Carla Bley, née Borg (born May 11, 1936), is an American jazz composer, pianist, organist and bandleader. An important figure in the free jazz movement of the 1960s, she is perhaps best known for her jazz opera Escalator Over The Hill (released as a triple LP set), as well as a book of compositions that have been performed by many other artists, including Gary Burton, Jimmy Giuffre, George Russell, Art Farmer, John Scofield and her ex-husband Paul Bley.
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Carla Bley at Keystone Korner, San Francisco 1979 (photo: Brian McMillen)
Bley was born in Oakland, California. Her father, a piano teacher and church choirmaster, encouraged her to sing and to learn to play the piano. After giving up the church to immerse herself in roller skating at the age of fourteen,[1] she moved to New York at seventeen and became a cigarette girl at Birdland, where she met jazz pianist Paul Bley, whom she married in 1957.[2] He encouraged her to start composing. The couple later divorced.
A number of musicians began to record her compositions: George Russell recorded "Bent Eagle" on his 1960 release Stratusphunk in 1960; Jimmy Giuffre recorded "Ictus" on his album Thesis; and Paul Bley's Barrage consisted entirely of her compositions.
In 1964 she was involved in organising the Jazz Composers Guild which brought together the most innovative musicians in New York at the time. She then had a personal and professional relationship with Michael Mantler, with whom she had a daughter, Karen, now also a musician in her own right.
With Mantler, she co-led the Jazz Composers' Orchestra and started the JCOA record label which issued a number of historic recordings by Clifford Thornton, Don Cherry and Roswell Rudd, as well as her own magnum opus Escalator Over The Hill and Mantler's The Jazz Composer's Orchestra LPs. Bley and Mantler followed with WATT Records, which has issued their recordings exclusively since the early 1970s. Bley and Mantler were pioneers in the development of independent artist-owned record labels and also started the now defunct New Music Distribution Services which specialized in small, independent labels that issued recordings of creative improvised music.
Bley has collaborated with a number of other artists, including Jack Bruce, Robert Wyatt and Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason, whose 1981 solo album Nick Mason's Fictitious Sports was a Carla Bley album in all but name. She arranged and composed music for Charlie Haden's Liberation Music Orchestra, and wrote A Genuine Tong Funeral for Gary Burton. Her arrangement of the score for Federico Fellini's 8½ appeared on Hal Willner's Nino Rota tribute record, Amarcord Nino Rota. She has also contributed to other Hal Willner projects, including the song "Misterioso" for the tribute to Thelonious Monk entitled "That's the Way I Feel Now", which included Johnny Griffin as guest musician on tenor saxophone, and the Willner-directed tribute to Kurt Weill, entitled "Lost in the Stars", where she and her band contributed an arrangement of the title track, with Phil Woods as guest musician on alto saxophone. In the late 1980s, she also performed with Anton Fier's Golden Palominos and played on their 1985 album, Visions of Excess.
Carla Bley has continued to record frequently with her own big band, which has included Blood, Sweat and Tears notable Lew Soloff, and a number of smaller ensembles, notably The Lost Chords. Her current partner, the bassist Steve Swallow,[3] has been her closest and most consistent musical associate in recent years and the two have recorded several duet albums. In 1997, a live version of Escalator over the Hill (re-orchestrated by Jeff Friedman) was performed for the first time in Cologne, Germany; in 1998 "Escalator" toured Europe, and another live performance took place in May 2006 in Essen, Germany.
In 2005 she arranged the music for and performed on Charlie Haden's latest Liberation Music Orchestra tour and recording, Not in Our Name.
Awards[]
Bley was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1972 for music composition. In 2009, she was awarded the German Jazz Trophy "A Life for Jazz".[4][5]
Discography[]
As leader[]
The Lost Chords find Paolo Fresu in Monaco. From left to right : Carla Bley, Paolo Fresu and Andy Sheppard
Carla Bley, Moers Festival 2012
- 1974: Tropic Appetites
- 1977: Dinner Music
- 1978: European Tour 1977
- 1979: Musique Mecanique
- 1981: Social Studies
- 1982: Live!
- 1984: I Hate to Sing
- 1984: Heavy Heart
- 1987: Sextet
- 1989: Fleur Carnivore
- 1991: The Very Big Carla Bley Band
- 1993: Big Band Theory
- 1996: The Carla Bley Big Band Goes to Church
- 1998: Fancy Chamber Music
- 2000: 4 x 4
- 2003: Looking for America
- 2004: The Lost Chords
- 2007: The Lost Chords find Paolo Fresu
- 2008: Appearing Nightly
- 2009: Carla's Christmas Carols
Collaborations[]
With Gary Burton
- A Genuine Tong Funeral (RCA, 1967)
With the Jazz Composer's Orchestra
- 1968: The Jazz Composer's Orchestra (led by Michael Mantler - also known as Communications)
- 1968-71: Escalator Over the Hill (a chronotransduction by Carla Bley & Paul Haines)
- 1973: Relativity Suite (led by Don Cherry)
- 1975: The Gardens of Harlem (led by Clifford Thornton)
- 1975: Echoes of Prayer (led by Grachan Moncur III)
With Michael Mantler
- 1966: Jazz Realities (with Steve Lacy)
- 1973: No Answer (with Jack Bruce & Don Cherry - text by Samuel Beckett)
- 1975: 13 & ¾
- 1976: The Hapless Child
- 1976: Silence
- 1977: Movies
- 1980: More Movies
- 1982: Something There
With Charlie Haden and the Liberation Music Orchestra
- 1969: Liberation Music Orchestra (Impulse!)
- 1983: Ballad of the Fallen (ECM)
- 1990: Dream Keeper (Blue Note)
- 2005: Not in Our Name (Verve)
With Nick Mason
- 1979: Nick Mason's Fictitious Sports (released in 1981)
With Steve Swallow
- 1985: Night-Glo
- 1986-7: Carla
- 1988: Duets
- 1992: Go Together
- 1992: Swallow
- 1994: Songs with Legs (with Andy Sheppard)
- 1999: Are We There Yet?
As sidewoman[]
- 1975: Jack Bruce - The Jack Bruce Band Live '75 (released 2003)
- 1975: Jack Bruce - Live on the Old Grey Whistle Test (released 1998)
- 1977: John Greaves - Kew. Rhone.
- 1981: Amarcord Nino Rota (Hannibal) — various artists tribute to Nino Rota (performs "8½")
- 1984: That's the Way I Feel Now (A&M) — various artists tribute to Thelonious Monk (performs "Misterioso")
- 1985: Lost in the Stars: The Music of Kurt Weill — various artists tribute to Kurt Weill (performs "Lost in the Stars")
- 1971-85: Gary Windo - His Master's Bones
- 1985: The Golden Palominos - Visions of Excess
- 1991: The Golden Palominos - Drunk with Passion
- 1995: Jazz to the World — various artists (performs "Let It Snow")
Videography[]
- 1983/2003: Live in Montreal (DVD)
Compositions appeared on[]
- 1960: George Russell – George Russell Sextet at the Five Spot ("Dance Class" and "Beast Blues")
- 1960: George Russell – Stratusphunk ("Bent Eagle")
- 1961: George Russell – George Russell Sextet in K.C. ("Rhymes")
- 1961: Jimmy Giuffre – Fusion ("Jesus Maria" and "In the Morning Out There")
- 1961: Jimmy Guiffre – Thesis ("Ictus")
- 1961: Jimmy Guiffre – Emphasis & Flight 1961 (live recordings of "Jesus Maria" and "Postures")
- 1962: Don Ellis – Essence ("Donkey" aka "Wrong Key Donkey")
- 1962: Paul Bley – Floater ("Floater", "Around Again", "Syndrome", "King Korn" and "Vashkar")
- 1962: George Russell – The Outer View ("Zig Zag")
- 1964: Paul Bley – Turning Point ("Calls", "King Korn", "Ictus", and "Ida Lupino")
- 1964: Paul Bley – Barrage ("Batterie", "Ictus", "And Now the Queen", "Around Again", "Walking Woman", "Barrage")
- 1965: Jazz Composer's Orchestra – Communication ("Roast")
- 1965: Attila Zoller – The Horizon Beyond ("Inctus")
- 1965: Art Farmer – Sing Me Softly of the Blues ("Sing Me Softly of the Blues" and "Ad Inifintum")
- 1965: Paul Bley – Closer ("Ida Lupino", "Start", "Closer", "Sideways in Mexico", "Batterie", "And Now the Queen" and "Violin")
- 1965: Steve Lacy – Disposability ("Generous 1")
- 1967: Gary Burton – Duster ("Sing Me Softly of the Blues")
- 1967: Gary Burton – Lofty Fake Anagram ("Mother of the Dead Man")
- 1968: Steve Kuhn – Watch What Happens ("Ad Infinitum")
- 1969: NRBQ – NRBQ ("Ida")
- 1969: Phil Woods – At the Montreux Jazz Festival ("Ad Infinitum")
- 1969: Tony Williams – Emergency! ("Vaskar")
- 1972: Paul Bley – Open, to Love ("Closer", "Ida Lupino" and "Seven")
- 1972: Enrico Rava – Il Giro Del Giorno in 80 Mondi ("Olhos de Gato")
- 1973: Paul Bley – Paul Bley/NHØP ("Olhos de Gato")
- 1974: Gary Burton – Ring ("Silent Spring")
- 1974: Jan Garbarek – Witchi-Tai-To ("A.I.R.")
- 1974: Jaco Pastorius – Jaco ("Vashkar", "Donkey", "Overtoned", "Batterie" and "King Korn")
- 1974: Gary Burton – Hotel Hello ("Vaskar")
- 1975: Paul Bley – Alone, Again ("Olhos de Gato" and "And Now the Queen")
- 1975: Gary Burton – Dreams So Real ("Dreams So Real", "Ictus/Syndrome", "Jesus Maria", "Vox Humana", "Doctor", "Intermission Music")
- 1979: Morrissey–Mullen – Cape Wrath ("Dreams So Real")
- 1980: Gary Burton – Easy as Pie ("Reactionary Tango")
- 1980: Gary Burton – Picture This ("Dreams So Real")
- 1984: Gary Burton Quartet – Real Life Hits ("Syndrome" and "Real Life Hits")
- 1985: Paul Bley – Hot ("Syndrome" and "Around Again")
- 1986: Paul Bley – Fragments ("Seven" and "Closer")
- 1987: George Russell – So What ("Rhymes")
- 1987: Paul Bley and Paul Motian – Notes ("Batterie")
- 1989: Jimmy Guiffre – The Life of a Trio: Sunday ("Where Were We?")
- 1989: Orchestra Jazz Siciliana – Plays the Music of Carla Bley ("440", "The Lone Arranger", "Dreams So Real", "Baby Baby", "Joyful Noise", "Egyptian", and "Blunt Object")
- 1989: Charlie Haden – The Montreal Tapes: with Paul Bley and Paul Motian ("Ida Lupino")
- 1990: Leo Kottke – That's What ("Jesus Maria")
- 1991: Paul Bley – Paul Plays Carla ("Vashkar", "Floater", "Seven", "Around Again", "Ida Lupino", "Turns", "And Now the Queen", "Ictus", "Olhos de Gato" and "Donkey")
- 1991: John Surman – Adventure Playground ("Seven")
- 1992: Paul Bley – Homage to Carla ("Seven", "Closer", "Olhos de Gato", "And Now the Queen", "Vahskar", "Around Again", "Donkey", "King Korn", "Ictus", "Turns" and "Overtoned")
- 1994: John McLaughlin – After the Rain ("Sing Me Softly of the Blues")
- 2000: Michel Portal – Dockings ("Ida Lupino")
- 2000: Mark Turner – Ballad Session ("Jesus Maria")
- 2001: Don Preston – Transformation ("Walking Batteriewoman" and "The Donkey")
- 2002: Bobby Naughton – Zoar ("Vashkar")
- 2004: Gary Burton – Generations ("Syndrome")
- 2004: Whit Dickey – In a Heartbeat ("Calls")
- 2005: Arturo O'Farrill – Live in Brooklyn ("Utviklinsang" and "Walking Battery Woman")
- 2006: Howard Tate – Portrait of Howard ("The Lord Is Listenin' to Ya, Hallelujah")
- 2006: Dave Palmer – Romance ("Ida Lupino")
- 2007: Eberhard Weber – Stages of a Long Journey ("Syndrome")
- 2007: Jonas Kullhammar – Andratx ("Ida Lupino")
- 2008: Guillaume de Chassy – Faraway So Close ("Ida Lupino")
- 2008: Marcin Wasilewski – January ("King Korn")
- 2009: Emanuele Arciuli – Gates to Everywhere ("Romantic Notions 1-8")
- 2010: Cindy Blackman – Another Lifetime ("Vaskar", "Vaskar Reprise" and "Vaskar – The Alternate Dimension Theory")
- 2010: The Nels Cline Singers – Initiate ("And Now the Queen")
- 2013: Jeff Berlin - "Low Standards" ("Vashkar")
References[]
- ↑ Ben Sidran, Talking Jazz: An Illustrated Oral History, Pomegranate Artbooks, 1992
- ↑ Philippe Carles, André Clergeat, and Jean-Louis Comolli, Dictionnaire du jazz, Paris, 1994
- ↑ "Bley's MySpace page cites Swallow as her partner". Myspace.com. http://www.myspace.com/carlabley. Retrieved 2012-06-25.
- ↑ "German Jazz Trophy for Carla Bley". Ecmrecords.com. http://www.ecmrecords.com/News/Diary/258_Carla_Bley_German_Jazz_Trophy.php?cat=&doctype=Diary&we_start=24. Retrieved 2012-06-25.
- ↑ "German Jazz Trophy 2012 - Monty Alexander". German-jazz-trophy.de. http://www.german-jazz-trophy.de/. Retrieved 2012-06-25.
External links[]
- Template:Official website
- EJN: Carla Bley
- Carla Bley in conversation with Frank J. Oteri
- Watt/XtraWatt music label
- Carla Bley at Allmusic
- Carla Bley at All About Jazz
- Carla Bley interview at All About Jazz
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