Charlie Haden 1937-2014

I haven't taken the time to honor Charlie Haden until now. He past away last month and jazz lost one of his great bass players. Haden came to the attention of a wider audience through his work with Ornette Coleman. Listen to "The Shape of Jazz to Come": that's Haden making history alongside Coleman, Don Cherry and Billy Higgins.

I guess Charlie Haden was regarded left-wing in the US. He was politically engaged and his Liberation Music Orchestra was proof of that. Born out of a collaboration with Carla Bley he often criticized the US interference in Latin America and the rest of the world in his music with this particularly band.

I only got the chance to see him once. With the Liberation Music Orchestra at the North Sea Jazz '85. Don't remember if Carla Bley was there as well that night. "We shall overcome" they played. Sure we will, Charlie.