Tag Archives: Carla Bley

Gary Burton Quintet: Dreams So Real: Music of Carla Bley

In June 1975, “ECM” label released “Dreams So Real: Music of Carla Bley”, album nay Gary Burton Quintet (26th Gary Burton album overall). It was recorded in December 1975, at “Studio Bauer” in Ludwigsburg, Germany, and was produced by Manfred Eicher.

Personnel:

  • Gary Burton – vibraphone
  • Mick Goodrick – guitar
  • Pat Metheny – electric 12-string guitar
  • Steve Swallow – bass guitar
  • Bob Moses – drums

Track listing:

All tracks by Carla Bley.

  1. Dreams So Real
  2. Ictus / Syndrome / Wrong Key Donkey
  3. Jesus Maria
  4. Vox humana
  5. Doctor
  6. Intermission Music

Charlie Haden And The Liberation Music Orchestra: Dream Keeper

In October 1990, “Blue Note” label released “Dream Keeper”, the fourth Charlie Haden and the Liberation Music Orchestra album. It was recorded in April 1990, at “Clinton Studios” in New York City. “Dream Keeper” was voted “Jazz album of the year” in “Down Beat” magazine’s 1991 critics’ poll.

Personnel:

  • Charlie Haden – double bass
  • Carla Bley – arranger, conductor
  • Ken McIntyre – alto saxophone
  • Dewey Redman – tenor saxophone
  • Joe Lovano – tenor saxophone, flute
  • Branford Marsalis – tenor saxophone, flute
  • Tom Harrell – trumpet, flugelhorn
  • Earl Gardner – trumpet
  • Ray Anderson – trombone
  • Sharon Freeman – French horn
  • Joseph Daley – tuba
  • Juan Lazaro Mendolas – wood flute, pan flute
  • Amina Claudine Myers – piano
  • Mick Goodrick – guitar
  • Paul Motian – drums
  • Don Alias – percussion
  • The Oakland Youth Chorus, Elizabeth Min – director

Track listing:

  1. Dream Keeper – Carla Bley, Langston Hughes, traditional
  2. Dream Keeper Part 1 – Carla Bley
  3. Feliciano Ama – traditional from El Salvador
  4. Dream Keeper Part II – Carla Bley
  5. Canto del Pilon (I) – traditional from Venezuela
  6. Dream Keeper Part III – Carla Bley
  7. Canto del Pilon (II) – traditional from Venezuela
  8. Hymn of the Anarchist Women’s Movement – traditional from Spanish Civil War
  9. Dream Keeper Part IV – Carla Bley
  10. Rabo de Nube – Silvio Rodríguez
  11. Nkosi Sikelel’i Afrika – Enoch Sontonga
  12. Sandino – Charlie Haden
  13. Spiritual – Charlie Haden

Gary Burton: Easy As Pie

In March 1981, “ECM” label released “Easy as Pie”, the 32nd Gary Burton album. It was recorded in June 1980, at “Tonstudio Bauer” in Ludwigsburg, Germany, and was produced by Manfred Eicher.

Personnel:

  • Gary Burton – vibraphone
  • Jim Odgren – alto saxophone
  • Steve Swallow – electric bass
  • Mike Hyman – drums

Track listing:

All tracks by Chick Corea, except where noted.

  1. Reactionary Tango – Carla Bley
  2. Tweek
  3. Blame It On My Youth – Oscar Levant, Edward Heyman
  4. Summer Band Camp – Mick Goodrick
  5. Isfahan – Billy Strayhorn, Duke Ellington
  6. Stardancer

Gary Burton Quartet: Real Life Hits

In March 1985, “ECM” label released “Real Life Hits”, album by Gary Burton Quartet album (the 35th Gary Burton album overall). It was recorded in November 1984, at “Tonstudio Bauer” in Ludwigsburg, Germany, and was produced by Manferd Eicher.

Personnel:

  • Gary Burton – vibraphone
  • Makoto Ozone – piano
  • Steve Swallow – bass guitar
  • Mike Hyman – drums
  • Martin Wieland – engineer
  • Michael Penner – front cover photography
  • Dieter Rehm – back cover photography

Track listing:

  1. Syndrome – Carla Bley
  2. The Beatles – John Scofield
  3. Fleurette Africaine – Duke Ellington
  4. Ladies in Mercedes – Steve Swallow
  5. Real Life Hits – Carla Bley
  6. I Need You Here – Makoto Ozone
  7. Ivanushka Durachok – German Lukyanov

Gary Burton Quintet: Ring

In 1974, “ECM” label released “Ring”, album by Gary Burton Quintet with Eberhard Weber (the 23rd Gary Burton albun overall). It was recorded in July 1974, and was produced by Manfred Eicher.

Personnel:

  • Gary Burton – vibraharp
  • Eberhard Weber – double bass
  • Mick Goodrick – guitar
  • Pat Metheny – guitar, electric 12-string guitar
  • Steve Swallow – bass guitar
  • Bob Moses – percussion
  • Martin Wieland – engineer
  • Frieder Grindler – layout
  • Tadayuki Naito – cover, photography

Track listing:

All tracks by Mike Gibbs, except where noted.

  1. Mevlevia – Mick Goodrick
  2. Unfinished Sympathy
  3. Tunnel of Love
  4. Intrude
  5. Silent Spring – Carla Bley
  6. The Colours of Chloë – Eberhard Weber

Gary Burton: Picture This

In November 1982, “ECM” label released “Picture This”, the 33th Gary Burton album. It was recorded in January 1982, at “Columbia Recording Studios” in New York City, and was produced by Hans Wendel.

Personnel:

  • Gary Burton — vibraphone
  • Jim Odgren — alto saxophone
  • Steve Swallow — electric bass
  • Mike Hyman — drums

Track listing:

  1. Tanglewood ’63 – Michael Gibbs
  2. Waltz – Chick Corea
  3. Dreams So Real – Carla Bley
  4. Tierra Del Fuego – Jim Odgren
  5. Duke Ellington’s Sound of Love – Charles Mingus
  6. Skylight – Jim Odgren

Carla Bley: Duets

On November 7, 1988, “Watt/ECM” label released “Duets”, the twelve Carla Bley album. It was recorded in 1988, at “Grog Kill Studio” in Willow, New York, and was produced by Carla Bley and Steve Swallow.

Personnel:

  • Carla Bley – piano
  • Steve Swallow – bass guitar, recording
  • Roger Seibel – mastering
  • Paul McDonough – art direction
  • Richard D’Albert – photography
  • Paul J. Houffler – photography
  • Michael Mantler – coordinator

Track listing:

All tracks by Carla Bley, except where noted.

  1. Baby Baby
  2. Walking Batteriewoman
  3. Útviklingssang
  4. Ladies in Mercedes – Steve Swallow
  5. Romantic Notion No. 3
  6. Remember – Steve Swallow
  7. Ups and Downs
  8. Reactionary Tango (In Three Parts) – Carla Bley, Steve Swallow
  9. Soon I Will Be Done With the Troubles of This World – traditional

Carla Bley: Carla’s Christmas Carols

On November 3, 2009, “Watt/ECM” label released “Carla’s Christmas Carols”, the 26th Carla Bley album. It was recorded in December 2008, at “La Buissonne Studios”, Avignon, France, and was produced by Steve Swallow.

Personnel:

  • Carla Bley – piano, celeste
  • Steve Swallow – bass guitar, chimes
  • Tobias Weidinger – trumpet, flugelhorn, glockenspiel
  • Axel Schlosser – trumpet, flugelhorn, chimes
  • Christine Chapman – horn
  • Adrian Mears – trombone
  • Ed Partyka – bass trombone, tuba
  • Nikolaus Lowe – engineer
  • Nicolas Baillard – engineer
  • Gerard de Garo – engineer
  • Ricarda Molder – editing, mastering
  • Watt Works – design
  • Bill Strode – photography

Track listing:

  1. Tannenbaum – traditional
  2. Away in a Manger – James R. Murray
  3. The Christmas Song – Mel Torme, Bob Wells
  4. Ring Christmas Bells – Mykola Leontovych
  5. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen Part 1 – traditional
  6. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen Part 2 – traditional
  7. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear – Richard Storrs Willis, Edmund Sears
  8. Hell’s Bells – Carla Bley
  9. Jesus Maria – Carla Bley
  10. Jingle Bells – James Pierpont
  11. O Holy Night – Adolphe Adam, Placide Cappeau
  12. Joy to the World – Lowell Mason, Isaac Watts

Carla Bley

On October 17, 2023, Lovella May Borg, aka Carla Bley died aged 87. She was composer, musician (piano, organ) and bandleader, one of the most important figures in the free jazz movement of the 1960s. Bley started the record label “JCOA “, who recorded over two dozen important albums between 1966 and 2019, and became a pioneer in the development of independent artist-owned record labels. As leader, she released 29 albums, including her magnum opus, the jazz opera “Escalator over the Hill”.

George Russell: Stratusphunk

In January 1961, “Riverside” label released “Stratusphunk”, the fifth George Russell album. It was recorded in October 1960 in New York City, and was produced by Orrin Keepnews.

Personnel:

  • George Russell – piano, arranger, conductor
  • Al Kiger – trumpet
  • David Baker: trombone
  • Dave Young: tenor saxophone
  • Chuck Israels: bass
  • Joe Hunt: drums

Track listing:

All tracks by George Russell except where noted

  1. Stratusphunk
  2. New Donna
  3. Bent Eagle – Carla Bley
  4. Kentucky Oysters – David Baker
  5. Lambskins – David Lahm
  6. Things New