ENDEIT
Carla Bley
Photo: Nomo michael hoefner http://www.zwo5.de, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Pianists · 1936–2023

Carla Bley

American jazz composer, pianist, organist and bandleader (1936–2023)

Born
11 May 1936
Oakland
Died
17 October 2023
Willow
Country
United States
Active
1960–2023
Record labels
ECM Records
Discography
25 albums

Biography

Carla Bley was a jazz musician who played piano and Hammond organ. Carla Bley was born on 11 May 1936 in Oakland and died on 17 October 2023 in Willow. The music is usually filed under jazz. Record labels: ECM Records. The discography here lists 25 albums, from “Jazz Realities” (1966) to “Joyful Noise (Live In Hamburg 1984)” (2026). Honours include Guggenheim Fellowship (1972), honorary doctor of the University of Toulouse-II (2012) and NEA Jazz Masters.

Carla Bley (born Lovella May Borg; May 11, 1936 – October 17, 2023) was an American jazz composer, pianist, organist, and bandleader. An important figure in the free jazz movement of the 1960s, she gained acclaim 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.

Read the full article on Wikipedia ↗ · From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Discography

Studio and live albums

Jazz Realities 1966 · Fontana Escalator Over the Hill 1971 · JCOA Records Tropic Appetites 1974 · WATT Dinner Music 1977 · ECM Records Social Studies 1981 · ECM Records Live! 1982 · Live · ECM Records Mortelle randonnée 1983 · Mercury Records Heavy Heart 1984 · ECM Records Night-glo 1985 · ECM Records Sextet 1987 · ECM Records Duets 1988 · ECM Records Fleur Carnivore 1989 · Live · ECM Records Big Band Theory 1993 · BMG Classics Go Together 1993 · WATT Fancy Chamber Music 1998 · BMG Classics Are We There Yet? 1999 · Live · ECM Records 4x4 2000 · ECM Records The Lost Chords 2004 · Live · ECM Records The Lost Chords Find Paolo Fresu 2007 · ECM Records Carla’s Christmas Carols 2009 · ECM Records Trios 2013 · ECM Records Andando el tiempo 2016 · ECM Records Life Goes On 2020 · ECM Records Joyful Noise (Live In Hamburg 1984) 2026 · Live · NDR kultur
1980-03-12, Berklee Performance Center, Boston, MA · Live

Also plays on

Albums where Carla Bley is credited as a sideman

1970 Liberation Music Orchestra — Charlie Haden piano
1973 Relativity Suite — Don Cherry & The Jazz Composer’s Orchestra piano
1974 No Answer — Michael Mantler clavinet, organ, piano, keyboard, producer
1975 13 & 3/4 — Michael Mantler / Carla Bley piano, conductor
1977 Silence — Michael Mantler producer
1978 Movies — Michael Mantler synthesizer, tenor saxophone, producer
1980 More Movies — Michael Mantler organ, producer
1983 The Ballad of the Fallen — Charlie Haden & Carla Bley arranger, piano
1983 Something There — Michael Mantler piano, producer
1995 Abandoned Garden — Michael Franks arranger, piano
2001 The Hapless Child — Michael Mantler synthesizer, piano, clavinet, keyboard, producer
2005 Not in Our Name — Charlie Haden arranger, conductor, piano, producer

Awards

Frequently asked questions

What instrument did Carla Bley play?

Carla Bley is known for playing piano and Hammond organ.

When and where was Carla Bley born?

Carla Bley was born 11 May 1936 in Oakland.

What are Carla Bley's best-known albums?

Albums in our database include Jazz Realities (1966), Escalator Over the Hill (1971), Tropic Appetites (1974), Dinner Music (1977) and Social Studies (1981).

External links

Data compiled from open sources; see the source links below. Spotted an error? Let us know.