[Dixielandjazz] Charlie Hayden was Chet Baker

[Mike]

I wish I coulda been there.

Mike


Steve Barbone wrote:
> Gluetje1 at aol.com  . . . Ginny wrote (polite snip)
> 
> 
> 
> Reason I said that is circa 1960, a then young Charlie Hayden played at the
> Five Spot on Cooper Square in NYC with Ornette Coleman and Don Cherry. I
> went there to hear this new, free jazz, music, with bassist Chuck Traeger
> who was my best gig buddy at the time and house bassist at Nicks.
> 
> Place was packed. Every jazz player in NYC who wasn't gigging that night was
> there to hear Hayden and Ornette Coleman play a free form jazz where whom
> ever was soloing dictated what chord patterns, and/or melodic line would be
> played. Also in the audience were teachers from Juilliard, various classical
> musicians and a few modern artist painters and beat poets.
> 
> Traeger introduced me to Hayden who was petrified at seeing all these great
> musicians, but that didn't affect his playing. He was superb. He kept his
> eyes tightly closed in concentration most of the time.
> 
> During his solo portion of a tune when he was responsible for the tune's
> direction, he opened an eye to see a gentlemen up on the stand with him. The
> guy was bending over and had his ear to the F hole on the bass.
> 
> Hayden said to Ornette: "Hey Ornette, what the hell is this?  Get this shit
> head off the band stand."
> 
> Ornette broke up and replied: "You idiot, that Leonard Bernstein."
> 
> What they played was very far out . . . still is. I neither liked nor
> understood it then and told Traeger that. He said: "Maybe your ears aren't
> ready for it yet." Interesting way of looking at it.
> 
> My ears aren't ready for it now either, but at least I understand it. I also
> realize that the group in the Five Spot that night was the most "together"
> group I ever heard. They really listened to each other, perhaps because they
> had to in order to figure out where the tune was going.
> 
> Cheers,
> Steve Barbone
> 
> 
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