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Interpreting the music of Carla Bley, Part 3

By Larry Slater | Jazz Connections
April 18, 2025
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Carla Bley

piano
1938 - 2023

" data-original-title="" title="">Carla Bley always considered herself a primarily a composer She said "I would rather write music than perform it. I'm not an improviser, basically, because I'm not quick enough. I'm a composer because I'm so slow... my writing is just like playing very slowly and my playing is like writing..."

Carla's legacy, like all composers, rests with her compositions. In this hour you'll hear some of Carla Bley's tunes performed by her contemporaries, including

Mary Halvorson

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">Mary Halvorson,

Steve Kuhn

piano
b.1938

" data-original-title="" title="">Steve Kuhn,

Steve Cardenas

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">Steve Cardenas,

Helen Sung

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Helen Sung,

Aki Takase

piano
b.1948

" data-original-title="" title="">Aki Takase and

Terri Lyne Carrington

drums
b.1965

" data-original-title="" title="">Terri Lyne Carrington.

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