Jazz legend Charlie Haden has died. Polio damaged Haden’s voice when he was young, but as a bassist and composer, Haden helped shape the sound of jazz and still spanned country and gospel. For more on Haden’s life and music, you can hear Melissa Block speak with Slate columnist and jazz critic Fred Kaplan at the audio link on this page.
Bassist and composer Charlie Haden, whose resonant playing and penetrating melodic craft influenced generations of jazz musicians, died this morning in Los Angeles, after a prolonged illness. He was 76.
Haden’s death was announced by his record label, ECM Records.
It is with deep sorrow that we announce that Charlie Haden, born August 6, 1937 in Shenandoah, Iowa, passed away today at 10:11 Pacific time in Los Angeles after a prolonged illness. Ruth Cameron, his wife of 30 years, and his children Josh Haden, Tanya Haden, Rachel Haden and Petra Haden were all by his side.
Born and raised in the rural Midwestern United States, Haden grew up in a family which hosted a country and western music radio program. He sang on air in the family band from before the age of 2. At age 15, he contracted polio, damaging his vocal cords, and turned instead to learning bass.
In 1957, Haden moved to Los Angeles, where he integrated quickly into the West Coast jazz community — including saxophonist and composer Ornette Coleman. Their collaboration over decades, on stage and on record, not only anchored Coleman’s innovations in harmony and melody, but also generated new possibilities for his own instrument in group improvisation.