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The Music of Carla Bley, part 2; Small and Large Ensemble Recordings
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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."
About Carla Bley
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