Charlie Haden – Bass

Charles Edward Haden (August 6, 1937 – July 11, 2014) was an American bass player, bandleader, composer and educator whose career spanned more than fifty years. Haden helped to revolutionize the harmonic concept of bass playing in jazz, evolving a style that sometimes complemented the soloist, and other times moved independently, liberating bassists from a strictly accompanying role.

In the late 1950s, he was an original member of the ground-breaking Ornette Coleman Quartet. In 1969, he formed his first band, the Liberation Music Orchestra, featuring arrangements by pianist Carla Bley. In the late 1960s, he became a member of pianist Keith Jarrett’s trio, quartet and quintet. In the 1980s, he formed his own band, Quartet West. Haden also often recorded and performed in a duo setting, with musicians including guitarist Pat Metheny and pianists Hank Jones, Geri Allen, Kenny Barron and many, many more. His discography is massive.

The Pat Metheny album ‘Rejoicing’ was one of the best albums in Metheny’s career which is chock full of highlights. The album was Metheny’s tribute to Ornette Coleman but this tune, Lonely Woman’ is the Horace Silver tune and NOT the Ornette Coleman composition of the same name (Metheny would record with Ornette Coleman on the album ‘Song X’ in 1986 – the album also featured Haden). The chart is very easy to read but don’t be deceived. No-one sounds like Charlie Haden.