| Social Studies | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1981 | |||
| Recorded | September–December 1980 | |||
| Studio | Grog Kill Studio, Willow, New York | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 41:16 | |||
| Label | Watt/ECM | |||
| Producer | Carla Bley | |||
| Carla Bley chronology | ||||
| ||||
Social Studies is an album by American composer, bandleader and keyboardist Carla Bley, recorded in 1980 and released on the Watt/ECM label in 1981. [1]
The AllMusic review by Alex Henderson stated: "Bley's risk-taking serves her quite well on Social Studies, an unorthodox and adventurous pearl that is as rewarding as it is cerebral". [2] The Penguin Guide to Jazz awarded the album 3 stars, stating that "Social Studies shouldn't be missed: a bookish cover masks some wonderfully wry music". [3]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Tom Hull | B+ (  ) [4] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz |  [3] |
| The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide | [5] |
All compositions by Carla Bley except where noted.
The Jazz Composer's Orchestra is a 1968 album by the Jazz Composer's Orchestra recorded over a period of six months with Michael Mantler as composer, leader and producer. Many of the key figures in avant-garde jazz from the time contributed on the album including Don Cherry, Pharoah Sanders, Gato Barbieri, Larry Coryell, Roswell Rudd, and Carla Bley. The album's finale features a two-part concerto for Cecil Taylor and orchestra.
Tropic Appetites is a jazz album by Carla Bley released in 1974, following her debut Escalator over the Hill. The lyrics are contributed by Bley's friend Paul Haines, based on his journeys to Southeast Asia in the preceding years. Unlike on the orchestral Escalator, the band is an octet, with Julie Tippetts as lead vocalist.
Dinner Music is an album by American composer, bandleader and keyboardist Carla Bley recorded in 1976 and released on the Watt/ECM label in 1977.
Musique Mecanique is an album by American composer, bandleader and keyboardist Carla Bley recorded in 1978 and released on the Watt/ECM label in 1979.
Live! is a live album by American composer, bandleader and keyboardist Carla Bley recorded at the Great American Music Hall in 1981 and released on the Watt/ECM label in 1982.
I Hate to Sing is a live album by American composer, bandleader and keyboardist Carla Bley recorded at the Great American Music Hall in 1981 combined with three tracks recorded at Grog Kill Studios in 1983 and released on the Watt/ECM label in 1984.
Heavy Heart is an album by American composer, bandleader and keyboardist Carla Bley, recorded in 1983 and released on the Watt/ECM label in 1984.
Night-Glo is an album by American composer, bandleader and keyboardist Carla Bley, with bassist Steve Swallow, recorded and released on the Watt/ECM label in 1985.
Sextet is an album by American composer, bandleader and keyboardist Carla Bley, released on the Watt/ECM label in 1987.
Fleur Carnivore is a live album by American composer, bandleader and keyboardist Carla Bley recorded at the Jazzhus Montmartre in 1988 and released on the Watt/ECM label in 1989.
The Very Big Carla Bley Band is an album by American composer, bandleader and keyboardist Carla Bley released on the Watt/ECM label in 1991.
Go Together is an album of duets by the American composer, bandleader and keyboardist Carla Bley and bassist Steve Swallow, recorded and released on the Watt/ECM label in 1993. It is the pair's second duet recording following Duets (1988).
Big Band Theory is an album by the American composer, bandleader and keyboardist Carla Bley, recorded and released on the Watt/ECM label in 1993.
Songs with Legs is a live album by the American composer, bandleader and keyboardist Carla Bley with the saxophonist Andy Sheppard and the bass guitarist Steve Swallow recorded in Europe and released on the Watt/ECM label in 1994.
The Carla Bley Big Band Goes to Church is a live album by American composer, bandleader and keyboardist Carla Bley recorded in Perugia, Italy as part of the Umbria Jazz Festival and released on the Watt/ECM label in 1996.
Fancy Chamber Music is an album by the American composer, bandleader and keyboardist Carla Bley, recorded in England in 1997 and released on the Watt/ECM label in 1998.
Are We There Yet? is a live album of duets by American composer, arranger, bandleader and keyboardist Carla Bley and bassist Steve Swallow recorded in Europe in 1998 and released on the Watt/ECM label in 1999. It is the pair's third duet recording following Duets (1988) and Go Together (1992).
4 x 4 is an album by American composer, bandleader and keyboardist Carla Bley with a chamber ensemble recorded in Oslo in 1999 and released on the Watt/ECM label in 2000.
The Lost Chords is a live album by American composer, bandleader and keyboardist Carla Bley with Andy Sheppard, Steve Swallow, and Billy Drummond recorded in Europe in 2003 and released on the Watt/ECM label in 2004.
The Lost Chords find Paolo Fresu is an album by American composer, bandleader and keyboardist Carla Bley with Andy Sheppard, Steve Swallow, and Billy Drummond and Paolo Fresu recorded in Europe in 2007 and released on the Watt/ECM label.
