b. March 19, 1930 (Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.A. -
American jazz saxophonist and composer.
Ornette Coleman's legacy is important in his role in freeing the musical language of jazz. He is a pioneer of the free jazz movement.
He won the 2007 Pulitzer Prize in Music. The prize is for a distinguished musical composition by an American composer that has had its first performance or recording in the United States during the previous year. This is the first time in the history of the Pulitzer Prize in Music was awarded for a recording.