The Shape of Jazz to Come

Recording history and tape provenance

The Shape of Jazz to Come was recorded entirely on May 22, 1959 at Radio Recorders, 7000 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood, California. Engineer Bones Howe captured the session; producer Nesuhi Ertegun supervised. Personnel: Ornette Coleman (alto saxophone on a white plastic Grafton alto – which contributed to the distinctive edge of his tone), Don Cherry (cornet), Charlie Haden (bass), Billy Higgins (drums).

The album was Coleman's debut on Atlantic, arranged through pianist John Lewis of the Modern Jazz Quartet, who had heard Coleman in Los Angeles and facilitated both a deal with Atlantic and Coleman's attendance at the 1959 Lenox School of Jazz. The album was released in November 1959, timed to coincide with Coleman's quartet beginning a landmark residency at the Five Spot Café in Manhattan – an engagement that immediately polarised the New York jazz establishment and generated intense controversy.

The recording has no piano or guitar – the "chordal instrument" that normally anchors the harmonic framework. Each piece uses a brief melodic theme (the "head"), followed by improvisation that abandons chord structure but retains melodic and rhythmic coherence, then a return to the theme. This was new: it was not the absence of structure but a different kind of structure, one Coleman called "harmolodics." The result was simultaneously more avant-garde than hard bop and more accessible than the fully free improvisation that would follow later in the decade.

The cover photograph is by William Claxton – a close-up of Coleman holding his white Grafton saxophone at the Radio Recorders session. Claxton, a Los Angeles-based photographer best known for his Chet Baker portraits, was hired by Ertegun specifically for the session. This is sometimes confused with Lee Friedlander, who photographed Coleman's next Atlantic album, Change of the Century (1960). Claxton's cover is distinctive; reissues have handled its reproduction with varying degrees of fidelity.

Original US Atlantic pressings (1959)

Released in both mono and stereo simultaneously:

• Mono: Atlantic 1317
• Stereo: Atlantic SD 1317 (the "SD" prefix denoting Atlantic stereo)

The Atlantic bullseye label

The 1317/SD 1317 catalogue number sits in the zone where Atlantic was using its distinctive bullseye (sometimes called "pinwheel") label design – green, blue, and black concentric rings around the spindle hole. LJC's Atlantic first pressing guide documents that the bullseye was used selectively for certain titles in this range, not as a universal replacement for the black label.

First pressing stereo (SD 1317) label characteristics: - Green, blue and black bullseye design - "ATLANTIC" in block letters - Address footer on sleeve rear: "Atlantic Recording Corporation, 157 West 57 Street, New York 19, New York" - The front cover carries the original catalogue number 1317; the labels carry SD 1317 - Matrix (hand-etched in deadwax): AVCO ST-A-59176 (Side A) and AVCO ST-A-59175 (Side B) - No barcode

Known error on first pressings: Discogs documents that some copies have a label swap – the Side A label appears on Side B and vice versa. This is documented as a first-pressing artefact. The Speakers Corner 2021 reissue independently replicated this same error on its entire first pressing run.

First pressing mono (1317): Black label with the same 157 West 57 Street address. The mono is less sought-after than the stereo given the album's musical case for stereo imaging, but commands collector interest in its own right and presents the quartet as a more unified ensemble.

The stereo vs. mono question for this album

Unlike most jazz of this era where the stereo is an afterthought and mono was the primary format, The Shape of Jazz to Come has a genuine stereo case that derives from the music itself. The extreme left-right panning of Coleman and Cherry on "Lonely Woman" – horns blaring in from opposite extremes after the bass-and-drums intro – is one of the most kinetic sonic moments in jazz. In stereo it is physical, almost shocking. In mono, it becomes a more blended ensemble statement.

The counterargument – well made by multiple Discogs reviewers – is that the panning is artificially wide even for stereo, creating an imbalanced ensemble impression on some systems, and that the mono unifies the quartet into a more cohesive musical whole. The VMP Classics mono is the best current argument for the mono presentation.

Later Atlantic label variants (1960s–70s)

Plum/orange white fan label (from ~1962): The bullseye was replaced by the plum/orange label with a white fan design. Copies of 1317/SD 1317 in this format are second pressings but still excellent sounding and sonically very close to originals. One collector who owns a 1966 US reissue alongside the Speakers Corner finds the 1966 Atlantic superior in "sharp attack" – a minority view, but the 1960s reprints are genuinely good and trade for considerably less than the bullseye originals in clean condition.

Green/red Warner-era labels (1970s): Later pressings on thin vinyl with degraded masters. Fred Kaplan (Stereophile) called these the "dreadful 1970s Atlantic pressings" when noting that ORG reproduced those labels on their reissue rather than the bullseye original. Sonically inferior; avoid.

Market values

NM stereo SD 1317 bullseye label first press commands the highest prices; NM mono 1317 bullseye sits a step below; NM plum/orange 1960s repress is considerably more affordable than either bullseye original. Condition is decisive – the quiet bass-and-drums opening of "Lonely Woman" makes any surface noise immediately apparent.

The reissue hierarchy

Rhino 180g 33rpm (c.2008) – a sleeper

A 180g reissue on the Rhino/Atlantic catalogue. Fred Kaplan (Stereophile) praised it before the ORG existed, writing that it "sounds in every way better than the original pressing, which itself sounds quite good." He later revised upward to the ORG. One collector who owns both a 1966 Atlantic and the Speakers Corner considers the 1966 Atlantic superior to the Kevin Gray cut, though this is a minority view.

ORG Music ORGM-1099 45rpm 2LP (2013) – the stereo audiophile benchmark

Cat. ORGM-1099 | Format: 2×180g 45rpm, gatefold. Mastered by Bernie Grundman, AAA, from the original master tapes. Pressed at Pallas (Germany). The first serious audiophile treatment of this title.

Fred Kaplan (Stereophile): "Double all that, plus some, for the ORG 45. You hear more of the music's rhythmic subtlety, the slightest shift in dynamics: the finger-flexing on the neck of Charlie Haden's bass, the full polyrhythms (and more of the kick drum) on Billy Higgins' trapset, the sputtering of Don Cherry's pocket-trumpet mouthpiece, and the sharp beauty of Ornette's white alto sax."

Multiple Discogs owners with the ORG: "Sound is stellar, it is truly outstanding. Way beyond all expectations." One reviewer who has the ORG, the Speakers Corner, and the VMP: "I prefer the VMP slightly more... between Ryan's cut and the mono presentation that's the copy I need in my rotation over this Kevin Gray cut."

Pressing quality caveat: The ORG has a documented pressing quality problem. Multiple Discogs owners report non-fill (unfilled groove) defects specifically on Side 3, some severe enough to cause unlistenable constant surface noise. One owner had to exchange copies; the second had the same defect in a different channel. A second owner reports his copy is "quite fine, some smaller issues here and there but overall great, except side 3 which is – to my rather sensible ears – unlistenable." Pallas pressing inconsistency is the culprit. Inspect carefully before purchase or buy from a dealer who will accept returns. Cover reproduction is also poor relative to the original. Out of print, now a secondary-market purchase only.

Speakers Corner SD 1317 180g 33rpm (2021) – Kevin Gray stereo

Cat. Atlantic SD 1317 / Speakers Corner | Format: single 180g LP at 33⅓. Mastered by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio (KPG), AAA, from the original analog master tapes. Pressed at Pallas (Germany).

Known issues with this pressing: The entire first pressing run has swapped labels – Side A label on Side B and vice versa – documented by multiple owners and confirmed by the Speakers Corner catalogue. Beyond the label swap, a meaningful minority of buyers report quality control problems: some copies were badly dished (warped), and at least one copy had an audio error where the horns enter early on "Lonely Woman." Discogs: "I'm confused because i've seen nothing but failures in this pressing. The first 3 I had were badly dished. The 4th one had an audio error where the horns come in early on Lonely Woman." Other owners report no issues whatsoever and praise it highly: "None distortion, Extremely well balanced, dynamic and clear, Very quiet and perfectly silent." As with the ORG, Pallas pressing consistency is variable.

Sound: Those who receive a good copy are enthusiastic. "Kevin Gray, AAA and Pallas a winning combination." "Perfect record, mix, master and pressing. One of the best sounding records in my collection." One dissenting view from a collector who prefers a 1966 Atlantic: "terrific but a little too robust, lacking the sharp attack of a copy closer in time to the original tape." This reflects system-dependent responses to Kevin Gray's characteristic warmth.

Widely available. Despite the QC concerns, it remains an excellent choice if you receive a good copy.

VMP Classics VMP-C058 mono 180g (2022) – the current consensus best

Cat. VMP-C058 | Format: single 180g LP at 33⅓, tip-on sleeve. Mastered by Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound, AAA, from the original mono master tapes. Pressed at RTI. Released as the VMP Classics Record of the Month for October 2022. Includes a listening notes booklet by Marcus J. Moore and a VMP obi strip.

Matrix: VMP-C058-A / VMP-C058-B, runout confirms "RKS STERLING."

This pressing is mono – a deliberate curatorial choice by VMP that has generated strong community consensus. Discogs reviewers: "Insanely good mono repressing." "When it comes to jazz records pre-65, mono is almost always the way to go. Stereo cuts usually have one channel with drums and one channel with all the melodic instruments and the balance is always off. This mono record sounds superb! Punchy, dynamic and airy." [Note: this reviewer's general characterisation of 1960s stereo panning does not accurately describe this album's stereo field, which splits the two horns – Coleman left, Cherry right – rather than drums versus melodics. The case for mono here rests on ensemble coherence, not the drum/melody imbalance the reviewer describes.] "What a brilliant pressing! This is how a record should sound... I've ordered two other VMP AAA records on the back of this." One owner who has both the Speakers Corner stereo and the VMP mono: "it just wasn't getting any time on my deck when the VMP was sitting right next to it."

The case for the VMP is not purely sonic – it is also curatorial. The mono was the primary format in 1959, and Ryan K. Smith's mastering from the original mono tapes gives the quartet a coherent ensemble presence that the stereo's hard panning sacrifices. Out of print as a VMP subscription exclusive; secondary-market purchase only.

Not everyone reaches the same conclusion, though. One direct A/B against the Rhino 180g stereo – from a reviewer who expected the mono to win, based on prior experience with mono generally outperforming stereo reissues of this era – found the opposite here: the Rhino's bass felt more fleshed-out and the overall presentation "more liquid," while the VMP mono struck this listener as comparatively "sterile" and edgy in the highs. The same reviewer also didn't find this particular stereo mix as extremely or awkwardly panned as some 1959-era jazz stereo mixes can be. Worth remembering that the mono-vs-stereo case here, while strongly argued by many, isn't unanimous – as with most format debates on this title, it's worth hearing both if you can.

Japanese pressings

Two distinct periods and manufacturers are worth distinguishing:

Victor ATL-5038 mono (c.1960) – earliest Japanese issue

Pressed by Victor Record Company Ltd., Japan under licence from Atlantic via Cosdel Inc., this is the earliest Japanese release, in mono (cat. ATL-5038). It carries "Full dynamics frequency spectrum" on the label and comes with an insert with Japanese liner notes. As a very early licence pressed from tape rather than metal parts, sound quality varies but these are collector curiosities, typically found with insert.

Warner Bros.-Pioneer P-6004A stereo (1971) – first stereo Japanese issue

Pressed by Warner Bros.-Pioneer Corporation (WBP had acquired Atlantic's Japanese distribution) under the "Jazz Age" series. Cat. P-6004A alongside legacy SD 1317 numbering. Label notes: "Made by Warner Bros.-Pioneer Corporation, Japan under license from Atlantic Recording Corp. U.S.A." Comes with insert. Matrix: P-6004A1 / P-6004A2 with Japanese pressing suffixes.

Warner-Pioneer P-7510A stereo (1976) – "Jazz-Forever Excellent" series

Cat. P-7510A | Released November 25, 1976 by Warner-Pioneer Corporation. Part of the "Jazz-Forever Excellent" series (also listed in the "Pick Up Your Music" series). Format: stereo LP, gatefold-adjacent presentation, with obi strip and a 4-page insert containing Japanese liner notes and Coleman's discography. Label design: Atlantic green/white/blue bullseye – reproducing the original label aesthetic.

Matrix: P-7510A1 ST-A-59175 H (Side A) and P-7510A2 ST-A-59176 H (Side B). The "H" suffix indicates the Japanese pressing plant's metalwork generation. The ST-A-59175/59176 base matrix numbers match the original 1959 AVCO lacquer codes, though whether this reflects physical metal parts transported from the US or Japanese-cut lacquers derived from the original matrix numbering is not definitively documented. Warner-Pioneer Japan typically worked from dubbed analog tape copies rather than original metalwork; the matrix codes may reflect the source tape identification rather than the physical stamper lineage.

This is the Japanese pressing most frequently cited in collector discussions. Discogs reviewers compare it directly with the Speakers Corner: "This pressing sounds great to me – nice balance between bass, mids and highs, and excellent separation. Love the sound of Ornette's sax on this pressing, and Haden's basslines also really pop here. Compared to my Speaker Corners version, this Japanese one sounds more alive, 'hot', and engaged. Dead silent vinyl."

The P-7510A is the Japanese pressing to seek for this title. Typically found with obi.

Pressings to avoid

EU grey-market editions (DOL, Waxtime): The Shape of Jazz to Come is widely bootlegged in the EU budget market. The Atlantic catalogue is licensed through Rhino/Warner; any pressing without mastering credits and "Under license from Warner Music Group" language is suspect. One notable exception: some Waxtime copies have surprisingly good pressing quality per Discogs reviewers, though their tape provenance remains unverifiable and their status as licensed releases is doubtful.

1970s Warner/Atlantic green-red label pressings: Thin vinyl, inferior mastering from this era. Kaplan called these "dreadful."

Buyer's guide by budget

$$ (Affordable): The Speakers Corner 180g is the obvious recommendation – Kevin Gray, AAA, Pallas, stereo, widely available. Buy from a dealer who accepts returns given the documented QC inconsistency. If you prefer mono, hunt for the VMP Classics on the secondary market.

$$$ (Mid-range): The VMP Classics mono secondhand, or the P-7510A Japanese pressing with obi for a highly regarded stereo option.

$$$ (Mid-range): The ORG Music 45rpm 2LP is the stereo audiophile statement. Inspect for non-fill defects on Side 3 before committing, or buy from a dealer who has inspected the copy.

$$$$ (Premium): A clean 1960s plum/orange Atlantic repress gives you the original tape transfer with period character. A clean NM original bullseye stereo SD 1317 sits at the top of this range.

Practical recommendation: buy the Speakers Corner for stereo (inspect/return-friendly purchase) or the VMP Classics mono secondhand. Both are AAA cuts from the original tapes, both on high-quality pressing plants. The ORG is the choice for committed stereo audiophiles willing to navigate its pressing variability.

Pressing tier summary

References

• Discogs (master): https://www.discogs.com/master/47813-Ornette-Coleman-The-Shape-Of-Jazz-To-Come
• Wikipedia, "The Shape of Jazz to Come": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shape_of_Jazz_to_Come
• LondonJazzCollector, "Atlantic First Pressing Guide Part 1 – Label Transitions": https://londonjazzcollector.wordpress.com/record-labels-guide/5-atlantic/atlantic-first-pressing-guide-label-transitions/
• Stereophile, Fred Kaplan, "The Shape of Jazz to Come 45rpm": https://www.stereophile.com/content/ithe-shape-jazz-comei-45rpm
• Discogs release and community listings for all pressings referenced in the tier table above (original bullseye SD 1317/1317, Speakers Corner, ORG Music ORGM-1099, VMP Classics VMP-C058, Rhino 180g, Japanese Victor ATL-5038, Warner-Pioneer P-6004A and P-7510A, 1960s plum/orange repress)
• YouTube, 6AM, "Ornette Coleman Shape Of Jazz To Come RHINO vs VMP review": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9et5klxOnm8

Related guides: Giant Steps · Blues & Roots · My Favorite Things