In the mid 1950s, while still in her teens, Carla Bley hitchhiked from Oakland, California to New York. After listening to west coast cool jazz musicians like Gerry Mulligan and Chet Baker, she caught the jazz bug and was heading to the Mecca of jazz music. She got to the Cafe Bohemia jazz club and watched Miles Davis with Paul Chambers, Philly Joe Jones and Red Garland: “I got a job at Birdland as a cigarette girl and that’s how I got my education. I sold cigarettes, stuffed animals, I was the one who took a picture of you and your girl friend at the table to commemorate your being there with someone who wasn’t your wife usually. I hardly sold anything because I was listening to the music. If someone asked to buy a pack of Luckies I said ‘wait till the solo is over’.” Thus started an amazing career of a jazz composer and performer as unique as they come in any style of music. In particular, between 1976 and 1984 Carla Bley released a number of albums with her band that are some of my favorite jazz ensemble recordings.