To follow yesterday’s recommendation, here is Charlie Haden with his Quartet West and his composition “First Song.†The pianist is Alan Broadbent, the tenor saxophonist Gary Foster, the drummer Larance Marable, the bassist—of course—Haden.
From the Haden-Josef Woodard book (see the previous post), Haden explains to Woodard how “First Song†came about.
So whenever I pick up my instrument, I always try to put myself in that place that nobody’s ever been: â€Ive never heard music before, and this is what it is.â€
Does that idea relate to your song “First Song?â€
Not really. It could, but the title refers to the fact that it was the first song I wrote for my wife, Ruth. That was first recorded on [Quartet West’s] In Angel City in 1988. I feel lucky that other people like that song. Stan Getz not only liked the song, but he really liked Ruth, and I cried when I heard it on his last record. You could really feel that he was playing it for her, and for me, too.