At The "Golden Circle" Stockholm (Volume One) - The Ornette Coleman Trio (1966) (1LP Vinyl, Japan) - Very Good Plus (VG+)

Condition: Used

Media Condition: Very Good Plus (VG+)

Sleeve Condition: Near Mint (NM)

Condition Notes:

At The "Golden Circle" Stockholm (Volume One) by The Ornette Coleman Trio.

Recorded live at Stockholm's storied Golden Circle club, this first volume captures The Ornette Coleman Trio at a moment when the alto saxophonist was reshaping the vocabulary of jazz on his own terms. With only bass and drums beneath him, Coleman had the space to stretch, question, and reinvent, and these four performances document a working group operating without a net.

Side one opens with "Faces And Places," a Coleman original that sets the tone for the entire date, followed by "European Echoes," a piece whose title nods to the setting yet whose language remains unmistakably Coleman's own. Flip to side two for "Dee Dee" and "Dawn," two more compositions from the leader's pen that show the trio's range, from restless propulsion to something more contemplative.

The chemistry here rests on the interplay between three players who truly listened to one another. David Izenzon's bass is far more than a timekeeper; it sings, bows, and converses. Charles Moffett's drumming pushes and responds with a conversational looseness that gives Coleman the freedom to roam. Every phrase Coleman plays, all of them his own compositions, feels drawn out of the moment rather than dictated to it.

Behind the scenes, this is a Blue Note production of real pedigree. Francis Wolff produced the session and contributed the cover photograph, while Reid Miles handled the cover design, the same combination responsible for the label's most enduring visual identity. Rune Andréasson recorded the performances in Stockholm, and Rudy Van Gelder cut the lacquer, lending the pressing the sonic signature that collectors prize. Liner notes come courtesy of Ludvig Rasmusson.

What makes this particular copy especially notable is its journey across the world. It is a 60s USA pressing that was fitted with a Japanese obi stripe and a Japanese liner note for release into the Japanese market, a crossover artifact that speaks to how quickly Coleman's music found devoted listeners abroad.

For anyone drawn to the pivotal era when free jazz was being written in real time, this record offers an intimate seat at the Golden Circle. It is a document of a great composer working with two sympathetic partners, presented with the care and craft that defined its makers, and carrying the added charm of its transpacific pressing history.

Pressing Details:
Track Listing:
A1. Faces And Places
A2. European Echoes
B1. Dee Dee
B2. Dawn

Credits:
Ornette Coleman - Alto Saxophone, Composed By
David Izenzon - Bass
Reid Miles - Design [Cover]
Charles Moffett - Drums
Rudy Van Gelder - Lacquer Cut By
Ludvig Rasmusson - Liner Notes
Francis Wolff - Photography By [Cover Photo]
Francis Wolff - Producer
Rune Andréasson (2) - Recorded By [Recording By]

Notes:
60s USA pressing with additional Japanese obi stripe and Japanese liner note for Japanese market.

Artist: The Ornette Coleman Trio

Format: 1LP

Genre: Jazz

Label: Blue Note

Catalog Number: BLP-4224

Release Year: 1966

Country: Japan