American pianist and composer Carla Bley is honorary artist in residence of the Moers Festival that’s being held in Germany. On Sunday 27 May this artist will present her new piece named “La Lecon Francaise”. She is going to perform it with the Bohuslan Big Band and the Dortmund Choral Academy Boys Choir.
Music magazines are speculating that this could be the extension of her best known work – the jazz opera “Escalator over the Hill” released in 1972. Critics believed that her opera included everything important in music of the 20th century till that time.
As a composer Carla Bley is irreplacable in jazz history, especially in free jazz that rised at the beginning of the 60s. Her asymmetrical composition structures are a result of huge talent and originality. Unpredictable melodies became a distinction of her style as well as the combining of dramatic moments in music with profound humor.
She wrote for many musicians among whome are Gary Burton, Jimmy Giuffre, George Russell, Steve Swallow, Art Farmer, Paul Bley, Jack Bruce, Robert Wyatt, Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason whose solo album Nick Mason’s Fictitious Sports was completely composed by Bley.
As a leader of different ensembles she has relesed 20 albums and worked with Charlie Haden on his Liberation Music Orchestra project as composer and arranger. She performed in Sarajevo with the same Orchestra as a special guest in 2005 at the 9th edition of the Jazz Fest.
If you would like to know more about this remarkable artist, visit her interactive web site www.wattextrawatt.com.