As a member of saxophonist Ornette Coleman's early bands, bassist Charlie Haden became known as one of free jazz's founding fathers, though he never settled into any of jazz's many stylistic niches. His childhood was spent singing with his family's self-contained country & western act, but by 1957 he was playing jazz alongside folks such as Art Pepper, Paul Bley, and Coleman. He played with numerous groups from the '60s to the 2000s, both as a leader and sideman. His interests included his dissonant big band, the Liberation Music Orchestra, gentle duets with Pat Metheny, and his bop-oriented group, Quartet West. ~ Chris Kelsey