4 x 4 is an album by American composer, bandleader and keyboardist Carla Bley with a chamber ensemble recorded in Oslo in 1999 and released on the Watt/ECM label in 2000.Carla Bley discography accessed August 12, 2010ECM/WATT discography accessed August 25, 2016
Reception The Allmusic review by David R. Adler awarded the album 3 stars and stated "This batch of compositions is informed by Bley's distinctive brand of tongue-in-cheek playfulness... While the entire eight-piece band is consistently a pleasure, some of the album's most appealing moments occur during several Bley/Swallow duet passages. The two have been performing and recording as a duo for many years, so in a certain sense the whole band seems to revolve around them".Adler, D. R. [ Allmusic Review] accessed August 12, 2010 The JazzTimes review by Aaron Steinberg said "Between gigs, the ruddy and no doubt road weary outfit took a time-out in Oslo to record 4 x 4. Bley and the band sound happy to have the time to themselves, and they mostly take it easy on light-hearted tunes with fun but simple arrangements".Steinberg, A. 4 x 4 Review JazzTimes, April, 2001 The Penguin Guide to Jazz awarded it stars stating "with music as impressive and as ambitious as this, who's complaining? "
Track listing
Recorded at Rainbow Studio, Oslo in July 1999.
Personnel Carla Bley – piano Lew Soloff – trumpet Wolfgang Puschnig – alto saxophone Andy Sheppard – tenor saxophone Gary Valente – trombone Larry Goldings – organ Steve Swallow – bass guitar Victor Lewis – drums
References