Search - Carla Bley :: Dinner Music

This Is Not Elevator Music

Star Thrower | 11/08/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Sometimes it's embarrassing to be an American. The appallingly ignorant comments found on Amazon only contribute to this feeling. Carla Bley is one of our truly great composers and arrangers and to equate her work with Muzak is really stupid. It's no wonder she spends most of her time in Europe. This album features some modern jazz standards all composed by Ms. Bley. They include Sing Me Softly Of The Blues, Dreams So Real, and Ad Infinitum. Sing Me Softly... is right up there with Round Midnight, Goodbye Pork Pie Hat, or any other great modern jazz ballad. Great artists from John Mclaughlin to Art Farmer have recorded this tune. This may not be the definitive version because with the exception of Carla's piano intro, the band plays uptempo. The great vibraphonist Gary Burton recorded Dreams So Real, and many other Carla Bley compositions. The mood of this record is laid back hence the album title. It's also meant to be listened to. With wonderful players like Roswell Rudd,Carlos Ward, Eric Gale, and Steve Gadd, it would be a shame if you didn't."