He initially expressed rather mixed feelings for Coleman's innovative music: "...if the free-form guys could play the same tune twice, then I would say they were playing something...Most of the time they use their fingers on the saxophone and they don't even know what's going to come out.
[http://home.austarnet.com.au/petersykes/jazz100/top100.htmlاز اواسط دهه ۵۰ او اکثراً به عنوان رهبر گروه‌هایی با حدود ۸-۱۰ نفر به ضبط می‌پرداخت و از نوازندگانی متغیر در گروهش استفاده می‌کرد که در میان آنها می‌توان از اریک دلفی و رنالد کیرک و بوکر اروین نامبرد.