In a fanciful press release for this record, Carla Bley wrote that she wanted to make a record that would "put people in a mellow, sensual mood" as opposed to getting them all riled up as usual. She must have meant some of this ironically, for while Heavy Heart is a somewhat bright, light-minded album, there are plenty of dark undercurrents to be heard. For example, take the fascinating "Light or Dark," where a light, happy texture is undercut by Hiram Bullock’s intruding dissonant guitar and Kenny Kirkland’s discordant comping. Or the ominously titled "Ending It," with Gary Valente’s abrasive trombone dominating everyone -- or the dissonant, almost inaudible wind backings to Kirkland’s big-hearted piano on "Starting Again." In any case, Bley’s iconoclastic imagination and ear for unusual sonorities is definitely in gear writing for her ten-tet -- and true to her word, a number like "Talking Hearts," an alleged romantic dialogue between Bullock’s smooth guitar and Bley’s sly synthesizer, is saunteringly attractive stuff. - Richard S. Ginell
Tracks
1. Light Or Dark
2. Talking Hearts
3. Joyful Noise
4. Ending It
5. Starting Again
6. Heavy Heart
CARLA BLEY organ, sinthesizer
STEVE SLAGLE flute, alto and baritone saxophones
HIRAM BULLOCK guitar
GARY VALENTE trombone
KENNY KIRKLAND piano
STEVE SWALLOW bass
VICTOR LEWIS drums
MANOLO BADRENA percussion
MICHAEL MANTLER trumpet
EARL McINTYRE tuba
Composed and arranged by Carla Bley
Recorded at Grog Kill Studio, Willow, New York, September and October 1983
ECM Records Watt/14 817 864-2 Germany