SELECTED WORKS OF CHARLIE HADEN: BASS IN FREE JAZZ AND DUO CONTEXTS

Maftean, Mitchell

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/130438 Copy

Description

Title

SELECTED WORKS OF CHARLIE HADEN: BASS IN FREE JAZZ AND DUO CONTEXTS

Author(s)

Maftean, Mitchell

Issue Date

2025

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

Gray, Lawrence

Doctoral Committee Chair(s)

Gray, Lawrence

Committee Member(s)

• Sweet, Bridget
• Pugh, James
• Hagan, Kerry

Department of Study

School of Music

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

A.Mus.D. (doctoral)

Date of Ingest

2025-12-08T12:20:06-06:00

Keyword(s)

• Charlie Haden
• Ornette Coleman
• Double Bass
• Jazz
• Free Jazz
• Theory
• Analysis
• Transcriptions

Language

eng

Abstract

Double bassist Charlie Haden was a seminal figure in twentieth-century jazz whose influence on the genre extended across generations. Noted for his exceptional musical sensitivity and acute attentiveness to sonic detail, Haden inspired not only jazz bassists but a wide array of musicians who engaged with his work. His ability to move beyond the written score, to respond intuitively to musical context, and to explore harmonic and tonal dimensions beyond the central melodic themes defined his distinctive approach throughout a career spanning over seven decades. These attributes proved integral to the realization of Ornette Coleman’s free jazz aesthetic and were equally vital in Haden’s contributions to the duo format. This study analyzes six selected recordings featuring Haden in both free jazz and standard jazz duo contexts. Through detailed transcription and examination of his bass accompaniments and improvised solos, the study aims to illuminate Haden’s musical processes, demonstrating how his melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic choices distinguished him from his contemporaries, advanced the expressive potential of the jazz idiom, and contributed to a redefinition of the bassist’s role within an ensemble.

Type of Resource

text

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2025 Mitchell Ryan Maftean

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