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.Carla Bley discography accessed August 3, 2010ECM/WATT discography accessed August 25, 2016
Reception The AllMusic review by Scott Yanow stated, "Carla Bley's tentet performs some of her most colorful themes on this often-humorous and generally stimulating set".Yanow, S. [ Allmusic Review] accessed August 3, 2010 The Penguin Guide to Jazz awarded the album 3 stars. Robert Christgau commented, "I'm still attracted to Bley's humor, best displayed here in the title piece, a wry take on the charms and imperfections of the mechanical mode. But this is basically desultory, hinting at the feckless formalism an obsession with textures so often conceals. Beyond the jokes, and the deliberately aborted moments of lyricism, she really doesn't have much to say. Weill sure did. And so did Satie."
Track listing All compositions by Carla Bley. "440" - 9:48 "Jesus Maria and Other Spanish Strains" - 11:54 "Musique Mecanique I" - 9:46 "Musique Mecanique II (At Midnight)" - 7:02 "Musique Mecanique III" - 6:28
Personnel Carla Bley - organ, piano (track 2), toy piano (track 3) Michael Mantler - trumpet Alan Braufman - alto saxophone, clarinet, flute Gary Windo - tenor saxophone, bass clarinet, vocal John Clark - french horn Roswell Rudd - trombone, vocal on "Musique Mecanique II (At Midnight)" Bob Stewart - tuba Terry Adams - piano, electric pump organ Steve Swallow - bass guitar D. Sharpe - drums Charlie Haden - acoustic bass (track 2) Eugene Chadbourne - acoustic guitar, electric guitar, walkie-talkie (track 2) Karen Mantler - glockenspiel
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