'Free Jazz: A Collective Improvisation’ is an influential album by the American jazz saxophonist and composer Ornette Coleman. Released in 1961, the album had a profound impact on the development of avant-garde jazz and has influenced countless musicians in various genres. The album is renowned for its innovative approach to group improvisation, where multiple musicians play freely and interactively without predetermined harmonic progressions or fixed time signatures. The recording uses stereo panning to separate the two quartets into the left and right channels, creating a spatial effect that enhances the listening experience.

The album originally consists of a single continuous piece, split into two parts for the original LP release. This performance lasts almost 40 minutes. This CD release contains a CD only bonus track: ‘First Take’ of approx. 17 minutes. This track is an alternate take of the main piece ‘Free Jazz’, recorded during the same session. It provides listeners with insight into the creative process and the evolution of the final performance featured on the original album.