Karen Mantler
Encyclopedia
Karen Mantler is an American jazz
musician, harmonca player, singer and composer. She is the daughter of Carla Bley
and Michael Mantler
.
Mantler appeared on the album Escalator Over the Hill
as a child, which featured both her parents. She learned glockenspiel
and was a member of her mother's band from 1977 to 1980. She studied organ and piano at the Berklee College of Music
. In 1987 she formed her own ensemble for recording; she has released several discs of material, including two on ECM, since then. She toured Europe with her own band twice, and played at the Montreal International Jazz Festival. As the organist of the Carla Bley Big Band, she toured Europe again in 1992.
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
musician, harmonca player, singer and composer. She is the daughter of Carla Bley
Carla Bley
Carla Bley, née Borg, is an American jazz composer, pianist, organist and band leader. An important figure in the Free Jazz movement of the 1960s, she is perhaps best known for her jazz opera Escalator Over The Hill , as well as a book of compositions that have been performed by many other...
and Michael Mantler
Michael Mantler
Michael Mantler is a composer and trumpeter in new jazz and contemporary music.-Career: United States:Mantler was born in Vienna, Austria...
.
Mantler appeared on the album Escalator Over the Hill
Escalator over the Hill
Escalator over the Hill is mostly referred to as a jazz opera, but it was released as a "chronotransduction" with "words by Paul Haines, adaptation and music by Carla Bley, production and coordination by Michael Mantler", performed by the Jazz Composer's Orchestra.-History:Escalator over the Hill...
as a child, which featured both her parents. She learned glockenspiel
Glockenspiel
A glockenspiel is a percussion instrument composed of a set of tuned keys arranged in the fashion of the keyboard of a piano. In this way, it is similar to the xylophone; however, the xylophone's bars are made of wood, while the glockenspiel's are metal plates or tubes, and making it a metallophone...
and was a member of her mother's band from 1977 to 1980. She studied organ and piano at the Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known primarily as a school for jazz, rock and popular music, it also offers college-level courses in a wide range of contemporary and historic styles, including hip...
. In 1987 she formed her own ensemble for recording; she has released several discs of material, including two on ECM, since then. She toured Europe with her own band twice, and played at the Montreal International Jazz Festival. As the organist of the Carla Bley Big Band, she toured Europe again in 1992.
Discography
- My Cat Arnold with Steven Bernstein, Pablo Calogero, Eric Mingus, Marc Muller, Jonathan Sanborn, Steve Weisberg, Ethan Winogrand (ECM Records, 1988)
- Karen Mantler and Her Cat Arnold Get the Flu with Steven Bernstein, Carla Bley, Pablo Calogero, Michael Mantler, Eric Mingus, Marc Muller, Jonathan Sanborn, Steve Swallow, Steve Weisberg, Ethan Winogrand (Xtra Watt, 1990)
- Farewell (ECM, 1996)
- Karen Mantler's Pet Project with Steven Bernstein, Carla Bley, Hiram BullockHiram BullockHiram Law Bullock was an American jazz funk and jazz fusion guitarist.He was born in Osaka, Japan to African American parents serving in the U.S. Military. At the age of two he returned to Baltimore, Maryland with his parents, and quickly showed a prodigious musical talent...
, Pablo Calogero, Michael EvansMichael EvansMichael James "Mickey" Evans is an English-born Irish former footballer. He spent the majority of his career at home-town club Plymouth Argyle, with notable success, including two Football League titles....
, Kato HidekiKato HidekiKato Hideki is a Japanese musician and composer. He was a seminal member of the Tokyo Noise music scene of the late 80s and early 90s, collaborating with Japanese experimental musicians such as Otomo Yoshihide, Tatsuya Yoshida, Makigami Koichi, and Yamatsuka Eye. He led his own bands, Player...
, Eric Mingus, Arturo O’Farrill, Gary ValenteGary ValenteGary Valente is a notable jazz trombone player.Valente was born in Worcester, Massachusetts and studied at New England Conservatory of Music with John Coffey and Jaki Byard....
(Angel RecordsAngel RecordsAngel Records is a record label belonging to EMI. It was formed in 1953 and specialised in classical music, but included an occasional operetta or Broadway score...
, 1999)