A Tribute to Jim Haden, Charlie's Bass-Playing Big Brother, Part 1

The Haden Family, circa 1949. Back row, from left, big brother Jim, mom Virginia, sister Mary, Charlie (with eight-string guitar), brother Carl Jr., dad Carl Sr. Front row, little brother Tom and little sister Sharon. Photo from charliehadenfilm.com.

On the evening of 29 March 1984, Mark Crawford, the host of Reno, Nevada public radio station KUNR’s Just Jazz, had an announcement to make. That night’s episode would be a memorial tribute to legendary local jazz bassist Jim Haden, who suffered a heart attack four days previously, on stage, clutching his bass. He died in the hospital hours later.

Over the next ninety minutes, Crawford, along with longtime Reno-area saxophonist and close friend of Jim’s, John Peirce, shared memories and played rehearsal tapes of Jim, who had performed extensively in and around Reno clubs and casinos for over ten years, but rarely set foot in recording studios. John describes Jim as “one of the best bass players who ever lived.”

John says that Jim recorded with blues singer Jimmy Witherspoon and gigged with jazz pianist Errol Garner. Jim played and maintained correspondence with free jazz saxophonist Rashaan Roland Kirk. He was also a talented painter.

Jim was, of course, older brother to my father, Charlie Haden.