Carla Bley - piano, organ, conductor; "Blue" Gene Tyranny - piano, keyboards; Michael Mantler - trumpet; Alan Braufman - alto saxophone, clarinet, flute; Gary Windo - soprano and tenor saxophone; George Lewis - trombone; John Clark - french horn, guitar; Bob Stewart - tuba; Patty Price - bass; Phillip Wilson - drums
This recording is an important discovery as very little circulates from her 1960/70s eras outside of official releases. These are very good quality and nearly complete performances featuring a phenomenal lineup. Like Zappa and Miles, Bley has always been a magnet and mentor to legendary musicians and this lineup is a prime example. Every member of this relatively big band is accomplished individually and most became bandleaders. These recordings also feature some of Bley's most celebrated compositions when they were still relatively new. Bley has always embraced a lack of boundaries in her music, but this was a particularly experimental era featuring everything from national anthems to free jazz territory.