Photos Pt. 4

Charlie Haden Quartet West with drummer Rodney Green

Charlie founded Quartet West in 1986. His concept was to celebrate the music and art that shaped West Coast jazz culture in the 1940s and 1950s.

The initial group consisted of my father, saxophonist Ernie Watts, pianist Alan Broadbent, and drummer Billy Higgins. Billy had been Charlie’s bandmate in the original Los Angeles-based Ornette Coleman Quartet. QW’s debut album was released in 1987.

Front. Charlie Haden Quartet West. 1987. LP. From the collection of Charlie Haden.

Back. Charlie Haden Quartet West. 1987. LP. From the collection of Charlie Haden.

Billy was replaced by drummer Larance Marable beginning with their second record, 1988’s In Angel City. The cover sported a vintage photo of Club Hillcrest, the L.A. jazz venue at which Charlie had first heard Ornette in 1958. Larance was almost ten years older than my dad, and had recorded with lots of Charlie’s heroes, including Charlie Parker and pianist Hampton Hawes.

Front. Charlie Haden Quartet West, In Angel City. 1988. LP. From the collection of Charlie Haden.

Back. Charlie Haden Quartet West, In Angel City. 1988. LP. From the collection of Charlie Haden.

This version of the group made four more records: Haunted Heart (1992), Always Say Goodbye (1994), Now Is The Hour (1996), and The Art Of The Song (1999). The first three were nominated for Grammy Awards.

Front. Charlie Haden Quartet West, Haunted Heart. 1992. CD. From the collection of Charlie Haden.

Front. Charlie Haden Quartet West, Always Say Goodbye. 1994. CD. From the collection of Charlie Haden.

Front. Charlie Haden Quartet West, Now Is The Hour. 1996. CD. From the collection of Charlie Haden,.

Front. Charlie Haden Quartet West, The Art Of The Song. 1999. CD. From the collection of Charlie Haden.

Health issues prevented Larance from continuing. Although Quartet West kept a rigorous tour schedule, they didn’t go into the studio again until 2010’s Sophisticated Ladies, their lush, final album which included vocalists Diana Krall, Cassandra Wilson, French chanteuse Melody Gardot, pop star Norah Jones, operatic legend Renée Fleming, and Charlie’s wife, Ruth. The drummer on this album was then 31-year old QW tour veteran Rodney Green.

Front. Charlie Haden Quartet West, Sophisticated Ladies. 2010. CD. From the collection of Charlie Haden.

Although steeped in the traditions of classic jazz, Quartet West’s albums are unique, combining elements of bebop and the straight ahead with the avant garde, many times drenched in strings and sprinkled with vocals of Billie Holiday and Jo Stafford, and music and quotes from film noir cinema. None of it would have been possible without executive producer Jean-Philippe Allard, Charlie’s champion at Universal Music France.

The photos below were discovered in a folder labeled “For Ruth”. There are no photo credits, locations, or years noted, although they look to be from between 2010-2013. Solid, Jackson.

Charlie Haden Quartet West. (l-r) Alan Broadbent, Rodney Green, Charlie Haden, Ernie Watts. Circa 2010. No photo credit. From the collection of Charlie Haden.

Charlie Haden Quartet West, Blue Note, NYC. (l-r) Alan Broadbent, Charlie Haden, Ernie Watts, Rodney Green. Most likely August, 2006. No photo credit. From the collection of Charlie Haden.

Charlie Haden Quartet West. Blue Note, NYC. (l-r) Charlie Haden, Ernie Watts. Most likely August, 2006. No photo credit. From the collection of Charlie Haden.

Charlie Haden. No year or location. No photo credit. From the collection of Charlie Haden.

Charlie Haden. Most likely Blue Note, NYC. August, 2006. No photo credit. From the collection of Charlie Haden.

Charlie Haden with unidentified person. No date or location. No photo credit. From the collection of Charlie Haden.

Charlie Haden. No date or location. No photo credit. From the collection of Charlie Haden.

Charlie Haden. No date or location. No photo credit. From the collection of Charlie Haden.

Charlie Haden Quartet West. Unknown venue. Circa 2013. (l-r) Charlie Haden, Rodney Green, Ernie Watts, Alan Broadbent. No photo credit. From the collection of Charlie Haden.

Here are Photos pts. 1, 2, & 3.

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