Carla Bley
Carla Bley | |
|---|---|
Bley in 2009 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Lovella May Borg |
| Born | May 11, 1936 Oakland, California, U.S. |
| Died | October 17, 2023 (aged 87) Willow, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, bandleader, composer |
| Instrument(s) | Piano, organ |
| Years active | 1960–2020 |
| Labels | WATT, 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. An important figure in the free jazz movement of the 1960s, she gained acclaim 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.