It's time for a topic about CLIFFORD THORNTON. Post-Coltrane free jazz meets African folk music.

I first encountered his music in 2004 when the French division of Universal reissued some long out of print free jazz titles on the [Removed Illegal Link] label. The album was The Panther and the Lash and it remains one of the most singular records I've ever heard. It begins with the misleadingly sombre theme of 'Huey is Free', which then blurts into all out freedom for the next ten minutes. Throughout the album's hourlong runtime, there is much squealing squalling chaos, but it never once feels excessive to me. It feels like rightfully assigned and properly directed anger. That it ends with an absolutely gorgeous —indeed, arguably even joyful— performance of a Tunisian folk song is not only redemptive, it's very much appropriate.

Of his other albums as a leader, Freedom & Unity is probably his most well know and it owes as heavy of a debt to Coltrane as any other free music from 1967. It's probably his most well-known work, simply because of the relative lack of obscurity in comparison to the rest of his catalogue. On some days, I'd say that The Gardens of Harlem is probably his best overall work. It mostly does away with the screeching and chaos of previous performances in favor of a much more unified big band sound. Easily his most ambitious work, I'd also say it's simultaneously his most accessible. He did an album on the infamous BYG / Actuel label as well, with the somewhat free jazz by numbers (but no less great because of that) Ketchaoua. Communications Network features Jayne Cortez proto-rapping on its second side and is noteworthy for that, but it's an exceedingly rare album that I've never heard in full fidelity, so I will just say that I've enjoyed hearing it on YouTube. I hope it sees a wider reissue one day and I can properly assess it.

My googling skills are subpar, so all I know is that he mostly left performing music after the 70s, sought out work as a teacher, and exited in 1989 while living in Europe. Besides that, he played with most of the greats of the avant garde scene, from Anthony Braxton to Sun Ra. There is something present in his playing and his compositions at all times that sets him apart from the rest of the free jazzers — and I've never been able to figure out just what that was. I guess because he seemed to have a sense of soul to him that seemed to be less present in his peers. Like he was not afraid to play skronky and abrasive, but he always knew when he said all that he needed to in that context.

One of my absolute favorites of all time and a sorely overlooked figure, unfortunately.

ketchaoua is actually my favorite because it has the stunning track "pan african festival" on it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJSKU89oXxI

which is really not free jazz by numbers, though i agree most of the byg/actuel releases are free jazz by numbers, in that they have a distinct shared sound, and also big numbers prominently featured on the covers

I should have mentioned "Pan African Festival" by name, as it's easily the best thing on the album.

yes, agree. the rest of that album is, as you say, not as unique compared ot the rest of the byg /actuel canon

but that track! always remember the first time i heard it, listening to the retrospective "jazzactuel" comp that coley and moore (?) put together

one of the first times free jazz clicked for me

Wow, thanks for the reminder! Had forgotten about this guy. Yes, The Gardens of Harlem with JCOA, Jazz Composers Orchestra Association-->indie jazz milestones, gateways-- some details of this and their other releases:
http://mattendahl.com/jco/jco.html#thornton

Also! Good to know about another album feat. Jayne Cortez---I have Maintain Control, one of those on which, as wiki points out,Cortez delivered her poetry backed by an electro-funk modern jazz group called the Firespitters, built around a core of guitarist Bern Nix, bassist Al McDowell, and drummer Denardo Coleman. For years, the Firespitters and Ornette Coleman's Prime Time coexisted with Denardo as the axis and various players participated in both units...Maintain Control is especially memorable for Ornette Coleman's profoundly emotive saxophone on "No Simple Explanations," the unsettling "Deadly Radiation Blues," and the harshly gyrating "Economic Love Song," which is another of her tantrum-like repetition rituals, this time built around the words "Military spending, huge profits and death."
Also got the fine Everywhere Drums. and need to get Borders of Disorderly Time, which appeared in 2002, featured guest artists Bobby Bradford, Ron Carter, and James Blood Ulmer.

Charlie Haden said that. way back in the early days in LA, when she was married to Ornette and minding little Denardo, she also had this fabulous record collection, but would only lend something out if you promised to learn to play it.