Blue Note Features Haden and Bley, 11/18-21

There aren't many bass/piano duos more musically familiar with one another than Charlie Haden and Paul Bley. The two legends have been playing together off and on since the late 1950s. Charlie Haden's career as a sideman (Ornette Coleman, Keith Jarrett, Charles Lloyd) and as a leader (Liberation Music Orchestra, Quartet West) have made him one of the most respected jazz musicians of our time. Some of Haden's most beautiful and introspective music has appeared in his duo work (the most recent of which can be heard on Jasmine, recorded with celebrated pianist Keith Jarrett on ECM). Paul Bley, an equally innovative pianist whose recording credits range from Lester Young and Charlie Parker to John Scofield and Bill Frisell, will share the stage with Haden from Nov. 18 - 21.
 
WHEN:  Thursday, November 18 - Sunday, November 21, 2010; Sets at 8:00pm & 10:30pm
 
WITH:  Charlie Haden (bass), Paul Bley (piano)
COST:    $35 @ table  / $20 @ bar
 
WHERE:  The Blue Note; 131 W 3rd. St, New York, NY 10012
 
MORE: Doors open at 6:00pm. Set times are 8:00pm & 10:30pm.
 
BIO:  CHARLIE HADEN: Born in Shenandoah, Iowa, Charlie Haden began his life in music almost immediately, singing on his parents' country & western radio show at the tender age of 22 months. He started playing bass in his early teens and in 1957, left America's heartland for Los Angeles, where he met and played with such legends as Art Pepper, Hampton Hawes, and Dexter Gordon.
 
In 1959, Haden he teamed with Ornette Coleman to form the saxophonist's pioneering quartet (alongside trumpeter Don Cherry and drummer Billy Higgins). In addition to his still-influential work with Coleman, Haden also collaborated with a number of adventurous jazz giants, including John Coltrane, Archie Shepp, and Keith Jarrett,
Pat Metheny.
 
In 1969, Haden joined forces with pianist/composer Carla Bley, founding the Liberation Music Orchestra. The group's self-titled debut is a true milestone of modern music, blending experimental big band jazz with the folk songs of the Spanish Civil War to create a powerfully original work of musical/political activism.
 
An acoustic bassist of extraordinary gifts, Haden's talents as a musicain have been in constant demand by his fellow artists. As a result, he has collaborated with a genuinely stunning array of musicians, including Hank Jones, Don Cherry, Dewey Redman, Paul Motian, Jack DeJohnette, Michael Brecker, Kenny Barron, and Pat Metheny.
 
Haden's love of world music has also seen him teaming with a variety of diverse international players, including Brazilian guitarist Egberto Gismonti, Argentinean bandoneon master Dino Saluzzi, and Portuguese guitar giant Carlos Paredes. In addition, Haden has explored diverse streams of American popular music with both his acclaimed Quartet West, as well as on such recent collections as 2002's inventive alliance with Michael Brecker, "AMERICAN DREAMS."
 
Charlie Haden has earned countless honors from around the globe, including the LA Jazz Society prize for "Jazz Educator of the Year", two Grammy Awards (alongside a multitude of nominations), myriad Down Beat readers and critics poll winners, a Guggenheim fellowship, four NEA grants for composition, France's Grand Prix Du Disque (Charles Cros) Award, Japan's SWING JournAl Gold, Silver and Bronze awards. Montreal Jazz Festival's MiLes Davis Award.
 
 
PAUL BLEY: In 1950 Bley left for New York City. He studied at the Julliard School of Music from 1950-54. While at Julliard, Bley had a band with Jackie MacLean, Donald Byrd, Arthur Taylor, Doug Watkins. In this period he toured with Lester Young, Ben Webster, Roy Eldridge and Bill Harris. He was a frequent visitor at the famed Saturday night sessions at Lenny Tristano's studio. Bley served as president of the Associated Jazz Societies of New York in 1952, which led to Charlie Mingus hiring Bley to conduct his ensemble. Mingus also recorded Bley's debut album, along with himself and Art Blakey, on his label, Debut Records.
 
In 1957, Bley went to California where his bands included: Ornette Coleman, Don Cherry, Charlie Haden, Billy Higgens, Bobby Hutchinson, Scotty LaFaro, Lawrence Marable, and Dave Pike. In 1959 Bley returned to New York, where he played with Roland Kirk, Oliver Nelson, and Jimmy Giuffre at the Five Spot Cafe.
 
In 1963 Bley and Herbie Hancock were invited to play with the bands of MiLes Davis and Sonny Rollins, who were performing on a double bill on a Monday night at Birdland. Both pianists were offered both jobs. Hancock gave Bley first choice. Bley chose to join the Rollins quartet for a year to record and go to tour Japan. Bley's own trio with Gary Peacock and Paul Motian of the 1960's became the standard by which other trios would be measured.
 
In 1964, Bill Dixon invited Bley to become a member of the Jazz Composer's Guild, which included: Archie Shepp, Sonny Rollins, John Tchicai, Roswell Rudd, Carla Bley, Mike Mantle, Cecil Taylor, and Burton Greene. He gave the first live performance to date on synthesizer at Philarmonic Hall in New York City.
 
Bley continued his work with electric quartets. In 1974, IAI brought Jaco Pastorious to New York for his debut recording. Mysteriously, these sessions, produced Pat Metheney's debut recording as well. Though Metheney had never been hired to play with the band, he sat in at a gig prior to the recording date and then stayed with Bley's quartet, which also included drummer, Bruce Ditmas.
 
Bley has released close to 100 CD's. Some of the artists he's recorded with include: Ben Webster, Lester Young, Charlie Parker, Sonny Rollins, Jimmy Giuffre, John Scofield, John Abercrombie, Bill Frisell, and Chet Baker, to name a few.
 
In 1994 Bley received 5 stars from Downbeat for a solo synthesizer album recorded for Postcards Records and toured with Giuffre and Swallow. Bley tour Europe, Japan and North America as a solist and with duos and trios.