Carla Bley | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Lovella May Borg |
Born | [1] Oakland, California, U.S. | May 11, 1936
Died | October 17, 2023 Willow, New York, U.S. | (aged 87)
Genres | Jazz |
Occupation(s) | Musician, bandleader, composer |
Instrument(s) | Piano, organ |
Years active | 1960–2020 |
Labels | WATT Records, ECM, Universal |
Formerly of | Michael Mantler, Steve Swallow, Paul Bley, Nick Mason, Johnny Griffin, Gary Burton, Jimmy Giuffre, George Russell, Art Farmer, Liberation Music Orchestra, Jack Bruce, Charlie Haden, Jazz Composer's Orchestra, Paul Haines |
Carla Bley (born Lovella May Borg; May 11, 1936 – October 17, 2023) was an American jazz composer, pianist, organist, and bandleader.[2] An important figure in the free jazz movement of the 1960s, she was perhaps best known 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.[3]