Carla Bley
Carla Bley | |
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ECM, Universal |
Carla Bley (born Lovella May Borg; May 11, 1936 – October 17, 2023) was an American jazz composer, pianist, organist, and bandleader.[2] An important figure in the free jazz movement of the 1960s, she was perhaps best known for her jazz opera Escalator over the Hill (released as a triple LP set), as well as a book of compositions that have been performed by many other artists, including Gary Burton, Jimmy Giuffre, George Russell, Art Farmer, Robert Wyatt, John Scofield, and her ex-husband Paul Bley. She was a pioneer in the development of independent artist-owned record labels, and recorded over two dozen albums between 1966 and 2019.[3]
Early life
Bley was born in
Career
A number of musicians began to record Bley's compositions:
In 1964, she was involved in organizing the
Bley arranged and composed music for bassist
Wolfgang Sandner summarized for Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that she was "great as a stimulator, as a muse, catalyst, idea generator, as a sounding board and amplifier, also in refusing – virtuosity, fetishised technique, perfect craft, convention and false pathos".[4]
Later life and death
Bley continued to record frequently with her own big band, which included Lew Soloff from Blood, Sweat & Tears, and a with number of smaller ensembles, notably the Lost Chords.[17]
After Bley's marriage to Mantler ended, she began a relationship with bassist Steve Swallow.[5]
In 2005, she arranged the music for and performed on Charlie Haden's latest Liberation Music Orchestra tour and recording, Not in Our Name. Her last album, Life Goes On, was released in 2020.[5]
In 2018, Bley was diagnosed with brain cancer,[13] from which she died at home in Willow, New York, on October 17, 2023, at age 87.[5][18]
Awards
Bley was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1972 for music composition.[19] In 2009, she received the German Jazz Trophy "A Life for Jazz".[20] Bley received the NEA Jazz Masters Award in 2015.[21]
Discography
References
- ^ a b c Chinen, Nate (May 11, 2016). "Carla Bley, Still Improvising and Inspiring as She Turns 80". The New York Times. Retrieved May 11, 2016.
- ^ ISBN 1-85227-745-9.
- ^ Henkin, Andrey (October 17, 2023). "Carla Bley, prolific and expansive jazz pianist, dies at 87". WNET. NPR.
- ^ a b Sandner, Wolfgang (October 18, 2023). "Die Kunst, aus der Reihe zu tanzen". FAZ (in German). Retrieved October 18, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f Chinen, Nate (October 17, 2023). "Carla Bley, Jazz Composer, Arranger and Provocateur, Dies at 87". The New York Times. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
- ^ Sidran, Ben, Talking Jazz: An Illustrated Oral History, Pomegranate Artbooks, 1992.
- ^ Carles, Philippe, André Clergeat, and Jean-Louis Comolli, Dictionnaire du jazz, Paris, 1994.
- ^ arwulf, arwulf. "Paul Bley: Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
- ^ Turner, Charles. "Bley, Carla (Lovella May Borg)". Jazz.com. Archived from the original on March 2, 2015. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
- ^ Henkin, Andrey (October 17, 2023). "Carla Bley, prolific and expansive jazz pianist, dies at 87". NPR. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
- ISBN 978-0141023274.
- ^ Review of Andando el Tiempo (2017), The Irish Times June 2, 2016.
- ^ a b Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (October 17, 2023). "Carla Bley, imaginative jazz pianist and composer, dies aged 87". The Guardian. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
- ISBN 0704331640.
- ISBN 0306803771.
- AllMusic
- ^ "Bley's MySpace page cites Swallow as her partner". Myspace.com. Retrieved June 25, 2012.
- ^ Tobisch, Léopold (October 17, 2023), "La compositrice et jazzwoman Carla Bley est décédée", Radio France (in French)
- ^ "John Simon Guggenheim Foundation | Carla Bley". Retrieved October 29, 2019.
- ^ "Carla Bley erhält 'German Jazz Trophy'". Focus. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
- ^ "Carla Bley". arts.gov. June 20, 2014. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
External links
- EJN: Carla Bley
- Carla Bley and Steve Swallow video interview about Dreams So Real and working with ECM Records
- Carla Bley in conversation with Frank J. Oteri
- Carla Bley discography at Discogs
- Carla Bley at AllMusic
- Carla Bley at IMDb
- Carla Bley at All About Jazz
- Carla Bley interview at All About Jazz