The album presents a continuous free improvisation with only a few brief pre-determined sections, recorded in one take with no overdubbing or editing. It features what Coleman called a "double quartet," i.e., two self-contained jazz quartets: each with a reed instrument, trumpet, bass, and drums. The two quartets are heard in separate channels, with Coleman's working quartet at the time (as featured on
Ornette!) in the left channel, and the second quartet, including the former Coleman rhythm section of
Charlie Haden and
Ed Blackwell, on the right. The two quartets play simultaneously, with the two rhythm sections providing a dense rhythmic foundation over which the wind players either solo or provide freeform commentaries, interspersed with pre-composed passages. The composed thematic material can be considered a series of brief,
dissonant fanfares for the horns which serve as interludes between solos.
Free Jazz was the first album-length improvisation at thirty-seven minutes, unheard of at the time. The original LP package incorporated
Jackson Pollock's 1954 painting
The White Light. The cover was a gatefold with a cutout window in the lower right corner allowing a glimpse of the painting; opening the cover revealed the full artwork, along with liner notes by critic
Martin Williams. Coleman was a fan of Pollock's work and a painter himself; the cover of his 1966 album
The Empty Foxhole would feature his own artwork. ==Reception==