Jazz
Recorded at Grog Kill Studio, Willow, New York from September-December 1980
Michael Mantler trumpet
Carlos Ward soprano and alto saxophones
Tony Dagradi tenor saxophone, clarinet
Gary Valente trombone
Joe Daley euphonium
Earl McIntyre tuba
Carla Bley organ, piano
Steve Swallow bass
D. Sharpe drums
This wonderful 1981 release was recorded by Bley's nine-piece band, which featured players who worked with her throughout the '80s. The casual grace of this music belies its complex heart. At times it's mischievous, at other times playful, audacious, or just plain funny.
The opening "Reactionary Tango" gorgeously explores Argentinean music with calculated aplomb. Much of the rest of the set similarly bowls a listener over with its cascading beauty. Bley also scores a couple of her early pieces, "Floater" and "Walking Batteriewoman," which had been recorded by her ex-husband Paul Bley in the '60s. Carla Bley has produced a lasting and vital body of work, of which this album would have to be numbered in her top five or six essential titles. |
