Carla Bley - Social studies

[Alon Marcus]

A very interesting album. An insight to Carla's arranging talent through a small group. Nice instrumentation contains Joe Daley on Euphonium.

Gary Valente on trombone is very dominant.

Good work by the reeds section from Carlos Ward and Dagrady.

Best composition is Copyright Royalties which contain a part where only the brass instruments play (a beautiful combination of tuba, trombone, trumpet and euphonium).

I'm familiar with some other Carla works but will gladly receive more recommendations.

Edited October 22, 2004 by ztrauq22

[A Lark Ascending]

I really love "Útviklingssang" off this disc. Beautiful melody, marvellous saxophone.

I'd strongly recommend "European Tour (1977)" from around the same time. "Spangled Banner Minor and Other Patriotic Songs" is a wonderful piece of musical irony.

My two favourite Bleys are the earlier 'Tropic Appetites' and the sprawling, very 60s but thoroughly marvellous 'Escalator Over the Hill'.

All records I've lived with for 30 years and still play regularly.

There was a Kurt Weill-ish off-centred feel to the Bley of the 60s and 70s. Personally I've found her music from the 80s to be more conventional. The eccentricities seem more studied, less spontaneous.

[Alon Marcus]

Thank you, just watched the recent LMO on TV.

I don't want to talk about politics but the music is great. The same irony you mentioned: minor version of "America the beautiful". Many good players - Tony Malaby is the one I liked the most.

[A Lark Ascending]

The original Liberation Music Orchestra disc and the later Ballad of the Fallen heavily feature Carla Bley. They both have the slightly edgy, askew feel that I miss in later Bley.

Both highly recommended.

[alankin]

I think I saw her group on tour around the time of "Social Studies."

When's the last time she toured in the U.S.?

* sigh *

[BFrank]

Strangely enought, "Social Studies" and "European Tour (1977)" are the only 2 Carla Bley albums I have (and they're on vinyl). I really haven't listened to them much, although I've had them for MANY years.

Maybe it's time ...

[alankin]

Strangely enought, "Social Studies" and "European Tour (1977)" are the only 2 Carla Bley albums I have (and they're on vinyl). I really haven't listened to them much, although I've had them for MANY years.

Maybe it's time ...

Yes, you should.

Carla could be mentioned in the quote discussion we were having. Lots of quotes on side two of European Tour - the side long "Spangled Banner Minor And Other Patriotic Songs". Of course hers are composed into the tune...

[B. Goren.]

This week I enjoyed vey much this CD:

An excellent duet session of two great musicians.

[sidewinder]

Personally I've found her music from the 80s to be more conventional. The eccentricities seem more studied, less spontaneous.

←

The stuff from the 1980s almost seems to be written with 'airplay potential' in mind. I'm thinking of albums such as 'Night Glo'. First time I heard these records was in Germany, where Ms Bley had quite a strong following at the time.

I remember the time Bley & band played the Collegiate Theatre at UCL, London as a free concert, just for the students. The first I heard of it was my next door neighbour of the time raving about how great it was (Valente, Windo, Mantler, Swallow, D Sharpe etc) and commenting that I should have been there.

Edited July 9, 2005 by sidewinder

[chuckyd4]

Social Studies was my first - and still my favorite - Carla Bley disc. I just love the conciseness (concision?) to it, the enjoyable compositions, and the cerebral but still firey playing by all. When I first bought it, I was absolutely knocked out by the unique sound she gets from her group, and I had it on repeat for a good couple weeks. Always been a personal favorite since then.

Though I would also second the recommendations for European Tour 1977. As for more recent stuff, I really dug Looking for America and to a lesser extent 4x4. I've always been interested to give the Big Band goes to Church disc a try.

[Rosco]

Bley did go through a disappointing phrase in the eighties (but then, so did a lot of people!) but there is still stuff to savour. My own favorite latter-day Bley recordings would be:

Live! (1981)

Fleur Carnivore (1988)

Big Band Goes to Church (1996)

... all live albums, coincidentally. The live setting seems to bring something out of this band that the studio recordings seem to stifle. There's also a good DVD available in Europe (not sure about the US), Live in Montreal from 1983, with Joe Lovano in the band.

[Kalo]

Bley did go through a disappointing phrase in the eighties (but then, so did a lot of people!)

←

Who DIDN'T dissappoint in the '80s?

I've always WANTED to like Bley. Which record do folks recommend as a gateway to her music?