Carla Bley

Carla Bley was born in 1938 and began learning piano at very young age. She moved to New York when she was a teenager after dropping out of school after the tenth grade. There she worked as cigarette girl at the Birdland jazz club and was exposed to jazz nightly. She also met Paul Bley while working there and moved with him to Los Angeles where she began writing music. When she and Paul moved back to New York, others such as George Russell, Jimmy Giuffre, and Tony Williams began playing and recording her music. She also met Michael Mantler and founded the Jazz Composer's Orchestra with him (she also left Paul for him, they later had a daughter: Karen). Since she has continued composing major jazz works, has founded a music label with Michael Mantler, WATT, the Carla Bley Band, the Carla Bley Sextet. After duetting with Steve Swallow just for fun after awhile they began to do so professional. She moved with him after she and Mantler separated in 1991. She has toured all over Europe and has continued recording with her Big Band and Steve Swallow. 

The Very Big Carla Bley Band: "Who Will Rescue You"

Carla Bley and Steve Swallow: "Sing Me Softly of the Blues"

References
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/musician.php?id=5082

Critical Listening:

Carla Bley / Steve Swallow: Utviklingssang

Instruments: Piano and Guitar
Form: AABA
Begins with solo guitar then piano enters after first statement of A section. The piano and guitar sound disharmonious with each other when they hit chords together but each part by itself is beautifully played and the dissonance is quite effective. The interplay between the two instruments is very moving and gives the piece a distant and almost surreal feel.