大象传媒

Jazz composer Carla Bley heads off in a soulful direction in the 80s

With Donald Macleod and writer and jazz critic Kevin Le Gendre.

One of the most original voices in jazz, composer, arranger, performer and bandleader Carla Bley has been determinedly pursuing her own musical path for more than 60 years. Her back catalogue of some 50 plus recordings tell the story of a musician who's responded in her own unique style to all the current trends, from free and experimental jazz in the 60s and 70s to 80s soul, blues and R&B. In later decades, she's written for and created big bands recalling the musical landscapes of Count Basie and the Duke and in the last 20 years, she's refined a distilled, intimate style for smaller chamber ensembles, in particular performing in a trio with her life partner, bassist Steve Swallow and the British saxophonist Andy Sheppard. Little wonder then, her fellow musicians affectionately call Bley 'Countess Bleysie' and 'Bleythoven'. Featuring a selection of recordings suggested by Carla Bley, Donald Macleod and Kevin Le Gendre follow Bley's musical adventuring from her early days writing for Paul Bley and Gary Burton, to her latest album for the Carla Bley Trio, released in 2020.

After her experimental projects of the 70s, and leading a big band, a decade on Bley released a series of albums that draw on R&B and Motown. It caused a big stir, and a certain degree of confusion among the fans of her earlier work as to her musical direction.

脷迟惫颈办濒颈苍驳蝉蝉补苍驳
Carla Bley, piano
Steve Swallow, bass

Walking Batteriewoman
Carla Bley, piano
Steve Swallow, bass

Wildlife (Horns; Paws without Claws; Sex with Birds)
Carla Bley, organ
Paul McCandless, english horn, oboe
Randy Brecker, trumpet
John Clark, French horn
David Taylor, bass trombone
Tom Malone, trombone
Manolo Badrena, percussion
Hiram Bullock, guitar
Steve Swallow, electric bass,
Larry Willis, piano
Victor Lewis, drums

The Girl Who Cried Champagne
Carla Bley, piano
Andy Sheppard, tenor saxophone
Steve Swallow, bass

Lawns
R眉diger Krause, guitar
Carla Bley, piano
Steve Swallow, bass

Producer: Johannah Smith