Charlie Haden (19372014) was the rare sort of musician who transcended easy categorisation -- other than to say that his uniquely elegant and eloquent bass playing, with its readily recognisable sound, defined a certain pinnacle of musical communication in beautiful, spontaneous, and intensely emotional ways. Throughout his career, he worked with and influenced many of the most interesting musicians of the second half of the twentieth century, including Ornette Coleman, Don Cherry, Paul Bley, Carla Bley, Keith Jarrett, Billy Higgins, Paul Motion, Dewey Redman, Pat Metheny, Egberto Gismonti, Gavin Bryars, Geri Allen, Brad Mehldau, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, and literally hundreds of others. In Conversations, Haden discusses his life and politics and music and aesthetics in a series of candid interviews conducted over two decades. While parts of this collection have appeared in various periodicals, much of it is in print here for the first time. Forewords by Bill Frisell and Alan Broadbent.
Josef Woodard is a freelance cultural journalist-criticcovering jazz and other musics, art, and film. He has been a contributor to Down Beat and Jazz Times, as well as the Los Angeles Times, Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, Variety, Jazziz, Jazz Hot, and other publications. He won an ASCAP Deems Taylor Award for jazz writing in 1998 and is the author of Charles Lloyd: A Wild, Blatant Truth.
Jazz journalist Josef Woodard knew the great bassist Charlie Haden (1937-2014) for quite a few years and interviewed him about various subjects on 17 occasions during 1988-2008. Conversations with Charlie Haden contains all of those talks along with an introduction by Woodard and brief forwards from Bill Frisell and Alan Broadbent. During 1958-59, Haden was probably the only bassist in the world who could have given the revolutionary Ornette Coleman the support that he needed in his new free jazz, playing without set chord changes and improvising based on the melody and mood of a piece rather than its chord structure. Haden talks a lot about those years, his associations with Old and New Dreams, Keith Jarrett and Pat Metheny, and his leadership of his Liberation Music Orchestra and Quartet West. He also philosophizes about life, discusses jazz education, and conveys an enthusiastic and optimistic attitude about creating new music.In these colorful discussions, the bassists joyful personality, intellect and curiosity towards life shine through. The result is a fascinating and important book that is a tribute to the spirit of Charlie Haden. Scott Yanow, L.A. Jazz Scene
Charlie Haden was an extraordinary musician, and he had an extraordinary life. His performing career began at the age of two, when he sang what he called hillbilly music with his familys band on their Missouri radio show. As a teenager, he began to play bass and listen intently to jazz; when he was 18, he moved to Los Angeles to study music. The rest, as they say, is history: groundbreaking work with Ornette Coleman, founding the Liberation Music Orchestra, collaborations with dozens of musicians in many styles, leadership of Quartet West, the tribute to his musical roots on the 2008 album Rambling Boy, andabove alla lifelong dedication to honesty, social justice, and beautiful music. Its all here in this collection of 17 interviews conducted over 20 years by veteran jazz journalist Josef Woodard, who calls it a verbal companion to the sublime musical sounds Charlie created. Jim Roberts, Bass Player magazine
From country music in the heartland to bebop in California and free jazz in New Yorkand back again numerous times overCharlie Hadens story is a classic American saga, and Josef Woodard allows him to tell it eloquently and in moving detail. Francis Davis, author of Jazz and Its Discontents: A Francis Davis Reader
Charlie Hadens ears, hands, idealism, sentimentalism, curiosity, and rebelliousness led him to take part in some of the greatest music called jazz; anything that great is always misunderstood. This book, a transcription of a twenty-year conversation with regular changes of focus, helps remedy the situation. Ben Ratliff, author of Every Song Ever
Joe Woodards treasure trove of interviews with Charlie Haden gives us such an intimate feeling of the jazz giant that we feel like were sitting in the room with an old friend. Even better, Haden opens up about his iconic musical associates over the years, allowing us rare access into the insular world of jazz itself. Michelle Mercer, author of Footprints: The Life and Work of Wayne Shorter
