Jazz Articles about Carla Bley

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Carla Bley Big Band: Appearing Nightly

by John Kelman
September 4, 2008

It's been five years since Carla Bley last worked with a big band on the politically motivated Looking for America (Watt, 2003). In the intervening years, the composer/bandleader has focused on small ensemble work with The Lost Chords (2004), and a follow-up encounter with trumpeter Paolo Fresu on The Lost Chords Find Paolo Fresu (2007), both on her own Watt label. Appearing Nightly has a more benign purpose than Looking for America--a warm look back at the social but sophisticated ...

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Carla Bley Big Band: Appearing Nightly

by C. Michael Bailey
September 2, 2008

Carla Bley Big Band Appearing Nightly WATT 2008

Bandleader and musical provocateur Carla Bley is the Hector Berlioz of jazz. Her command of her large ensembles is complete and potent. Her composition, arrangement, and adaptation are intelligent with a sophisticated sense of humor. A superb pianist, Bley's true talent lies in her ability to define and then guide an orchestra through her arrangements without veering off into parts unknown. Her relationship with ...

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Songs With Legs: Carla Bley, Steve Swallow and Andy Sheppard At Birdland, NYC

by Budd Kopman
April 25, 2008

Carla Bley / Steve Swallow /Andy SheppardBirdlandNew York, NYApril 10, 2008 The Lost Chords is the name of the quartet led by pianist Carla Bley with her partner, bassist Steve Swallow, saxophonist Andy Sheppard and drummer Billy Drummond. The group has recorded The Lost Chords (Watt, 2004) and, with the addition of Italian trumpeter Paoloa Fresu, The Lost Chords Find Paolo Fresu (Watt, 2007). As a trio they've been performing since 1993 and recorded ...

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Carla Bley: The Lost Chords Find Paolo Fresu

by Jim Santella
April 2, 2008

Founded in 2003, Carla Bley's quartet The Lost Chords interprets her music with emotional depth and superior musicianship. By adding guest trumpeter Paolo Fresu for this session, she has stumbled on a formula that emphasizes camaraderie and spirit-sharing. The five artists fuse well together through blues, ballads, lyrical arias and the occasional ruckus. Far from predictable, Bley's music engulfs the band as if in a cozy den with fireplace and library, where the walls are covered with tapestries that tell ...

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Carla Bley: The Lost Chords Find Paolo Fresu

by Martin Gladu
January 8, 2008

Is Carla Bley a Naive artist? The commercial exploitation of her works notwithstanding, one finds, in the simplicity and recurrence of themes; progressions and forms; and idiosyncratic style--as well as in the peculiar ponderous feel to much of her compositions, self-trained, instinctive approach to music-making and libertarian personality--many of the same features found in Naive artistry.While the unicity and originality of her music and longevity in a particularly tough milieu are to be applauded, broader audiences remain somewhat ...

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Carla Bley: The Lost Chords Find Paolo Fresu

by Budd Kopman
December 7, 2007

On The Lost Chords Meet Paolo Fresu, Carla Bley has composed music for her quartet, plus the outstanding Italian trumpeter Paolo Fresu that is just about the ideal mixture of beauty and intellect. It is almost scandalous to write about a recording and give away its secrets to the unsuspecting listener who, in an ideal world, would enjoy the point of the music much more by just putting it in the player and listening. To be sure, ...

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Carla Bley: The Lost Chords Find Paolo Fresu

by John Kelman
October 30, 2007

Once Carla Bley finds musicians she likes, she sticks with them. Bassist Steve Swallow, also Bley's life partner, dates back with the pianist/composer/bandleader to Musique Mecanique (WATT, 1979). Saxophonist Andy Sheppard first appeared on Bley's classic Fleur Carnivore (WATT, 1989). She's recorded with both on the trio Songs with Legs (WATT, 1995), but it was on The Lost Chords (WATT, 2004), with relative newcomer Billy Drummond on drums, that they best gelled as a small ensemble.