Charlie Haden's Family And Friends: Spiritual

I actually heard about this recording from a coworker this week and was unaware of this side of jazz bassist Charlie Haden and his family. The song written and sung by Charlie’s son Josh was originally recorded by Josh’s band Spain. It originally appeared on the 1995 album "The Blue Moods of Spain." Probably the most notable cover of the tune was by the late Johnny Cash.

Joining Charlie and Josh on stage are two other members of the Haden family. Petra Haden on violin and Tanya Haden on ‘cello. Tanya, by the way, is married to Jack Black. The only musical family member missing from this ensemble that performed on the Letterman show was bassist/keyboardist Rachel Haden. Rachel, Tanya, and Petra are triplet daughters of Charlie Haden; Josh is their older brother.

As for the other musicians, I am not sure of their identities at this point. While I like this song, it really needs someone with a more powerful delivery to convey the message. Not that Josh Haden does a bad job, as he technically performs well; however, his voice just isn’t strong enough for my tastes for this type of ballad performance.

Charlie Haden and Pat Metheny Instrumental

From the album "Beyond the Missouri Sky (Short Stories)," Charlie Haden teams up with guitarist Pat Metheny on an instrumental version of Josh's song "Spiritual."