Charlie Haden's Nocturne

For his latest Quartet West project on Verve, The Art of the Song, Charlie Haden not only set out to showcase quintessential tunes that are seldom performed but also to have their beautiful melodies be given voice by paragons of song. Featuring a chamber orchestra arranged, orchestrated and conducted by quartet member Alan Broadbent and the brilliant contributions of vocalists Shirley Horn and Bill Henderson, The Art of the Song is a lush, lyrical album that captivates with its sublime beauty and passionate delivery. Called a "highly unusual and incredibly charming compact disc" by liner note author Orrin Keepnews, the CD stands as one of the most alluring and gorgeous recordings of the bassist-bandleader-composer's career. "I save songs," says Haden, who shares producer credit for the album with wife Ruth Cameron. "I have a whole collection of songs I have set aside. Some are so beautiful they're art songs. Some, like 'Body and Soul,' are perfect compositions that may get sung all the time but nonetheless last forever. I wanted to gather together a collection of complete melodies that tell a story in the music and the lyric and that have rarely been recorded. So, for example, f... more...