1930 - 2015
Ornette Coleman was an American jazz saxophonist and composer, born on March 9, 1930, in Fort Worth, Texas. He was a pioneer of free jazz, known for his innovative approach to harmony and form that challenged traditional jazz conventions. Coleman's influential works, including albums like "The Shape of Jazz to Come," significantly shaped the direction of modern jazz and earned him multiple Grammy Awards and the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1994.