MUNI 20080515 Carla Bley – Escalator over the Hill


Carla Bley (* 11. 5. 1938 Oakland, California)


Escalator over the Hill (or EOTH) is mostly referred to as a jazz opera, but it was released as a
"chronotransduction" with "words by Paul Haines, adaptation and music by Carla Bley, production and
coordination by Michael Mantler", performed by the Jazz Composer's Orchestra Association (JCOA).

History

The critically acclaimed opus is more than two hours long, was recorded in three years, 1968 to
1971, and originally released as a triple LP box, also containing a booklet with all the words,
photos and information about the musicians and their roles. Side six of the original LPs ended in a
loop, the last track "... And It's Again" vanishing in a humming sound like distant insects,
continuing infinitely on manual record players.

In 1997, a live version of Escalator over the Hill, re-orchestrated by Jeff Friedman, was performed
for the first time in Cologne, Germany, then, in 1998, "the Escalator" toured Europe, and another
live performance took place in May 2006 in Essen, Germany.

Track listing

 1. "Hotel Overture"– 13:11
 2. "This Is Here..." – 6:02
 3. "Like Animals" – 1:21
 4. "Escalator Over The Hill" – 4:57
 5. "Stay Awake" – 1:31
 6. "Ginger and David" – 1:39
 7. "Song To Anything That Moves" – 2:22
 8. "Eoth Theme" – 0:35
 9. "Businessmen" – 5:38
10. "Ginger and David Theme" – 0:57
11. "Why" – 2:19
12. "It's Not What You Do" – 0:17
13. "Detective Writer Daughter" – 3:16
14. "Doctor Why" – 1:28
15. "Slow Dance (Transductory Music)" – 1:50
16. "Smalltown Agonist" – 5:24
17. "End Of Head" – 0:38
18. "Over Her Head" – 2:38
19. "Little Pony Soldier" – 4:36
20. "Oh Say Can You Do?" – 1:11
21. "Holiday In Risk" – 3:10
22. "Holiday In Risk Theme" – 0:52
23. "A.I.R. (All India Radio)" – 3:58
24. "Rawalpindi Blues" – 12:44
25. "End Of Rawalpindi" – 9:40
26. "End Of Animals" – 1:26
27. "... And It's Again" – 27:17

Personnel

Principal Cast

  * Jack, Parrot: Jack Bruce
  * Leader, Mutant, Voice, Desert Women: Carla Bley
  * Sand Shepherd: Don Cherry
  * Ginger: Linda Ronstadt
  * Ginger II: Jeanne Lee
  * David: Paul Jones
  * Doctor, Lion: Don Preston
  * Viva: Viva
  * Cecil Clark: Tod Papageorge
  * His Friends: Charlie Haden, Steve Ferguson
  * Calliope Bill: Bill Leonard
  * Roomer: Bill Stewart
  * Ancient Roomer: Karen Mantler
  * Loudspeaker: Roswell Rudd
  * Used Woman: Sheila Jordan
  * Operasinger: Rosalind Hupp
  * Nurse: Jane Blackstone
  * Yodelling Ventriloquist: Howard Johnson
  * Therapist: Timothy Marquand
  * Dad: Perry Robinson
  * Phantoms, Multiple Public Members, Hotelpeople, Women, Men, Flies, Bullfrogs, Mindsweepers,
Speakers, Blindman:

Jane Blackstone, Carla Bley, Jonathan Cott, Sharon Freeman, Steve Gebhardt, Tyrus Gerlach, Eileen
Hale, Rosalind Hupp, Jack Jeffers, Howard Johnson, Sheila Jordan, Michael Mantler, Timothy
Marquand, Nancy Newton, Tod Papageorge, Don Preston, Bill Roughen, Phyllis Schneider, Bob Stewart,
Pat Stewart, Viva

Musicians (alphabetical)

  * Gato Barbieri (tenor saxophone)
  * Souren Baronian (clarinet)
  * Karl Berger (vibraphone)
  * Carla Bley (organ, celeste, chimes, calliope, piano)
  * Sam Brown (guitar)
  * Jack Bruce (bass, vocal)
  * John Buckingham (tuba)
  * Sam Burtis (trombone)
  * Bob Carlisle (French horn)
  * Don Cherry (trumpet)
  * Roger Dawson (congas)
  * Sharon Freeman (French horn)
  * Charlie Haden (bass)
  * Peggy Imig (clarinet)
  * Jack Jeffers (bass trombone)
  * Leroy Jenkins (violin)
  * Howard Johnson (tuba)
  * Sheila Jordan (vocal)
  * Jimmy Knepper (trombone)
  * Jeanne Lee (vocal)
  * Jimmy Lyons (alto saxophone)
  * Michael Mantler (prepared piano, trumpet, valve trombone)
  * Ron McClure (bass)
  * John McLaughlin (guitar)
  * Bill Morimando (orchestra bells, celeste)
  * Paul Motian (drums, dumbec)
  * Nancy Newton (viola)
  * Don Preston (Moog synthesizer)
  * Enrico Rava (trumpet)
  * Perry Robinson (clarinet)
  * Linda Ronstadt (vocal)
  * Roswell Rudd (trombone)
  * Calo Scott (cello)
  * Michael Snow (trumpet)
  * Chris Woods (baritone saxophone)
  * Richard Youngstein (bass)

Musicians (chronotransductional)

Orchestra (& Hotel Lobby Band)

  * Carla Bley (piano)
  * Jimmy Lyons (alto saxophone)
  * Gato Barbieri (tenor saxophone)
  * Chris Woods (baritone saxophone)
  * Michael Mantler, Enrico Rava (trumpet)
  * Roswell Rudd, Sam Burtis, Jimmy Knepper (trombone)
  * Jack Jeffers (bass trombone)
  * Bob Carlisle, Sharon Freeman (French horn)
  * John Buckingham (tuba)
  * Nancy Newton (viola)
  * Karl Berger (vibraphone)
  * Charlie Haden (bass)
  * Paul Motian (drums)
  * Roger Dawson (congas)
  * Bill Morimando (orchestra bells, celeste).

Jack's Traveling Band

  * Carla Bley (organ)
  * John McLaughlin (guitar)
  * Jack Bruce (bass)
  * Paul Motian (drums)

Desert Band

  * Carla Bley (organ)
  * Don Cherry (trumpet)
  * Souren Baronia (clarinet)
  * Leroy Jenkins (violin)
  * Calo Scott (cello)
  * Sam Brown (guitar)
  * Ron McClure (bass)
  * Paul Motian (dumbec)

Original Hotel Amateur Band

  * Carla Bley (piano)
  * Michael Snow (trumpet)
  * Michael Mantler (valve trombone)
  * Howard Johnson (tuba)
  * Perry Robinson, Peggy Imig (clarinet)
  * Nancy Newton (viola)
  * Richard Youngstein (bass)
  * Paul Motian (drums)

Phantom Music

  * Carla Bley (organ, celeste, chimes, calliope)
  * Michael Mantler (prepared piano)
  * Don Preston (Moog synthesizer)

Awards

  * Jazz Album of the Year 1972 by a Melody Maker Readers Poll
  * French Grand Prix du Disque in 1973

Discography

  * 1971: Escalator over the Hill (Carla Bley and Paul Haines)
  * 1974: Tropic Appetites (Carla Bley)
  * 1975: Live in 75' (The Jack Bruce band)
  * 1977: Dinner Music (Carla Bley)
  * 1978: European Tour 1977 (Carla Bley Band)
  * 1979: Musique Mecanique (Carla Bley Band)
  * 1981: Fictitious Sports (Nick Mason, recorded 1979)
  * 1981: Social Studies (Carla Bley Band)
  * 1982: Live! (Carla Bley Band)
  * 1983: The Ballad of the Fallen (Charlie Haden and Carla Bley)
  * 1984: I Hate to Sing (Carla Bley Band)
  * 1984: Heavy Heart (Carla Bley)
  * 1985: Night-Glo (Carla Bley)
  * 1987: Sextet (Carla Bley)
  * 1988: Duets (Carla Bley and Steve Swallow)
  * 1989: Fleur Carnivore (Carla Bley)
  * 1991: The Very Big Carla Bley Band (Carla Bley Band)
  * 1992: Go Together (Carla Bley and Steve Swallow)
  * 1993: Big Band Theory (Carla Bley)
  * 1994: Songs with Legs (Carla Bley)^[3]
  * 1996: ...Goes to Church (Carla Bley Big Band)
  * 1998: Fancy Chamber Music (Carla Bley)
  * 1999: Are we there yet? (Carla Bley and Steve Swallow)
  * 2000: 4x4 (Carla Bley)
  * 2003: Looking for America (Carla Bley Big Band)
  * 2004: The Lost Chords (Carla Bley)
  * 2007: The Lost Chords find Paolo Fresu (Carla Bley)



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