Denardo Coleman, the son and guardian of Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Ornette Coleman has filed a federal lawsuit against Jordan McLean of Antibalas and Amir Ziv. The lawsuit alleges that McLean and Ziv recorded Coleman at his home in 2009 and then recently released these recordings to the public without his consent or knowledge as the album New Vocabulary.

Coleman was introduced to the band Antibalas and trumpeter McLean through their association with the Broadway musical Fela, which Coleman attended.

The complaint asserts that, following the introduction, McLean asked Coleman if he would talk to him about music and Coleman graciously invited him over to his house to share his knowledge. McLean brought his partner, drummer Ziv, whom he introduced as a teacher at the New School. Years after making the recordings of Coleman’s teaching sessions, McLean asked if he could release them. Coleman’s son contends that he denied the request both directly and through his attorney and asked that the material be turned over to him. McLean instead released the recordings, leading Coleman to seek legal recourse.