Lonely Woman (composition)


"Lonely Woman" is a jazz composition by Ornette Coleman. Coleman's recording of it was the opening track on his 1959 Atlantic Records album The Shape of Jazz to Come. Alongside Coleman's alto saxophone, the recording featured Don Cherry on cornet, Charlie Haden on double bass and Billy Higgins on drums.

Origin

In an interview with Jacques Derrida, Coleman spoke of the origin of the composition:

Other versions

Haden and Cherry revisited the song on Old and New Dreams, Haden doing so again on Etudes and In Angel City.
Pianist John Lewis first recorded the song in January 1962 with the Modern Jazz Quartet for their album of the same name which was one of the earliest recorded covers of a Coleman number. Later that year, in July, Lewis recorded it again for his album European Encounter.
Vocal versions, with lyrics written by Margo Guryan, have been recorded by Chris Connor, Freda Payne and Carola Standertskjöld.
YearPerformerAlbumSource
1962Modern Jazz QuartetLonely Woman
1965Denny Zeitlin with Charlie HadenShining Hour
1968Helen Merrill and Dick KatzA Shade of Difference
1969Marzette Watts with Patty WatersThe Marzette Watts Ensemble
1971Zurich International Festival All-StarsFrom Europe with Jazz
1974Lester Bowie with Julius HemphillFast Last!
1979Old and New Dreams with Charlie HadenOld and New Dreams
1982Masayuki TakayanagiLonely Woman
1983Pat MethenyRejoicingThe CD
1984Jaki ByardPhantasies
1987Charlie Haden with Paul Motian and Geri AllenEtudes
1987Kronos QuartetWhite Man Sleeps
1987Branford Marsalis with Kenny KirklandRandom Abstract
1988Charlie HadenIn Angel City
1989Charlie Haden
1990John Zorn with Bill FrisellNaked City
19928 Bold SoulsSideshow
1995The Denison/Kimball TrioSoul Machine
1997Andy SummersThe Last Dance of Mr. X
1998J. D. AllenIn Search Of
2002Greg MalcolmHomesick for Nowhere
2005Joshua RedmanMomentum
2007Basquiat StringsBasquiat Strings
2011Archie Shepp and Joachim KühnWoman
2011Brad Mehldau and Kevin HaysModern Music
2013Benoît Delbecq and Fred HerschFun House