| Trios | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 6, 2013 | |||
| Recorded | April 2013 | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 56:14 | |||
| Label | ECM ECM 2287 | |||
| Producer | Manfred Eicher | |||
| Carla Bley chronology | ||||
| ||||
Trios is an album by American composer and pianist Carla Bley with saxophonist Andy Sheppard and bass guitarist Steve Swallow, recorded in April 2013 and released on ECM later that year. [1] This was the first occasion on which these longtime collaborators had worked as a trio since 1994's Songs with Legs .
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [2] |
| The Guardian | [3] |
| Tom Hull | B+ [4] |
The AllMusic review by Thom Jurek awarded the album 4 stars and stated "Trios offers more than just re-arrangements of some of Bley's classic tunes with a smaller group; it portrays how timeless she is as an artist, and just how integral is her role in the development of modern creative jazz." [2]
Writing in The Guardian, John Fordham observed "As the almost 20-year-old partnership between composer/pianist Carla Bley, bass guitarist Steve Swallow and British saxist Andy Sheppard has evolved, Bley the reluctant pianist has grown more assured, and the tonally subtle Sheppard more minimal, while Swallow holds the music in shape with his flawlessly purring lines." [3]
The All About Jazz review by John Kelman said that "Without muss or fuss, Bley, Swallow and Sheppard have, with Trios, created that most perfect of chamber records, filled with shrewd surprises and a delicate dramaturgy that reveals itself further with each and every listen" [5] Another review by Sammy Stein stated "Some of the tunes are familiar as Bley has recorded them before, but here they are given a new life, energy and subtle changes of interpretation. The communication between players and intensity of the musicians is clear. Simply put, this is great music, well played." [6]
The JazzTimes review by Thomas Conrad said "Carla Bley’s reputation as an important composer and arranger is based on her work with larger ensembles. Trios is a glimpse into her aesthetic world stripped to its barest essentials... No layers are possible, only open-ended implications and the stark designs created by three very different instrumental voices juxtaposed in space." [7]
All compositions by Carla Bley
James Peter Giuffre was an American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, composer, and arranger. He is known for developing forms of jazz which allowed for free interplay between the musicians, anticipating forms of free improvisation.
Steve Swallow is an American jazz bassist and composer, known for his collaborations with Jimmy Giuffre, Gary Burton, and Carla Bley. He was one of the first jazz double bassists to switch entirely to electric bass guitar.
Andy Sheppard is a British jazz saxophonist and composer. He has been awarded several prizes at the British Jazz Awards, and has worked with some notable figures in contemporary jazz, including Gil Evans, Carla Bley, George Russell and Steve Swallow. In 2019 he was presented the degree of Doctor of Music honoris causa by the University of Bristol.
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.
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.
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.
Looking for America is an album by American composer, bandleader and keyboardist Carla Bley recorded in 2002 and released on the Watt/ECM label in 2003.
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.
Appearing Nightly is a live album by American composer, bandleader and keyboardist Carla Bley, recorded in Paris in 2006 and released on the Watt/ECM label in 2008. Bley's compositions and arrangements incorporate many references to big bands and jazz standards from the swing era. The album contains two compositions commissioned by the Jazz Orchestra of Sardinia, and a suite inspired by nightclubs and big bands of the 1950s commissioned for the Monterey Jazz Festival.
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.
Carla's Christmas Carols is an album of Christmas carols arranged by American composer, bandleader and keyboardist Carla Bley with bassist Steve Swallow and the Partyka Brass Quintet, recorded in France in 2008 and released on the Watt/ECM label in 2009.
Wisteria is a jazz album by pianist Steve Kuhn and his trio, recorded is September 2011 and released on ECM in April the following year.
Andando el Tiempo is an album by American composer and pianist Carla Bley with saxophonist Andy Sheppard and bass guitarist Steve Swallow released on the ECM label. Though the musicians are longtime collaborators, this is their third album as a trio and second on the ECM label. It is Bley's first complete album of new compositions in eight years and is titled after a three part meditation on addiction and recovery, inspired by a friend's struggle with alcoholism.
This is a list of works by American jazz musician Carla Bley.
Trio Libero is an album by British saxophonist and composer Andy Sheppard recorded in Switzerland in July 2011 and released on ECM in January the following year.
Life Goes On is a studio album by American composer and pianist Carla Bley recorded in May 2019 and released on ECM on February 14, 2020. The trio features saxophonist Andy Sheppard and bass guitarist Steve Swallow.
This is a timeline documenting events of jazz in the year 2020.
