Remembering Carla Bley: Jazz Icon and Maverick, Passes Away at 87

Jazz composer, arranger, and pianist Carla Bley has passed away at the age of 87. Known for her originality and subversive attitude, Bley's influential body of work spanned delicate chamber miniatures to rugged fanfares, always maintaining a place for tonal harmony. She was prolific and polymorphic in her output, composing jazz standards, big-band pieces, rearrangements of national anthems and classical music, and even a jazz-rock opera. Bley's style was characterized by darkly colored ensembles, unconventional instrument choices, and a mix of joyous and mournful elements. She leaves behind a legacy of groundbreaking music that defied categorization.