
Blackwell), a quartet comprised of Ornette Coleman alumni. The unit interprets three rarely-performed
Ornette Coleman compositions and a tune apiece by
Blackwell and
Redman. All of the musicians are in top form on this no-changes music, creating fresh and intuitive melodies with both freedom and hints of the tradition. ~ Scott Yanow