- Born
- Died
- Birth nameLovella May Borg
- Carla Bley was born on May 11, 1936 in Oakland, California, USA. She was a composer, known for Deadly Circuit (1983), American Playhouse (1980) and Wear (2015). She was married to Michael Mantler and Paul Bley. She died on October 17, 2023 in Willow, New York, USA.
- SpousesMichael Mantler(1967 - 1991) (divorced, 1 child)Paul Bley(1957 - 1967) (divorced)
- ChildrenKaren Mantler
- She played keyboards for Nick Mason's "Can't Get My Motor To Start".
- Bley was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1972 for music composition.
- Bley received the NEA Jazz Masters Award in 2015.
- Bley and her then husband Michael Mantler were pioneers in the development of independent artist-owned record labels and also started the now defunct New Music Distribution Service which specialized in small, independent labels that issued recordings of "creative improvised music".
- A number of musicians began to record Bley's compositions: George Russell recorded "Bent Eagle" for his album Stratusphunk in 1960; Jimmy Giuffre recorded "Ictus" on his album Thesis; and Paul Bley's Barrage consisted entirely of her compositions.
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