Paul Bley

Born in 1932, Paul Bley was a Canadian pianist known for his contributions to the free jazz movement of the 1960s as well as his innovations and influence on trio playing. In the early 1960s Bley was part of a trio, with Jimmy Giuffre on reeds, and Steve Swallow on bass, and the group’s music moved towards chamber jazz and free jazz. In 1964 Bley was instrumental in the formation of the Jazz Composers Guild, a co-operative organization which brought together many free jazz musicians in New York, including Bill Dixon, Carla Bley, Cecil Taylor, and Michael Mantler. Bley performed as one of the participating pianists at Bosendorfer Festival in the winter of 1976, which was a concert that served as a benefit for The Kitchen, conveying the breadth of expression possible with piano. Later in the 1990s, Bley continued to tour in Europe, Japan, South America and the United States, recording prolifically as a soloist and with a wide range of ensembles. For more information please visit http://www.improvart.com/bley/.