Prime Time – The Free Funk Super Group
Prime Time began when Ornette took 4 young guys with him on a European tour in 1975 and got stranded there for 6 months when promoters or concerts fell through. Those 6 months in Paris resulted in the seminal album Dancing In Your Head. A sonic breakthrough. There has been nothing that funky and freely improvised before or since. Prime Time, DIY kinetic energy. featured two electric guitarists, two drummers, and sometimes two electric bassists. Bending rock instrumentation into a compositional and philosophical worldview dubbed “Harmolodics”. Black Rock M-Base Grateful Dead, Punk New Wave…. Coleman’s sound touching many movements.
Albums: Dancing In Your Head Body Meta Of Human Feelings Opening The Caravan Of Dreams In All Languages Virgin Beauty Tone Dialing
All Members: Charlee Ellerbee Bern Nix Jamaaladeen Tacuma Ronald Shannon Jackson Kamal Sabir Calvin Weston Al Macdowell Chris Walker Badal Roy Brad Jones Dave Bryant Chris Rosenberg Kenny Wessel.
Recent guests: Odean Pope, Kidd Jordan, Marc Ribot, Joshua Redman, David Murray, Wallace Roney, Vernon Reid.
Ornette Coleman & Prime Time Milano Palalido Italian TV
On March 4, 1980 Ornette & Prime Time performed in Italy at the sports stadium Milano Palalido. It was broadcast on Italian TV. Five days later Ornette and the band celebrated his 50th birthday with a concert in Cantania, Scilly.
Ornette Coleman sax, Bern Nix guitar, Charlie Ellerbe guitar, Jamaaladeen Tacuma bass, Al Macdowell bass, Calvin Weston drums, Denardo Coleman drums.
ORNETTE ON SNL? HOW?
Ornette & Prime Time
‘Times Square”
April 14, 1979 Ornette Coleman and Prime Time performed on Saturday Night Live. It was the shows 4th season. Howard Shore the shows musical director tells the back story of how it happened. Milton Berle “Mr Television” was the host that night. Lorne Michael the shows producer was so appalled by Berle’s off putting humor that he was banned from appearing on the show again. The episode was not rebroadcast for many years.
PRIME TIME REUNION SAN FRANCISCO 2017
Prime Time Reunion San Francisco 2017 “Times Square” performed at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival. Ornette Coleman’s band comes back together after more than 20 years. Charlee Ellerbe, guitar Al Macdowell, bass Jamaaladeen Tacuma, bass Badal Roy, tablas Denardo Coleman, drums Special Guests: Wallace Roney, trumpet David Murray, sax Marc Ribot, guitar
Dancing In Your Head Theme from A Symphony Var 1
Dancing In Your Head Theme from A Symphony Var 2