Charlie Haden
| Charlie Haden | |
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Charlie Haden in 1981.
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Charles Edward Haden |
| Born |
August 6, 1937 Shenandoah, Iowa, United States |
| Died | July 11, 2014 (aged 76) Los Angeles, California |
| Genres | Free jazz, mainstream jazz, post-bop, hard bop, folk jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer, bandleader, educator |
| Instruments | Double bass |
| Years active | 1957–2014 |
| Associated acts | Ornette Coleman, Keith Jarrett, Pat Metheny, Hank Jones, Paul Motian, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Alice Coltrane, Jim Hall |
| Website | www |
Charles Edward "Charlie" Haden (August 6, 1937 – July 11, 2014) was an American jazz double bass player, bandleader, composer and educator known for his deep, warm sound, and whose career spanned more than fifty years. In the late 1950s, Haden was an original member of the ground-breaking Ornette Coleman Quartet.
Haden revolutionized the harmonic concept of bass playing in jazz. "His ability to create serendipitous harmonies by improvising melodic responses to Coleman's free-form solos (rather than sticking to predetermined harmonies) was both radical and mesmerizing. His virtuosity lies…in an incredible ability to make the double bass 'sound out'. Haden cultivates the instrument's gravity as no one else in jazz. He is a master of simplicity which is one of the most difficult things to achieve." ) Haden played a vital role in this revolutionary new approach, evolving a way of playing that sometimes complemented the soloist and sometimes moved independently. In this respect, as did bassists Jimmy Blanton and Charles Mingus, Haden helped liberate the bassist from a strictly accompanying role to becoming a more direct participant in group improvisation. 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 the pianist Keith Jarrett's trio, quartet and quintet. In the 1980s, he formed his band, Quartet West. Haden also often recorded and performed in a duo setting, with musicians including Pat Metheny and Hank Jones.
Haden was born in Shenandoah, Iowa. His family was exceptionally musical and performed on the radio as the Haden Family, playing country music and American folk songs. Haden made his professional debut as a singer on the Haden Family's radio show when he was just two years old. He continued singing with his family until he was 15 when he contracted a bulbar form of polio affecting his throat and facial muscles. At the age of 14, Haden had become interested in jazz after hearing Charlie Parker and Stan Kenton in concert. Once he recovered from his bout with polio, Haden began in earnest to concentrate on playing the bass. Haden's interest in the instrument was not sparked by jazz bass alone, but also by the harmonies and chords he heard in compositions by Bach. Haden soon set his sights on moving to Los Angeles to pursue his dream of becoming a jazz musician, and to save money for the trip, took a job as house bassist for ABC-TV's Ozark Jubilee in Springfield, Missouri.
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