Recorded 1976, 1979, 1980. Music of central importance, but I haven’t listened carefully in decades

We can make too much of "great leaders" in classic small-group jazz. Just recently, the some of the press coverage at the time of McCoy Tyner's passing suggested that without John Coltrane, there wouldn't be Tyner.

That's true, but it's equally true that without Tyner, there wouldn't be Coltrane.

Ornette Coleman finished his first great run with the original genius collaborators in 1971 and 1972. Fortunately we have the marvelous studio document SCIENCE FICTION, as well as many wonderful bootlegs/official recs with Coleman, Dewey Redman, Charlie Haden, and Ed Blackwell

Ornette then turned to rock music and fusion as source, creating DANCING IN YOUR HEAD and Prime Time

Dewey and Charlie had been working with Keith Jarrett, deepening their relationship, that group drew to a close around 1976 as well.

During this time Don Cherry had doubled down on the idea of "world music."

Old and New Dreams, with no leader, simply honors band chemistry. It allows in stuff they couldn't have played with Ornette, but keeps a basic "Ornettey" feel to the music. For me -- and this is controversial -- I prefer Old and New Dreams to most Ornette after SCIENCE FICTION.

This band was insulting to Ornette, who dubbed it "Old and New Nightmare." But nothing proves how wrong the "great leader" concept can be more than Old and New Dreams. There are four "official" records, but any of the many bootlegs also are pure magic. Pure chemistry.