Town Hall, 1962


Town Hall, 1962 is an album by Ornette Coleman released on the ESP-Disk label. It was the first recording featuring at its heart his new trio after the ensemble of his Atlantic years. The album provides partial documentation of a concert featuring several ensembles which had been organised and promoted by Coleman himself, in his search for artistic and financial independence. Even though the concert would be followed by two years of absence from public performance and recording, it is indicative of the direction which Coleman's music would take on his return in 1965, with the core trio and the introduction of string instrument textures.

Reception

Written four decades after release, the Allmusic review by Scott Yanow awarded the album 2½ stars and stated "Although Ornette's string writing is pretty well outside of jazz, his playing on the other tracks holds one's interest throughout".

Track listing

All tracks written by Ornette Coleman.

Side A

  1. "Doughnut"
  2. "Sadness"
  3. "Dedication to Poets and Writers"

    Side B

  4. "The Ark"

    Personnel