16 December 2007
Sunday TimesClive Davis
If you missed his concert at last month's London Jazz Festival, here's a chance to catch up. The double-bassist Charlie Haden, unbelievably, turned 70 this year. Disc one finds him blowing out the candles on his 50th, in an elegant set in Santa Monica, leading the original Quartet West - worth hearing for Pat Metheny's Hermitage. Side two sees Paul Motian take over from Billy Higgins on drums, in a gig recorded the following year. It's another stimulating mix, including Haden's moody Bay City. A newcomer to one of the most polished groups around? Treat yourself to their Verve compilation, The Best of Quartet West.