ABSTRACT
Where and why did free jazz originate? By examining the work of luminaries such as Ornette Coleman, Albert Ayler, Cecil Taylor and John Coltrane, we show how they each deconstructed structural principles to pursue more idiosyncratic trajectories in their music. We trace the development of free jazz in terms of both a creative process and a continuum of increasingly complex music. Without a well-worn structure to use as a guide, we propose that a key to listening to free jazz is to approach it both like an audience responding to fine art and like a consumer responding to a purchased product.
