With more acts still to be revealed, those already announced have raised eyebrows and set pulses racing. Despite Coleman being the festival's first jazz curator, in true Meltdown fashion the acts cover a broad spectrum of music and cannot be easily pigeonholed. There is plenty of jazz but also far more. We already knew that Coleman himself would play two concerts, reflections on his classic The Shape of Jazz to Come and This Is Our Music albums, On these concerts, he will be joined by The Master Musicians of Jajouka, with whom he recorded for his Dancing In Your Head album in the 70s.
Other musicians with whom Coleman has recorded feature prominently at the festival. Charlie Haden, who was the bassist in Coleman's quartet on his early albums, will appear with his big band Liberation Music Orchestra which features guests Carla Bley and Robert Wyatt. Another former Coleman bassist, Jamalaadeen Tacuma, who was in Coleman's group Prime Time, appears on the same bill as saxophonist David Murray and the Gwo-Ka Masters.
Maybe the biggest surprise so far is the announcement of an appearance by Yoko Ono and the Plastic Ono Band including Sean Lennon. This will be the first appearance of the Plastic Ono Band in the UK. Of course, Yoko Ono has also recorded with Coleman. He featured on “AOS" on Ono's debut album; the track was recorded live at the Royal Albert Hall in 1968. It is to be hoped that Coleman will join Ono onstage for an action replay.
One burning question remains to be answered: Will Ornette Coleman himself be joining the 800 saxophonists who will parade through the streets of the City on Sunday June 21st? That is the last day of his Meltdown.
Announced so far:
Saturday 13 June
The Roots with guest David Murray and more
Royal Festival Hall
Saturday 13 June
David Murray & The Gwo-Ka Masters
+ Jamaaladeen Tacuma
Queen Elizabeth Hall
Sunday 14 June
YOKO ONO PLASTIC ONO BAND
Featuring Sean Lennon, Cornelius and more
Royal Festival Hall
Monday 15 June
Baaba Maal
Royal Festival Hall
Monday 15 June
The Freewheeling Yo La Tengo
Queen Elizabeth Hall
Tuesday 16 June
Moby
Royal Festival Hall
Wednesday 17 June
Bobby McFerrin
Royal Festival Hall
Thursday 18 June
Patti Smith and The Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra
Royal Festival Hall
Friday 19 June
Ornette Coleman: Reflections of The Shape of Jazz to Come
+ Master Musicians of Jajouka
Royal Festival Hall
Saturday 20 June
Charlie Haden: Liberation Music Orchestra with guests Carla Bley and Robert Wyatt
+ The Bad Plus
Royal Festival Hall
Sunday 21 June
Ornette Coleman: Reflections of This is Our Music
+ Master Musicians of Jajouka
Royal Festival Hall
For more information contact All About Jazz.
