Artist picture of Carla Bley

Carla Bley

4 691 fans

Artist's top tracks

Lawns Carla Bley 07:04
The Ballad Of The Fallen (Folk Song From El Salvador) Charlie Haden, Carla Bley, Don Cherry, Sharon Freeman 04:19
Sing Me Softly Of The Blues Carla Bley, Steve Swallow 05:50
India Song Bill Laswell, Carla Bley, Chico Freeman, John Clark 04:16
Lost In The Stars Carla Bley, Phil Woods 06:12
Masquerade In 3 Parts: Carnation, Dark Glasses, Mustache Carla Bley, Steve Swallow 13:06
Grandola Vila Morena Charlie Haden, Carla Bley, Don Cherry, Sharon Freeman 02:11
Mother Of The Dead Man Carla Bley, Steve Swallow 05:52
The Girl Who Cried Champagne Carla Bley 06:06
Útviklingssang Carla Bley 09:18

Most popular release

Life Goes On: Life Goes On
Life Goes On: On
Life Goes On: And On
Life Goes On: And Then One Day

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Biography

Carla Bley is an American jazz musician who has had success as a solo artist and with ensembles including her Big Band for many decades. She has had three releases on Billboard's Jazz Albums Chart: 'Carla's Christmas Carols' (2010) with bassist Steve Swallow and the Partyka Brass Quintet which went to number 16, 'Trios' (2013) with Andy Sheppard and Steve Swallow which peaked at number 19 and 'Andando El Tiempo' (2016) with Sheppard and Swallow which reached number 14. She has received two Grammy Award nominations with Carla Bley Big Band for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album for 'Looking for America' (2003) and 'Appearing Nightly' (2008).

Born to a musical family in northern California she learned to play piano as a child and at the age of 17 moved to New York where she met and later married Canadian jazz pianist Paul Bley. When she began writing, artists such as George Russell, Jimmy Giuffre and Paul Bley recorded her compositions and she played a role in the formation of the Jazz Composers Guild in 1964. She was co-leader of the Jazz Composers Orchestra and collaborated with many artists such as Jack Bruce, Nick Mason and Robert Wyatt. She has also provided arrangements for others including Charlie Haden's Liberation Music Orchestra and producer Hal Willner's 'Amarcord Nino Rota'. Her most acclaimed recordings include 'Escalator Over the Hill' (1971), 'Dinner Music' (1977), 'Carla Bley Live' (1982) and 'Fleur Carnivore' (1988). She most recently released the album 'Life Goes On' in February 2020 with Sheppard and Swallow.