Carla Bley

robinjessome · #1 (**permalink**) Jul 29 2007, 12:20 PM

Okay, this was posted in another thread, but as discussion there is frowned upon, I decided to migrate this here. I'm curious if anyone will actually check her out, and let me know what you think.

Carla Bley

Now, I know none of you have heard of her, or are going to try and check her out, so I'll do it for you...

I'd love to let you listen to the entire Birds of Paradise, but it's massive (20 minutes long), and illegal (to post online). I'll give you a taste though...and perhaps some other stuff.

To me, she's by far the most creative and original composer of modern jazz music. Working often with a large Jazz Orchestra she also works with smaller ensembles, even trios and duos. She writes exceptionally well for the player - many of whom have been in her band for decades (Steve Swallow, Gary Valente, Lew Soloff), and has composed some of the darkest, ugliest and most disturbing music of all time; ALSO she has composed some of the prettiest, simplest and most beautiful music of all time. Always is it original, powerful and with her distinct sense of humour...

I've own several of her scores, many of her leadsheets are available free on her website, and I'll finally get the chance to see her perform this summer at the Guelph Jazz Festival with the Charlie Haden Liberation Music Orchestra.

She's absolutely unbelievable, and it's impossible for me to explain it to you...So, please check it out... I warn you, she's not for all ears, and many of you will not like it. I don't care...

Dig:

Official Website - scores for sale, leadsheets for download, and some neat insight into a unique mind.
With Haden & the LMO, interview/concert footage [video]
Escalator Over The Hill [video] - rare footage of the second staging of Carla's frightening Rock/Free/Jazz Opera. The original record's Overture is the most powerfully terrifying pieces of music ever composed...
Albums worth buying: Very Big Band // Fancy Chamber Music // Big Band Theory // Musique Mecanique // Live! // Songs With Legs // Ballad of the Fallen + any/everything else.

Clips to listen to:

Birds Of Paradise - from the 1993 album Big Band Theory. I've excerpted some highlights from the piece (it's hard to distill a 20-minute masterpiece into 3 minutes). On a whole, the piece demonstrates Carla's mastery of the long-form. Amazing, possibly one of the greatest compositions of the 20th-Century.
I Hate To Sing - from I Hate To Sing (1984), smaller ensemble, good demonstration of Carla's striking sense of humour
Wolfgang Tango - from Fancy Chamber Music (1998), Carla wrote music for non-improvising classical musicians; a fascinating experiment with great results. You folks with the classical blinders on would do well to give at least this one a chance...
Real Life Hits - from the 1982 record Live!.

Um...well, there you go. Carla Bley has had a huge impact on me and my music, she's a devastating composer and it's a shame more people aren't aware of her - she's relatively unknown in the jazz community as well. If you seriously want to check more out, let me know

She's also a wildly creative and individual piano player, one of my favorite musicians as well...

...

maittamaitta · #2 (**permalink**) Jul 29 2007, 4:39 PM

I wouldn't really say she's unknown in the jazz community, but you are right in saying that her work deserves more recognition.

robinjessome · #3 (**permalink**) Jul 29 2007, 4:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maittamaitta

I wouldn't really say she's unknown in the jazz community, but you are right in saying that her work deserves more recognition.

Okay, not unknown, but I've met many a serious jazzer who hadn't heard of her. She's fairly low on the visibility totem pole - seeing as she rarely (never?) performs in North America.

katchum · #4 (**permalink**) Jul 31 2007, 4:38 PM

Birds of Paradise: It so reminds me of something from Hamauzu, this violin she uses here is heaven. There is one thing about this song that doesn't appeal to me, it lacks a defined melody, which on the contrary, is present in Uehara's music, also a jazz composer I discovered recently.

I hate to sing: That kind of jazz isn't really my cup of tea. It seems so old, this is written in 1984? It sounds more like 1960.

Wolfgang Tango: Again I really like the instrumentation she uses here. Her use of harmonies is very interesting. Makes me want to listen to the entire song.

Real Life Hits: Not much to say here only 7 seconds long...

Mmmmm, I still prefer Uehara.

robinjessome · #5 (**permalink**) Jul 31 2007, 5:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by katchum

Birds of Paradise: It so reminds me of something from Hamauzu, this violin she uses here is heaven. There is one thing about this song that doesn't appeal to me, it lacks a defined melody, which on the contrary, is present in Uehara's music, also a jazz composer I discovered recently.

I hate to sing: That kind of jazz isn't really my cup of tea. It seems so old, this is written in 1984? It sounds more like 1960.

Wolfgang Tango: Again I really like the instrumentation she uses here. Her use of harmonies is very interesting. Makes me want to listen to the entire song.

Real Life Hits: Not much to say here only 7 seconds long...

Mmmmm, I still prefer Uehara.

Well, I appreciate you taking the time to check it out. It's hard to give a good example of a 20+ minute piece in 3 minutes....

Glad you enjoyed some of it, she's got a very diverse and ecclectic style, and I assure you, she's worth further exploration...

I don't really think you can compare a relative newcomer like Uehara to someone with a prolific and profound career like Ms. Bley.

Not sure what happened to Real Life Hits, should be about 2 minutes. ?! [tested] Works fine for me [/tested]

Romanticist · #6 (**permalink**) Jan 30 2008, 4:37 PM

I find her to be an interesting character actually....(from what I have heard and read)

gms5287 · #7 (**permalink**) Jan 30 2008, 8:50 PM

Thank you, something that isn't Beethoven 1,3,5,6,7,9 or Brahms 1-4, or Tchaikovsky (you know I'm right people)

I'm listening to I Hate To Sing right now. It sort of reminds me of...The Residents, if they played jazz/blues tinged music.

Birds of Paradise - Man, monster trombone playing. I'm digging this stuff Rob, seriously thanks for posting this. I will definitely check out more of this music.