As Long as There’s Music: Spirituality in Charlie Haden’s Performance and Solo on “Irene”*

Abstract

ABSTRACT The purpose of this article is to show how Charlie Haden’s solo improvisation on “Irene” is a manifestation of his spiritual beliefs. My interpretive analysis demonstrates that he took advantage of the unaccompanied setting to create an improvisation complete with a detailed, solidly conceived structure that was improvised in the moment. This solo has also become a perfect representation of what Haden was striving for musically, a search for his own distinctively American improvisational language, that blends his background in country/hillbilly music and his identity as a bassist in an African American-based art form jazz, and finding a common space in the blues. This article also explores how his spiritual beliefs manifest themselves in every aspect of his musicality including his technique, his equipment, and his sound.