Search - Paul Bley :: Blues for Red

A must have for Bley fans

12/05/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Bley is at his best in later albums when he works solo. He has emerged in the last two decades (he's been recording for four!) as a significant, if underrated composer. "Blues for Red" consists entirely of Bley's compositions. For those who know the entire corpus of Bley's work his later solo albums are a departure. Gone is the often obscure, "anti-melodic" radicalism of his earlier work, replaced by a lyrical, if never sentimental, voice that constantly astounds by its inventiveness and warmth. If you like this album you should examine "Tango Palace" and "Paul Bley at Copenhagen Jazz House" (a live performance) to comprehend the full depth of what he did in the 80's."