Meltdown Festival : Charlie Haden Liberation Music Orchestra, Royal Festival Hall, London (GB) - Jun 20, 2009

The Bad Plus were Ethan Iverson piano, Reid Anderson double bass, David King drums. They played a terrific set which included pieces by Ligeti and Stravinsky. I’m used to appreciating jazz piano trios but rarely being excited by them. This was an exception – a bravura performance of musical virtuosity. Then came a version of Charlie Haden’s Liberation Music Orchestra which mixed US and UK musicians: Tom Rees-Roberts and Mike Rodriguez trumpets, Fayyez Virji trombone, Jim Rattigan french horn, Andy Grappy tuba, Jason Yarde alto sax, Shabaka Hutchings tenor sax, another tenor sax, Carla Bley piano, John Parricelli guitar, Haden double bass, Matt Wilson drums. The band was joined eventually by Robert Wyatt vocal/trumpet. They played This Is Not America (Pat Metheny), Amazing Grace, Going Home (from Dvorák), Song for Che, We Shall Overcome, Skies of America (Coleman), Rabo de Nube, Blue Anthem (Carla Bley). Pretty good but a little ponderous at times; reminiscent of the old recordings, though, and these were always somewhat sprawling, along with a richness of harmony and sonority. This music wears its politics on its sleeve and that is appreciated. Ornette Coleman (who curated this festival) came on at the end yet didn’t play. He and Haden, old collaborators from the 1950s, just hugged. Reviewed by Dave Gelly in The Observer of 24 June 2009, by John Fordham in The Guardian of 22 June 2009 and by Ian Mann at thejazzmann.com.