Songs with Legs
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Songs with Legs
| type = Live album
| artist = Carla Bley
| cover = Songs with Legs.jpg
| alt =
| released = 1994
| recorded = May 1994
| venue =
| studio =
| genre = Jazz
| length = 54:14
| label = Watt/ECM
| producer = Carla Bley & Steve Swallow
| chronology = Carla Bley
| prev_title = Big Band Theory
| prev_year = 1993
| next_title = The Carla Bley Big Band Goes to Church
| next_year = 1996
| misc = {{Extra chronology
| artist = Steve Swallow
| type = Live album
| prev_title = Real Book
| prev_year = 1993
| title = Songs with Legs
| year = 1994
| next_title = Parlance
| next_year = 1995
}}
}}
Songs with Legs is a live album by the American composer, bandleader and keyboardist Carla Bley with the saxophonist Andy Sheppard and the bass guitarist Steve Swallow recorded in Europe and released on the Watt/ECM label in 1994.[http://sudo.3.pro.tok2.com/Quest/cards/C/CarlaBley/index.html Carla Bley discography]. Retrieved August 9, 2010.
- [http://www.trovar.com/ECM/WATT.php ECM/WATT discography]. Retrieved August 25, 2016.
Reception
The AllMusic review by Alex Henderson awarded the album 2½ stars and said, "For those who've said they wish Bley would solo more often, Songs with Legs is an album to hear."Henderson, A. [{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r231471|pure_url=yes}} Allmusic Review]. Retrieved August 9, 2010. A biographer also highlighted her increased focus on piano and improvisation at this period in Bley's career, and highlighted the "soulful, spiritual-like piece 'The Lord Is Listenin' to Ya, Hallelujah!'".{{cite book |last=Beal |first=Amy C. |title=Carla Bley |year=2011 |publisher=University of Illinois Press |isbn= 978-0-252-07818-7 |pages=85–86 }} The Penguin Guide to Jazz awarded it 3 stars, saying, "She doesn't put a foot wrong throughout."{{cite book|last = Cook|first = Richard|author-link = Richard Cook (journalist)|author2=Brian Morton |author-link2=Brian Morton (Scottish writer) |title = The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings|orig-year = 1992|edition = 9th|series = The Penguin Guide to Jazz|year = 2008|publisher = Penguin|location = New York|isbn = 978-0-14-103401-0|pages = 131}}
{{Album ratings
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1Score = {{rating|2.5|5}}
| rev2 = Penguin Guide to Jazz
| rev8 = Tom Hull
| rev8Score = B+ ({{Rating-Christgau|hm2}}){{cite web|last=Hull|first=Tom|author-link=Tom Hull (critic)|date=28 February 2018|url=http://www.tomhull.com/ocston/blog/archives/2608-Streamnotes-February-2018.html|title=Streamnotes|website=Tom Hull – on the Web|access-date=9 July 2020}}
}}
Track listing
All compositions by Carla Bley except where noted.
- "Real Life Hits" - 8:08
- "The Lord Is Listenin' to Ya, Hallelujah!" - 7:48
- "Chicken" - 8:21
- "Misterioso" (Thelonious Monk) - 10:20
- "Wrong Key Donkey" - 12:02
- "Crazy with You" - 7:37
:*Recorded live on tour in France, Italy, Austria, Germany, Turkey and England in May 1994.
Personnel
References
{{reflist}}
{{Steve Swallow}}
{{Carla Bley}}
{{Andy Sheppard}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:ECM Records live albums
Category:Carla Bley live albums