Little known outside of his native Chicago, tenor saxophonist Charles Cochrane helped to pioneer the free jazz movement that swept through the Windy City in the late '60s and early '70s. An early member of the AACM (the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians), Cochrane, who was affectionately known as "Wes", played with such innovative musicians as Henry Threadgill, Roscoe Mitchell, and Joseph Jarman and led his own band, the Spirit. He recorded his sole album, Haunted Heart, with pianist Rodney Bennett, bassist Steve LaSpina, and drummer Tony Tedesco. Taught to play tenor saxophone at Hess Upper Grade School, Cochrane played with the concert band at Farragut High School. He held an associate's degree in music from Loop College, where he studied with James Mack. ~ Craig Harris, Rovi