History Charlie Haden’s Liberation Music Orchestra

The Liberation Music Orchestra is a big band project by US-american jazz bassist Charlie Haden; jazz pianist Carla Bley is also one of the founders of the project. Their music is best characterized as some sort of big band free jazz, with the music dealing with rather revolutionary themes derived from the Spanish civil war, the rebellion and the civil wars in Latin America of the sixties and seventies, from the Vietnam war, and from the civil wars in Middle America. Some of the pieces are arrangements for big band of traditionals or songs from e.g. Bertolt Brecht or Victor Jara. The last album so far, Not in Our Name, deals with the situation in the USA in consideration of the war in Iraq.

The Liberation Music Orchestra isn't a regular ensemble, but comes together occasionally. Until now (2010) there are four studio album releases and a live album in the Montreal Tape Series of Charlie Haden (with material previously released on the studio albums). The music changed over the years from a very free (and revolutionary) habit to more mainstream and melancholic tunes.

1. Liberation Music Orchestra (released 1969):

Charlie Haden: Bass; Perry Robinson: Clarinet; Gato Barbieri: Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet;

Dewey Redman: Tenor Saxophone, Alto Saxophone; Don Cherry: Cornet, Indian Flutes; Mike Mantler: Trumpet; Roswell Rudd: Trombone; Bob Northern: French Horn, Hand Wood Blocks, Crow Call, Military Whistle, Bells; Howard Johnson: Tuba; Sam Brown: Guitar, Thumb Piano; Carla Bley: Piano, Tambourine; Paul Motian: Drums, Percussion; Andrew Cyrille: Drums, Percussion

2. The Ballad of the Fallen (released 1983):

Charlie Haden: Bass; Steve Slagle: Soprano & Alto Saxophones, Flute, Clarinet; Jim Pepper: Soprano & Tenor Saxophones, Flute; Dewey Redman: Tenor Saxophone; Michael Mantler: Trumpet; Don Cherry: Pocket Trumpet; Sharon Freeman: French horn; Gary Valente: Trombone; Jack Jeffers: Tuba; Carla Bley: Piano, Glockenspiel; Mick Goodrick: Guitar; Paul Motian: Drums, Percussion

3. Dream Keeper (released 1990):

Charlie Haden: Bass; Carla Bley: Arranger, Conductor; Don Alias: Percussion; Ray Anderson: Trombone; Joseph Daley: Tuba; Sharon Freeman: French Horn; Earl Gardner: Trumpet; Mick Goodrick: Guitar; Tom Harrell: Trumpet, Flugelhorn; Joe Lovano: Flute, Tenor Saxophone; Branford Marsalis: Flute, Tenor saxophone; Ken McIntyre: Alto Saxophone; Juan Lazaro Mendolas: Flute (Wood), Pan Flute; Paul Motian: Drums; Amina Claudine Myers: Piano; Dewey Redman: Tenor Saxophone; The Oakland Youth Chorus (Director: Elizabeth Min)

4. Not in Our Name (released 2005):

Charlie Haden: Bass; Carla Bley: Piano, Tambourine; Chris Cheek: Tenor Saxophone; Tony Malaby: Tenor Saxophone; Michael Rodriguez: Trumpet; Seneca Black: Trumpet; Curtis Fowlkes: Trombone; Sharon Freeman: French Horn; Joe Daley: Tuba; Steve Cardenas: Guitar; Matt Wilson: Drums

5. Lmo-Montreal Tapes The Montreal Tapes: Charlie Haden, Liberation Music Orchestra (recorded live on July 8, 1989 at the Montral International Jazz Festival; released April 27, 1999):

Charlie Haden: Bass; Tom Harrell: Trumpet; Stanton Davis: Trumpet; Ken McIntyre: Alto Saxophone; Ernie Watts: Tenor Saxophone; Joe Lovano: Tenor Saxophone; Ray Anderson: Trombone; Sharon Freeman: French Horn; Joe Daley: Tuba; Mick Goodrick: Guitar; Geri Allen: Piano; Paul Motian: Drums

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