Charles Brackeen

Charles Brackeen (born March 13, 1940 in Oklahoma^[1]) is a jazz saxophonist who primarily plays tenor saxophone, but also plays soprano saxophone. He was married to pianist Joanne Brackeen; they have since divorced, and they have four children.^[1]

Brackeen originally studied violin and piano before switching to saxophone. He played in a recording with members of the Ornette Coleman Quartet in 1968 and on Jazz Composer's Orchestra recordings by Don Cherry (1973), Leroy Jenkins (1975), and Paul Motian for ECM (1978 & 1979). He recorded again as a leader in 1987, when he recorded three albums for Silkheart Records. He also has a quartet which produced Worshippers Come Nigh, among other works, in 1995.

Discography

As Leader

• Rhythm X (Strata-East, 1968) with Don Cherry, Charlie Haden, Ed Blackwell
• Charles' Concept (1974)
• Bannar (Silkheart Records, 1987) with Dennis Gonzalez, Malachi Favors
• Attainment (Silkheart,1987)
• Worshippers Come High (Silkheart, 1987) with Fred Hopkins, Andrew Cyrille and Olu Dara

As sideman

with Paul Motian

• Prelude (1977)
• Dance (ECM, 1977)
• Le Voyage (ECM, 1979)

with Ahmed Abdullah

• Liquid Magic (Silkheart, 1987)
• Mystery of Two (1987)

with Dennis González

• Nameshake (Silkheart, 1987)
• Debenge, Debenge (Silkheart, 1987)
• The Desert Wind (Silkheart, 1989)

with Ronald Shannon Jackson's Decoding Society

• Eye On You (About Time, 1980)
• Nasty (Moers Music, 1981)

References