Carla bley 201812/5/2023 ![]() ![]() Our aperitif is served in a glass etched with the words “A New Hymn.” This anthemic wonder, swirling with full-bodied horns, goes down easy. In this instance it is instrumental, upbeat, and optimistic. Bley even references herself by reprising “Funnybird Song” from Tropic Appetites. And when the rhythm section of bassist Gordon Edwards and drummer Steve Gadd kicks in with a solid groove, and the flute of Carlos Ward draws out the sunset just a little longer than physics will allow, the band unravels a pioneering atmosphere. The sound of a crowd sets the scene as Bley warms up on the piano (she also plays tenor saxophone). Bley sings on the latter tune with a touch of melancholy that cannot be washed away with any amount of champagne. Yet what on the surface appears to be even-tempered teems with chaos and fascinations beneath. “Dreams So Real” (recorded the year before on the eponymous album by Gary Burton for ECM) is another laid-back beauty, replete with electric undercurrent, as is “Dining Alone.” Rudd and Ward are a lovely leading pair, while the electric guitar of Eric Gale is incisive and intriguing. Though smoother than its surrounding courses, Bley keeps us on our aural toes with some interesting changes in the organ. “Sing Me Softly Of The Blues” also happens to be the title of record by the Art Farmer Quartet, which included the timeless “Ad Infinitum,” also heard here. That said, she does use the piano to heat up the appetizer of “Sing Me Softly Of The Blues.” The sounds of a meal serve as backdrop while joy and self-derision pass around the same funky libation, compelling Rudd to raise an early toast (also check out his dialogue with a trumpeting Mantler on “Song Sung Long”). ![]() This time around, the bandleader and composer relegates the pianistic duties to Richard Tee and opts mostly for organ, thereby adding warmth of character and a tingling personality. Fourth, it sets the tonal balance of wit and rigor that defines a particularly fruitful era of her genius. Third, it welcomes saxophonist Carlos Ward, trombonist Roswell Rudd, and tuba player Bob Stewart into the fold. Second, it gives her room to interpret some of her most inspired tunes for the first time in the studio (after having been recorded by Paul Bley and others). First, it introduces a big band format that will serve Bley well in the decades to come. Our date with this ten-tet falls under the banner of CLASSIC for several reasons. Now that we have been thoroughly psychoanalyzed by Michael Mantler’s dramaturgical shadows, leaving behind the jetlag from our trip, we can at last eat our fill and bask in the glow of Carla Bley’s Dinner Music. Recorded July through September and mixed October 1976 at Grog Kill Studio, Willow, New York Recorded live on tour in France, Italy, Austria, Germany, Turkey and England in May 1994.Carlos Ward alto and tenor saxophones, fluteĮric Gale guitar (on “Dreams So Real,” “Dining Alone,” and “Ida Lupino”)Ĭornell Dupree guitar (on “Sing Me Softly Of The Blues” and “Funnybird Song”)Ĭarla Bley organ (piano introduction on “Sing Me Softly Of The Blues,” vocal on “Dining Alone,” piano and tenor saxophone on “Ida Lupino”)."Misterioso" ( Thelonious Monk) - 10:20."The Lord Is Listenin' to Ya, Hallelujah!" - 7:48.The Penguin Guide to Jazz awarded it 3 stars, saying, "She doesn't put a foot wrong throughout." Professional ratings Review scoresĪll compositions by Carla Bley except where noted. The AllMusic review by Alex Henderson awarded the album 2½ stars and said, "For those who've said they wish Bley would solo more often, Songs with Legs is an album to hear." A biographer also highlighted her increased focus on piano and improvisation at this period in Bley's career, and highlighted the "soulful, spiritual-like piece 'The Lord Is Listenin' to Ya, Hallelujah!'". Songs with Legs is a live album by the American composer, bandleader and keyboardist Carla Bley with the saxophonist Andy Sheppard and the bass guitarist Steve Swallow recorded in Europe and released on the Watt/ECM label in 1994. ![]()
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