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Escalator over the Hill

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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 Composers' Orchestra (JCOA).

Contents

History

The critically acclaimed opus is more than two hours long, was recorded in three years, 1968 to 1971, and originally released as a triple LP box, also containing a booklet with all the words, photos and information about the musicians and their roles. Side six of the original LPs ended in a loop, the last track "... And It's Again" vanishing in a humming sound like distant insects, continuing infinitely unless you turned your record player off.

In 1997, a live version of Escalator over the Hill was performed for the first time in Cologne, Germany, then, in 1998, "the Escalator" toured Europe, and another live performance is scheduled for May 2006 in Essen, Germany.

The Escalator in a nutshell

The many musicians collectively involved in the original recording act in various combinations (listed below as "chronotransductional"), covering a wide range of musical genres, from Kurt Weill's theater music to free jazz, rock and world music (although that term didn't exist yet), summing up "much of the creative energy that was loose between 1968 and 1972" [link]. Among the vocalists are Warhol superstar Viva as narrator, Jack Bruce (also on bass), Linda Ronstadt, Jeanne Lee, Paul Jones, Carla Bley, Don Preston, Sheila Jordan, and Bley's and Mantler's at the time 4 year old daughter Karen Mantler, all together transducing the amazed listener into an unknown dadaistic universe where flies giggle while, tuning in and out of "All India Radio", all kinds of genius free jazz instrumentalists meet Jack's Traveling Band, a heavy blues fusion sibling of the Mahavishnu Orchestra (yes, John McLaughlin is also on board).

For detailed, descriptive reviews see and/or

Track listing

  1. "Hotel Overture"- 13:11
  2. "This Is Here..." - 6:02
  3. "Like Animals" - 1:21
  4. "Escalator Over The Hill" - 4:57
  5. "Stay Awake" - 1:31
  6. "Ginger and David" - 1:39
  7. "Song To Anything That Moves" - 2:22
  8. "Eoth Theme" - 0:35
  9. "Businessmen" - 5:38
  10. "Ginger and David Theme" - 0:57
  11. "Why" - 2:19
  12. "It's Not What You Do" - 0:17
  13. "Detective Writer Daughter" 3:16
  14. "Doctor Why" - 1:28
  15. "Slow Dance (Transductory Music)" - 1:50
  16. "Smalltown Agonist" - 5:24
  17. "End Of Head" - 0:38
  18. "Over Her Head" - 2:38
  19. "Little Pony Soldier" - 4:36
  20. "Oh Say Can You Do?" - 1:11
  21. "Holiday In Risk" - 3:10
  22. "Holiday In Risk Theme" - 0:52
  23. "A.I.R. (All India Radio)" - 3:58
  24. "Rawalpindi Blues" - 12:44
  25. "End Of Rawalpindi" - 9:40
  26. "End Of Animals" - 1:26
  27. "... And It's Again" - 27:17

Personnel

Principal Cast

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)

Musicians (chronotransductional)

Orchestra (& Hotel Lobby Band)
Jack's Traveling Band
Desert Band
Original Hotel Amateur Band
Phantom Music

Awards

References

 

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