The Golden Number

The Golden Number is an album of four duets by bassist Charlie Haden recorded in 1976 and released on the Horizon label in 1977. Haden’s duet partners are trumpeter Don Cherry (also playing flute), tenor saxophonist Archie Shepp, pianist Hampton Hawes and alto saxophonist Ornette Coleman (here playing trumpet). Hawes died shortly before the album’s release, and Haden dedicated the work to him in the liner notes.

The Golden Number
Studio album by Charlie Haden
Released	1977
Recorded	June 7, August 21 and December 19 & 20, 1976
Genre	Jazz
Length	52:01
Label	Horizon
Producer	Ed Michel
Charlie Haden chronology
Closeness (1976) The Golden Number (1977) Soapsuds, Soapsuds (1977)

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[2]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz	[3]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide	[4]
Tom Hull – on the Web	B+[5]
The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz	[6]

The editors of AllMusic awarded the album 4 stars, and Scott Yanow's review states: "In general, the music is quite intriguing and has its share of variety."^[1]

Pianist and composer Ethan Iverson called the album "essential," and singled out "Turnaround" for praise, writing: "Hawes is with Haden every second, reacting to those outer-space notes with faultless choices and never with too much left hand. There's even something Ornette-ish about a few of Hawes's phrases, and the last 'heraldic' stuff is pure Don Cherry."^[7]

Track listing

All compositions by Charlie Haden except as indicated

1. "Out of Focus" - 7:27
2. "Shepp's Way" - 12:07
3. "Turnaround" (Ornette Coleman) - 7:52
4. "Golden Number" - 12:28

• Recorded at Kendun Recorders in Burbank, California, on June 7, 1976, (track 1), at Village Recorder in Los Angeles on August 21, 1976, (track 3) and at Generation Sound in New York City on December 19 (track 4) and December 20 (track 2), 1976.

Personnel

• Charlie Haden — double bass
• Don Cherry — pocket trumpet, flute (track 1)
• Archie Shepp — tenor saxophone (track 2)
• Hampton Hawes — piano (track 3)
• Ornette Coleman — trumpet (track 4)

References

1. Yanow, S. AllMusic review. Retrieved November 30, 2011.
2. Larkin, Colin, ed. (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Oxford University Press. p. 59.
3. Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2000). The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD. Penguin Books. p. 634.
4. Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 91. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
5. Hull, Tom. "Ornette Coleman". Tom Hull – on the Web. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
6. Larkin, Colin, ed. (2004). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz. Virgin Books. p. 368.
7. Iverson, Ethan (4 April 2016). "Hampton Hawes and the Low Blues". Do The Math. Retrieved February 14, 2023.