The Shape of Jazz to Come

The Shape of Jazz to Come is the third studio album by American jazz musician Ornette Coleman. Released on Atlantic Records in November 1959, it was his debut on the label and his first album featuring the quartet of himself, trumpeter Don Cherry, bassist Charlie Haden, and drummer Billy Higgins. The recording session for the album took place on May 22, 1959, at Radio Recorders in Hollywood. Although Coleman initially wished for the album to be titled Focus on Sanity after its fourth track, producer Nesuhi Ertegun suggested the final title, feeling that it would give consumers "an idea about the uniqueness of the LP."

In 2012, the Library of Congress added The Shape of Jazz to Come to the National Recording Registry. The album was included in all three editions of the Rolling Stone list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. AllMusic called it one of the 20 essential free jazz albums. The album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2015.