Alongside Coleman's alto saxophone, the recording featured Don Cherry on cornet, Charlie Haden on double bass and Billy Higgins on drums.
In an interview with Jacques Derrida, Coleman spoke of the origin of the composition: Before becoming known as a musician, when I worked in a big department store, one day, during my lunch break, I came across a gallery where someone had painted a very rich white woman who had absolutely everything that you could desire in life, and she had the most solitary expression in the world.
I had never been confronted with such solitude, and when I got back home, I wrote a piece that I called "Lonely Woman.
[2][3] Later that year, in July, Lewis recorded it again for his album European Encounter.
[4] Vocal versions, with lyrics written by Margo Guryan, have been recorded by Chris Connor (1962), Freda Payne (1964, on After the Lights Go Down Low and Much More!!!)