Charliehaden
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06025447984807 CHARLIE HADEN LIBERATION MUSIC ORCHESTRA (Song for the Whales and Other Beings) ARRANGEMENTS BY CARLA BLEY 1. blue in green 8:15 (Miles Davis) Jazz Horn Music Corporation / BMI Soloists: Michael Rodriguez, Charlie Haden, Chris Cheek 2. time/life 14:18 (Carla Bley) Alrac Music / BMI Soloists: Tony Malaby, Matt Wilson, Carla Bley, Steve Cardenas, CHARLIE HADEN Steve Swallow, Chris Cheek, Michael Rodriguez, Curtis Fowlkes, LIBERATION MUSIC ORCHESTRA Vincent Chancey, Seneca Black, Loren Stillman, Joseph Daley 3. silent spring 11:41 (Carla Bley) Alrac Music / BMI Soloists: Chris Cheek, Michael Rodriguez 4. útviklingssang 7:54 (Carla Bley) Alrac Music / BMI Soloists: Loren Stillman, Curtis Fowlkes (song for the whales and other beings) 5. song for the whales 11:44 (Charlie Haden) Liberation Music Co. / BMI Soloists: Charlie Haden, Tony Malaby Bass performed by Charlie Haden and Steve Swallow Arranged and conducted by Carla Bley 2 3 in memory of Charlie Haden Charlie Haden Los Angeles 1937 – 2014 1958 © Chuck Beach 4 5 By Ruth Cameron Haden Over the years, he recorded four Liberation environment which gave Charlie the impetus discussions with Carla about additional tunes. We Music Orchestra albums in the studio, along with he needed to ask Carla to arrange two tunes wanted to record her composition “Silent Spring” harlie founded the Liberation Music one live album of a performance at the 1989 which we would present at the festival, “Blue in that she had written in 1960’s. Carla reworked it COrchestra in 1969. It was his musical reaction Montreal Jazz Festival. Green” which, to Charlie at least, had an evocative for the Orchestra as it is now more timely than to the injustices he saw occurring in the world connection to the environment, (besides, he ever. Carla suggested “Utviklingssang” which at that time, most notably the Vietnam War The inspiration for Charlie to make this new loved the tune!), and “Song for the Whales”. We she had written in the 1970’s in response to one that had just spread to Cambodia. He asked album was his observation of the increasingly then began to prepare in earnest for the future of Norway’s many development scandals when his friend, composer and arranger Carla Bley to disastrous state of our environment, and how recording. The performance at the festival the Norwegian government planned to develop arrange music he had chosen, some he composed, unconsciously we humans are treating each was overwhelmingly beautiful. Luckily, the two a series of dams in the far north to generate some Carla composed, and some songs from the other, our planet, as well as all living beings on tracks were recorded by Belgium Public Radio electricity for the big cities; the dams would Spanish Civil War that inspired him. He assembled a this earth. Loss of livable habitat for all forms of for only one local airing. Although we could have a negative impact on the local people, stellar line-up of improvising musicians including life, a result of sheer human greed and ignorance, is not know that this would be the only recording animals and fish. Don Cherry, Dewey Redman, Paul Motian, Gato tearing away at the very essence of our existence. Charlie would make of these two tunes. One can Barbieri, Sam Brown, and other greats, and This had been concerning both Charlie and I for ominously hear as he introduces the band, the Upon hearing of Charlie’s death, Carla gifted recorded his first album. It garnered many awards many years. In fact, Charlie wrote “Song For difficulty he was already experiencing in speaking me a new composition “Time/Life” that she and accolades, and the band began to tour. the Whales” in 1979. and swallowing. We’re nevertheless so fortunate had written to honor her long-time friend, and to have recorded his message to the world about I asked her if she would write an arrangement Charlie was not only deeply passionate about We began to solidify the concept of this new having reverence for life. of it for the Orchestra as it’s such an appropriate beautiful music and harmonies, but also about album in 2007, but we were committed to several way to honor Charlie. social justice, thus, with each subsequent decade, other projects before we could begin work on In 2012, Charlie’s health took a sudden downturn, I also asked her if she would co-produce this Charlie felt the need to reunite the band to produce the new Orchestra album. and we were no longer able to focus on the future final Liberation Music Orchestra album with me. another recording addressing the issues of the Finally, in August, 2011, we were presented with album. My entire energy was to do everything to Carla said yes! day which concerned him: the US involvement in a fortuitous opportunity to have the Orchestra find a solution for Charlie’s worsening post-polio the Salvadoran Civil War (The Ballad of the Fallen), perform at the Jazz Middelheim Festival in syndrome that was increasingly debilitating him. I then took my case to our long-time friend Racism (Dream Keeper), the invasion of Iraq Antwerp, Belgium. The festival director, Bertrand We remained hopeful, however, that Charlie would and supporter, the visionary producer Jean- (Not In Our Name). Flamang, wanted his festival to focus on the improve thus we continued to have several Philippe Allard. I knew how much Charlie loved 6 7 the music that the Orchestra had recorded at Charlie’s. I wish to profoundly thank producers, working with Jean-Philippe and Farida on many Thank you Carla Bley and Steve Swallow and the festival, and that he had imagined how Jean-Philippe Allard and Farida Bachir, and recordings since the 1990’s. We are also so fortunate the entire Liberation Music Orchestra musicians the recording would sound once all for your musical brilliance and was complete. I knew we had to finish loving support! I thank Bertrand this project for him, and for the world, Flamang of Jazz Middelheim as the music is too beautiful to let Radio Belgium. I also wish languish in obscurity. Jean-Philippe to thank our tour manager, thought about it for, at least five minutes, Albert Sun, and assistant, Owen discussed it with producer, Farida Bachir, Cameron, for their hard work on and they agreed to go ahead with the the road and at the recording. project. Although words cannot express the depth of my feelings, I will Carla outdid herself with the beauty of always be grateful to my husband most of this music, and the musicians, and best friend, Charlie Haden, comprised of our team from the album for his love, his music, and his “Not In Our Name” and who over the inspiration. years became our family, played with such passion and reverence. Steve Swallow Ruth Cameron Haden, 2016 who has known Charlie since the early 1960’s, and whom Charlie admired so much as a bass player and loved as a friend, was the obvious choice to perform bass on this music. Carla was immediately © Cheung Ching Ming receptive to the idea, as she liked the fact that Steve would be playing electric bass engineer, Jay Newland, who have worked tirelessly to be able to work with Jay Newland one more in Charlie’s place, a different instrument than on this project. We have had the good fortune of time. We have made over fifteen albums with him! 8 9 By carla bley two pieces for the occasion. Luckily, the Belgian thought of any other appropriate songs. Progress album, and he did, so we went into the studio for Radio recorded the concert, and Charlie played on the album slowed while Charlie and Ruth two days at the beginning of 2015 to complete great. We didn’t realize at the time that we dealt with his increasing infirmity. When I finally it. Charlie had wanted Steve Swallow to be the When Barack Obama was elected President of would be able to include his only performance got the call from Ruth that Charlie had passed bass player if he could no longer lead the band the United States in 2008, the musicians in the of this music on an album we would complete away, all I could think to do was to write music. and play, and that decision was accepted by Liberation Music Orchestra thought they were after he was gone. I sat at the piano and my hands played what I everyone. The musicians played with a level of out of a job. Charlie had only felt moved to make thought would be a final chord. But it was the love and dedication that I had never experienced. albums with the LMO when he was infuriated first chord of “Time/Life”, the piece that would Let us hope that this music will inspire awareness with the political system. But even with Obama We went on to play in Oslo, where people were become my goodbye to him. The piece was for of how beautiful the earth is, and how important in office he became more and more upset still reeling from the massacre of 77 people Charlie and the band, but I dedicated it to Ruth it is for us to take better care of it. about ongoing crimes against the environment. by a madman. I thought that an arrangement who had to be suffering the loss of his living self Finally his wife Ruth pointed out that maybe he of “Útviklingssang” would be an appropriately more than the rest of us. The idea for the title Carla Bley, 2016 should make another LMO album to protest the mournful song to play at the concert.