Home » Jazz Articles » Radio & Podcasts » The Music of Carla Bley, part 2; Small and Large Ensembl...
The Music of Carla Bley, part 2; Small and Large Ensemble Recordings
Click the play button to listen
The jazz world lost a true original free spirit in October of 2023 when t.he composer, arranger and pianist Carla Bley died at age 87.Carla led both big bands and smaller groups throughout the '70s, '80s and '90s, typically utilizing many of the same musicians, including the trombonist Gary Valente, saxophonists Andy Sheppard & Wolfgang Puschnig and trumpeter.Lew Soloff. Carla's music was uniquely hers—regardless of the size of the ensemble, the sound was pure Carla. Her big band sounded like no other ensemble.
She displayed an impish sense of humor, using madcap themes as she drew on competing strains of swing, bebop, rock, polka, and German cabaret music. Even her album covers and song titles were funny. Song with Legs featured a photograph of her legs, while a small group she called the Lost Chords recorded an album with song titles: One Banana, Two Banana, Three Banana, Four Banana, Five Banana and "One Banana More."
Tags
Comments
PREVIOUS / NEXT
Support All About Jazz
All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make 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.
