Born to
Jayne Cortez and
Ornette Coleman in
Los Angeles, California, in 1956, Denardo Coleman began playing drums when he was six years old. At the age of 10, he joined his father's band, making his first appearance on record on the 1966 Ornette Coleman album
The Empty Foxhole, with
Charlie Haden on bass. Haden said of Denardo's playing on that recording: "He's going to startle every drummer who hears him." Denardo went on to feature on his father's later releases, including
Ornette at 12 (1968) and
Crisis (1969), Coleman has also done extensive work as a producer, In 2017, on a new label called Song X Records (referencing
the title of one of his father's favorite compositions), he produced
Celebrate Ornette, a tribute to his father, in a box set with 24 performances captured on two DVDs, three CDs, and four vinyl LPs. ==Discography==