Although he has been one of the great soloists and small group bandleaders in the history of jazz, Coleman has always had grand ambitions as a composer. This fine two-disc set makes that clear in no uncertain terms, underlining the boldness of his forays into symphonic music and his ability to dazzle the ear by way of the sheer newness of the sounds that he can draw from such rich instruments as bassoons, oboes and French horns. The fact of the matter is that Coleman has managed to stamp his personality thoroughly on the scores, so that the mercurial shifts in tempo and sheer will-o-the-wisp nature of the melody and harmony clearly point to the hyperactive mind of the man who hailed the Change Of The Century. That said, moments of magic occur when Coleman emerges from the dense matrix of sound to play unaccompanied – on trumpet on The Music Of Ornette Coleman and on alto sax on Skies Of America. These passages are compelling for their contrast and continuity, as if the soloist had effectively internalised some of the information of the orchestra but also enhanced it with a greater shot of the blues, which is perfectly demonstrated on the deep black humour of ‘The Men Who Live In The White House.’ With a score running to 167 pages, Skies is one of Coleman's most advanced projects and although its enormous timbral ingenuity aligns it convincingly with modernist composers such as Charles Ives, it has a sense of unremitting lament, if not desperation at times, which stems largely from Coleman's unique vocal sensibilities. Somebody should make a movie that builds on the provocative cover art – blood-soaked doves tearing away at the star spangled banner. Here's the soundtrack.