Carla Bley

Carla Bley was a pioneering American jazz composer, pianist, organist, and bandleader, celebrated for her significant contributions to the free jazz movement of the 1960s. She is renowned for her ambitious jazz opera 'Escalator Over the Hill', a sprawling triple album that defied genre conventions. Bley's compositions have been widely performed by artists like *Gary Burton*, *George Russell*, and her ex-husband *Paul Bley*. A trailblazer for artist independence, she co-founded the #WATT# record label with *Michael Mantler*, releasing dozens of her own albums and cementing her legacy as a fiercely original and influential force in modern music.