Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Carla Bley: Life Goes On

6

Carla Bley: Life Goes On

By

Sign in to view read count
Carla Bley: Life Goes On
After decades of illuminating and revealing work, reveling in and breaking free of shadows, it is those same shadows that still inspire and inform Carla Bley. Which perhaps explains why the title track of Life Goes On rolls in on the 12-bar like a music obsessed, post-bop cigarette girl absorbing Count Basie at Birdland in the 1950s. So let's take a brief moment to be thankful for the odd, out of time quirks that have brought us to this same strange moment while still being able to rejoice in Bley's skillfully subversive storytelling.

Recorded in the grand chamber that is Auditorio Stelio Molo in Lugano, but exercised vigorously across stages in Europe and America, Life Goes On has the feel of an oft-told oral history whose wily narrator isn't shy to embellish or lay bare. As has been the decades long template, bassist Steve Swallow and saxophonist Andy Sheppard tell their tales while interpreting Bley's, allowing the vaguest remembrance to play as strong a part in the drama as the most defining moments.

Built in three Charlie Chaplin-esque, Thelonious Monk-like, Erik Satie-inspired suites, "Life Goes On," "Beautiful Telephones," and "Copycat" each capture more light than their immediate predecessor in compositional flavor and optimism. Credit that to the trio's uncommon embroidery, since each is a lead voice more than willing to immerse itself into the other's story to compliment the whole. Swallow, the epitome of fluency, is particularly slippery yet center holding, while Sheppard increasingly voices Bley's concerns with an agile breathiness that warrants its own solo track. Bley plays cat and mouse, quotes "The Star-Spangled Banner" and "Yankee Doodle" and holds our attention as few others can.

Track Listing

Life Goes On: Life Goes On; On; And On. Beautiful Telephones: I, II, III; Copycat: After You; Follow The Leader; Copycat.

Personnel

Album information

Title: Life Goes On | Year Released: 2020 | Record Label: ECM Records

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Sensual
Rachel Z
Over and Over
Tony Monaco Trio
Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.