Carla Bley Appearing Nightly CD

That her band is deemed "remarkable" is no understatement; trumpeter Lew Soloff and saxophonist Andy Sheppard are among the outstanding soloists. As always, Bley's originals are intricate, absorbing, and often moving, with opener "Greasy Gravy" and the epic "Appearing Nightly at the Black Orchid" standing out. Her rearrangement of "I Hadn't Anyone `Til You" closes the disc with a lyrical flourish.

Since the 1960s, Carla Bley has been composing for big bands in a way that enriches the tradition and history of jazz, while creating new possibilities for the form. APPEARING NIGHTLY (2008) is yet another notch in her string of achievements. From the retro-themed cover art to the progressive yet nostalgia-tinged work within, Bley's work looks forward and backward at once.

Personnel: Carla Bley (piano); Roger Jannotta (flute, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone); Wolfgang Pusching (flute, alto saxophone); Christophe Panzani, Andy Sheppard (tenor saxophone); Julian Arguelles (baritone saxophone); Giampaolo Casati, Florian Esch, Lew Soloff, Earl Gardner (trumpet); Gigi Grata, Beppe Calamosca, Gary Valente, Richard Henry (trombone); Karen Mantler (organ); Steve Swallow (upright bass); Billy Drummond (drums).

Magnet (p.110) - "[T]hese tunes are loaded with sly nods the old big bands and knowing winks to '50s-era standards."
JazzTimes (p.80) - "Part of it, in her unique fashion, takes inspiration from her brief stint working at a piano bar....As such, the mood ranges from lyrically sentimental to hard swinging on a harmonic area not normally associated with big bands..."