Escalator over the Hill is more than an hour and a half long and was recorded over three years (1968 to 1971). It was originally released as a triple LP box which also contained a booklet with lyrics, photos and profiles of the musicians. Side six of the original LPs ended in a locked groove, the final track "...And It's Again" continuing infinitely on manual record players. (For the CD reissue, the hum is allowed to play for 17 minutes before slowly fading out.)
In 1997, a live version of Escalator over the Hill, re-orchestrated by Jeff Friedman, was performed for the first time in Cologne, Germany. In 1998, "Escalator" toured Europe. Another live performance took place in May 2006 in Essen, Germany.
The musicians involved in the original recording play in various combinations, covering a wide range of musical genres, from Kurt Weill's theater music, to free jazz, rock and Indian music. Writer Stuart Broomer considers this to be a summing up "much of the creative energy that was loose between 1968 and 1972".[6]
Jonathon Cott's Rolling Stone article stated: "Like an electric transformer, Escalator Over the Hill synthesizes and draws on an enormous range of musical materials – raga, jazz, rock, ring modulated piano sounds, all brought together through Carla Bley's extraordinary formal sense and ability to unify individual but diverse musical sections by means of the editing of the record medium... The opera is an international musical encounter of the first order."[7]
Marcello Carlin, writing for Stylus Magazine, considers the album to be "the greatest record ever made." He said: "No protest, no social commentary. No expression of love, of grief, of hope, of despair. It is literally whatever you want to make of it. It is devoid of every quality which you might assume would qualify it to be the greatest of all records. And yet it is that tabula rasa in its heart, the blank space which may well exist at the very heart of all music, revealing the hard truth that we have to fill in the blanks, we have to interpret what is being played and sung, and our interpretation is the only one which can possibly be valid, as we cannot discern any perspective other than our own."[8]
Track listingedit
Side one
"Hotel Overture" – 13:11
Side two
"This Is Here..." – 6:02
"Like Animals" – 1:21
"Escalator over the Hill" – 4:57
"Stay Awake" – 1:31
"Ginger and David" – 1:39
"Song to Anything That Moves" – 2:22
Side three
"EOTH Theme" – 0:35
"Businessmen" – 5:38
"Ginger and David Theme" – 0:57
"Why" – 2:19
"It's Not What You Do" – 0:17
"Detective Writer Daughter" – 3:16
"Doctor Why" – 1:28
"Slow Dance (Transductory Music)" – 1:50
"Smalltown Agonist" – 5:24
Side four
"End of Head" – 0:38
"Over Her Head" – 2:38
"Little Pony Soldier" – 4:36
"Oh Say Can You Do?" – 1:11
"Holiday in Risk" – 3:10
"Holiday in Risk Theme" – 0:52
Side five
"A.I.R. (All India Radio)" – 3:58
"Rawalpindi Blues" – 12:44
Side six
"End of Rawalpindi" – 9:40
"End of Animals" – 1:26
"... And It's Again" – 8:55 (ends with a locked groove)
The CD release has sides one to three on CD 1, and sides four to six on CD 2.
"... And It's Again" runs for 27:17 on the CD release, with the locked groove at the end of the original LP playing for about 17 minutes. This is followed by a hidden track (starting at 27:02) consisting of calliope music and Bill Leonard saying “Oh say can you do?”, followed by faint laughter.
Jane Blackstone, Carla Bley, Jonathan Cott, Sharon Freeman, Steve Gebhardt, Tyrus Gerlach, Eileen Hale, Rosalind Hupp, Jack Jeffers, Howard Johnson, Sheila Jordan, Michael Mantler, Timothy Marquand, Nancy Newton, Tod Papageorge, Don Preston, Bill Roughen, Phyllis Schneider, Bob Stewart, Pat Stewart, Viva
^Cott, J., 'Escalator': Grand, Horse & Jazz Opers Rolling Stone, March 4, 1971 p.10
^Carlin, Marcello (1 September 2003). . Stylus Magazine. Archived from the original on 9 September 2003. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
^Wilson, John S (17 March 1974). "Don't Call Carla's Jazz jazz". The New York Times. New York. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
^ "Palmarès 1972". academiedujazz.com. Académie du jazz. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
External linksedit
at www.wattxtrawatt.com – the Official Carla Bley Web Site
Jazz Composers Orchestra: Escalator Over the Hill at www.jazzdiscography.com
Accomplishing Escalator Over the Hill by Carla Bley. Written in 1972 shortly after the release of the Escalator
The Jazz Composer's Orchestra Information Page
film clips @ The John McLaughlin Archives
Album booklet
"Carla Bley and Paul Haines' Escalator Over the Hill". 8 June 2005. Retrieved 2006-01-18.
"Stranded: Escalator Over the Hill – Article – Stylus Magazine". Retrieved 2006-01-18.
January 01, 1970
escalator, over, hill, eoth, mostly, referred, jazz, opera, released, chronotransduction, with, words, paul, haines, adaptation, music, carla, bley, production, coordination, michael, mantler, performed, jazz, composer, orchestra, studio, album, carla, bley, p. Escalator over the Hill or EOTH 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 Escalator over the HillStudio album by Carla Bley and Paul HainesReleased1971Recorded1968 1971GenreAvant garde jazzpost boprock operaThird StreamLength103 35LabelJCOA Records LP WATT Records CD ProducerMichael MantlerJazz Composer s Orchestra chronologyThe Jazz Composer s Orchestra 1968 Escalator over the Hill 1971 Relativity Suite 1973 Carla Bley chronologyJazz Realities 1966 Escalator over the Hill 1971 Tropic Appetites 1974 Professional ratingsReview scoresSourceRatingAll About Jazz favorable 1 AllMusic 2 Stylus favorable 3 The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide 4 The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings 5 Contents 1 History 2 Reception 3 Track listing 4 Personnel 4 1 Principal cast 4 2 Musicians alphabetical 4 3 Musicians chronotransductional 4 3 1 Orchestra amp Hotel Lobby Band 4 3 2 Jack s Traveling Band 4 3 3 Desert Band 4 3 4 Original Hotel Amateur Band 4 3 5 Phantom Music 5 Awards 6 References 7 External linksHistory editEscalator over the Hill is more than an hour and a half long and was recorded over three years 1968 to 1971 It was originally released as a triple LP box which also contained a booklet with lyrics photos and profiles of the musicians Side six of the original LPs ended in a locked groove the final track And It s Again continuing infinitely on manual record players For the CD reissue the hum is allowed to play for 17 minutes before slowly fading out In 1997 a live version of Escalator over the Hill re orchestrated by Jeff Friedman was performed for the first time in Cologne Germany In 1998 Escalator toured Europe Another live performance took place in May 2006 in Essen Germany The musicians involved in the original recording play in various combinations covering a wide range of musical genres from Kurt Weill s theater music to free jazz rock and Indian music Writer Stuart Broomer considers this to be a summing up much of the creative energy that was loose between 1968 and 1972 6 Viva acts as narrator Jack Bruce also appears on bass and vocals due to the album s long production he also appeared on Frank Zappa s album Apostrophe playing bass on the title track Among the vocalists is a young and still relatively unknown Linda Ronstadt in addition to Jeanne Lee Paul Jones Carla Bley Don Preston Sheila Jordan and Bley s and Mantler s then 4 year old daughter Karen Mantler Reception editJonathon Cott s Rolling Stone article stated Like an electric transformer Escalator Over the Hill synthesizes and draws on an enormous range of musical materials raga jazz rock ring modulated piano sounds all brought together through Carla Bley s extraordinary formal sense and ability to unify individual but diverse musical sections by means of the editing of the record medium The opera is an international musical encounter of the first order 7 Marcello Carlin writing for Stylus Magazine considers the album to be the greatest record ever made He said No protest no social commentary No expression of love of grief of hope of despair It is literally whatever you want to make of it It is devoid of every quality which you might assume would qualify it to be the greatest of all records And yet it is that tabula rasa in its heart the blank space which may well exist at the very heart of all music revealing the hard truth that we have to fill in the blanks we have to interpret what is being played and sung and our interpretation is the only one which can possibly be valid as we cannot discern any perspective other than our own 8 Track listing editSide one Hotel Overture 13 11 Side two This Is Here 6 02 Like Animals 1 21 Escalator over the Hill 4 57 Stay Awake 1 31 Ginger and David 1 39 Song to Anything That Moves 2 22 Side three EOTH Theme 0 35 Businessmen 5 38 Ginger and David Theme 0 57 Why 2 19 It s Not What You Do 0 17 Detective Writer Daughter 3 16 Doctor Why 1 28 Slow Dance Transductory Music 1 50 Smalltown Agonist 5 24 Side four End of Head 0 38 Over Her Head 2 38 Little Pony Soldier 4 36 Oh Say Can You Do 1 11 Holiday in Risk 3 10 Holiday in Risk Theme 0 52 Side five A I R All India Radio 3 58 Rawalpindi Blues 12 44 Side six End of Rawalpindi 9 40 End of Animals 1 26 And It s Again 8 55 ends with a locked groove The CD release has sides one to three on CD 1 and sides four to six on CD 2 And It s Again runs for 27 17 on the CD release with the locked groove at the end of the original LP playing for about 17 minutes This is followed by a hidden track starting at 27 02 consisting of calliope music and Bill Leonard saying Oh say can you do followed by faint laughter Personnel editPrincipal cast edit Jack Parrot Jack Bruce Leader Mutant Voice Desert Women Carla Bley Sand Shepherd Don Cherry Ginger Linda Ronstadt Ginger II Jeanne Lee David Paul Jones Doctor Lion Don Preston Viva Viva Cecil Clark Tod Papageorge His Friends Charlie Haden Steve Ferguson Calliope Bill Bill Leonard Roomer Bob Stewart Ancient Roomer Karen Mantler Loudspeaker Roswell Rudd Used Woman Sheila Jordan Operasinger Rosalind Hupp Nurse Jane Blackstone Yodelling Ventriloquist Howard Johnson Therapist Timothy Marquand Dad Perry Robinson Phantoms Multiple Public Members Hotelpeople Women Men Flies Bullfrogs Mindsweepers Speakers Blindman Jane Blackstone Carla Bley Jonathan Cott Sharon Freeman Steve Gebhardt Tyrus Gerlach Eileen Hale Rosalind Hupp Jack Jeffers Howard Johnson Sheila Jordan Michael Mantler Timothy Marquand Nancy Newton Tod Papageorge Don Preston Bill Roughen Phyllis Schneider Bob Stewart Pat Stewart Viva Musicians alphabetical edit Gato Barbieri tenor saxophone Souren Baronian clarinet Karl Berger vibraphone Carla Bley organ celeste chimes calliope piano Sam Brown guitar Jack Bruce bass vocal John Buckingham tuba Sam Burtis trombone Bob Carlisle French horn Don Cherry trumpet Roger Dawson congas xylophone Sharon Freeman French horn Charlie Haden bass Peggy Imig clarinet Jack Jeffers bass trombone Leroy Jenkins violin Howard Johnson tuba Sheila Jordan vocal Jimmy Knepper trombone Jeanne Lee vocal Jimmy Lyons alto saxophone Michael Mantler prepared piano trumpet valve trombone Ron McClure bass John McLaughlin guitar Bill Morimando orchestra bells celeste Paul Motian drums dumbec Nancy Newton viola Don Preston Moog synthesizer Enrico Rava trumpet Perry Robinson clarinet Linda Ronstadt vocal Roswell Rudd trombone Calo Scott cello Michael Snow trumpet Chris Woods baritone saxophone Richard Youngstein bass Musicians chronotransductional edit Orchestra amp Hotel Lobby Band edit Carla Bley piano Jimmy Lyons alto saxophone Gato Barbieri tenor saxophone Chris Woods baritone saxophone Michael Mantler Enrico Rava trumpet Roswell Rudd Sam Burtis Jimmy Knepper trombone Jack Jeffers bass trombone Bob Carlisle Sharon Freeman French horn John Buckingham tuba Nancy Newton viola Karl Berger vibraphone Charlie Haden bass Paul Motian drums Roger Dawson congas Bill Morimando orchestra bells celeste Jack s Traveling Band edit Carla Bley organ John McLaughlin guitar Jack Bruce bass Paul Motian drums Desert Band edit Carla Bley organ Don Cherry trumpet Souren Baronian clarinet Leroy Jenkins violin Calo Scott cello Sam Brown guitar Ron McClure bass Paul Motian dumbec Original Hotel Amateur Band edit Carla Bley piano Michael Snow trumpet Michael Mantler valve trombone Howard Johnson tuba Perry Robinson Peggy Imig clarinet Nancy Newton viola Richard Youngstein bass Paul Motian drums Phantom Music edit Carla Bley organ celeste chimes calliope Michael Mantler prepared piano Don Preston Moog synthesizer Awards editJazz Album of the Year 1972 by a Melody Maker Readers Poll 9 Oscar du meilleur disque de jazz moderne best modern jazz album in 1972 given by the Academie du Jazz 10 References edit MacLaren Trevor 2011 Carla Bley and Paul Haines Escalator Over the Hill allaboutjazz com Retrieved 18 July 2011 Ginell Richard S 2011 Escalator Over the Hill Carla Bley AllMusic allmusic com Retrieved 18 July 2011 Carlin Marcello 2011 Stranded Escalator Over the Hill Article Stylus Magazine stylusmagazine com Retrieved 18 July 2011 Swenson J ed 1985 The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide USA Random House Rolling Stone pp 26 ISBN 0 394 72643 X Cook Richard Brian Morton 2008 The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings The Penguin Guide to Jazz 9th ed London Penguin p 136 ISBN 978 0 14 103401 0 Escalator Over the Hill Editorial review by Stuart Broomer at amazon com retrieved on 2008 09 23 Cott J Escalator Grand Horse amp Jazz Opers Rolling Stone March 4 1971 p 10 Carlin Marcello 1 September 2003 Stranded Escalator Over the Hill Stylus Magazine Archived from the original on 9 September 2003 Retrieved 21 July 2018 Wilson John S 17 March 1974 Don t Call Carla s Jazz jazz The New York Times New York Retrieved 17 March 2021 Palmares 1972 academiedujazz com Academie du jazz Retrieved 17 March 2021 External links editKaren Mantler Biography at www wattxtrawatt com the Official Carla Bley Web Site Jazz Composers Orchestra Escalator Over the Hill at www jazzdiscography com Accomplishing Escalator Over the Hill by Carla Bley Written in 1972 shortly after the release of the Escalator The Jazz Composer s Orchestra Information Page film clips The John McLaughlin Archives Album booklet Carla Bley and Paul Haines Escalator Over the Hill 8 June 2005 Retrieved 2006 01 18 Stranded Escalator Over the Hill Article Stylus Magazine Retrieved 2006 01 18 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Escalator over the Hill amp oldid 1196688151, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
