Charles, Cochran

Little known beyond his local Chicago, tenor saxophonist Charles Cochrane helped to pioneer the free of charge jazz motion that swept through the Windy Town in the later ’60s and early ’70s. An early on person in the AACM (the Association for the Advancement of Innovative Music artists), Cochrane, who was simply affectionately referred to as “Wes”, used such innovative music artists as Henry Threadgill, Roscoe Mitchell, and Joseph Jarman and led his very own band, the Heart. He documented his sole record, Haunted Center, with pianist Rodney Bennett, bassist Steve LaSpina, and drummer Tony Tedesco. Taught to try out tenor saxophone at Hess Top Grade College, Cochrane used the concert music group at Farragut SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL. He kept an associate’s level in music from Loop University, where he examined with Adam Mack.