Some Sunday Jazz

I'd like to vary what we've been talking about so far a little bit here at Track 9, so with this post I want to feature a jazz cd that I've been listening to a lot lately, and an artist as well. The man is Charlie Haden, and the cd is titled Not In Our Name. Haden is an extremely talented bass player who became famous in the 1950s playing Ornette Coleman in his newly developing free jazz style. While Haden has countless famous cds to his name, I want to focus on one of his newer releases.

Not In Our Name was released in 2005, and features Haden along with the Liberation Music Orchestra, his backing group of rhythm and horn players. My dad turned me onto this cd over Thanksgiving break, and I have been in love with it ever since. It features a combination of original scores along with arrangements of various famous works, including a truly amazing medley based around America The Beautiful. Given the times and current state of affairs in the world, the album is heavily influenced by the war in Iraq, which lends an emotional side to it, and is noticeable in many places, including the dissonant arrangements incorporated during America The Beautiful. But in spite of this, the album is also extremely beautiful, and melodic.

This album is full of other amazing interpretations including; Amazing Grace, part of Dvorak's New World Symphony, and Samuel Barber's Adagio For Strings. These lend themselves into a very powerful and moving album, that mixes both elements of jazz and orchestral music. I think the arrangements of the songs are really what make the album, and this can be attributed to Haden's longtime friend Carla Bley. While the individual performances are good, and even impressive at times, it's the arrangements that give the songs their power and emotion. They're somber, yet beautiful. Definitely worth a listen.

Charlie Haden - America The Beautiful (Medley)

Charlie Haden - Goin' Home