Charlie Haden - Liberation Music Orchestra (1969) [2001 Impulse! Best 50 Series]

A fascinating reissue that comfortably straddles the lines of jazz, folk, and world music, working up a storm by way of a jazz protest album that points toward the Spanish Civil War in particular and the Vietnam War in passing. Haden leads the charge and contributes material, but the real star here may in fact be Carla Bley, who arranged numbers, wrote several, and contributed typically brilliant piano work. Also of particular note in a particularly talented crew is guitarist Sam Brown, the standout of "El Quinto Regimiento/Los Cuatro Generales/Viva la Quince Brigada," a 21-minute marathon. Reissue producer Michael Cuscuna has done his best with the mastering here, but listeners will note a roughness to the sound -- one that is in keeping with the album's tone and attitude.

Tracks:

01. The Introduction (C.Bley)/Song of the United Front (Eisler-Brecht) - 3:09
02. El Quinto Regimiento (The Fifth Regiment)/Los Cuatro Generales (The Four Generals)/Viva la Quince Brigada (Long Live the Fifteenth Brigade) (C.Bley) - 21:00
03. The Ending to the First Side (C.Bley) - 2:11
04. Song for Che (Haden) - 9:32
05. War Orphans (Coleman) - 6:44
06. The Interlude (Drinking Music) (C.Bley) - 1:26
07. Circus '68 '69 (Haden) - 6:11
08. We Shall Overcome (Horton-Hamilton-Carawan-Seeger) - 1:21

Personnel:

Perry Robinson - clarinet
Gato Barbieri - tenor saxophone, clarinet
Dewey Redman - alto saxophone, tenor saxophone
Don Cherry - cornet, Indian wood and bamboo flutes
Mike Mantler - trumpet
Roswell Rudd - trombone
Bob Northern - French horn, hand wood blocks, crow call, bells, military whistle
Howard Johnson - tuba
Paul Motian, Andrew Cyrille - percussion instruments
Sam Brown - guitar, Tanganyikan guitar, thumb piano
Carla Bley - piano, tambourine
Charlie Haden - bass violin