The Jazz Composer's Orchestra was an American

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group, founded by Carla Bley and

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in 1965, to perform orchestral

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. Its origins lay in the Jazz Composers Guild, an organization founded by Bill Dixon which grew out of the series of 1964 concerts in New York, known as the "

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" and subsequent regular performance settings. A big band, formed by Bley and Mantler, became known as the Jazz Composers Guild Orchestra, which made its first record in April 1965. After the demise of the Guild, the big band continued as the Jazz Composer's Orchestra. A non-profit organisation was established in 1966, the Jazz Composers Orchestra Association Inc. (JCOA). The Orchestra's first release was ''

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'' in 1965. Their 1968 double-album '' The Jazz Composer's Orchestra'' featured soloists Cecil Taylor,

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Roswell Rudd Roswell Hopkins Rudd Jr. (November 17, 1935 – December 21, 2017) was an American jazz trombonist and composer. Although skilled in a variety of genres of jazz (including Dixieland, which he performed while in college), and other genres of musi ...

, Pharoah Sanders, Larry Coryell, and

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. JCOA Records was founded for releases from the Orchestra and its members. The albums included commissioned works by

Clifford Thornton Clifford Edward Thornton III (September 6, 1936 – November 25, 1989) was an American jazz trumpeter, trombonist, activist, and educator. He played free jazz and avant-garde jazz in the 1960s and '70s. Career Clifford was born in Philadelphia. ...

, Leroy Jenkins and

Grachan Moncur III Grachan Moncur III (June 3, 1937 – June 3, 2022) was an American jazz trombonist. He was the son of jazz bassist Grachan Moncur II and the nephew of jazz saxophonist Al Cooper. Biography Born in New York City, United States, (his paternal gran ...

. The group's last performance was in 1975.

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

/ref> The activities of the group led to the creation of a record distribution company known as New Music Distribution Service (NMDS).

Discography

* ''

'' (Fontana, 1966) * '' The Jazz Composer's Orchestra'' (JCOA, 1968) * '' Numatik Swing Band'' with

(JCOA, 1973) * '' Relativity Suite'' with

(JCOA, 1973) * '' Escalator over the Hill'' with Carla Bley (JCOA, 1971) * ''Echoes of Prayer'' with

(JCOA, 1975) * '' For Players Only'' with Leroy Jenkins (JCOA, 1975) * '' The Gardens of Harlem'' with

(JCOA, 1975)

References

External links

RecordingsInterview
with Carla Bley

{{Authority control American jazz ensembles from New York City Avant-garde jazz ensembles Experimental big bands Jazz record labels Musical groups established in 1965 1965 establishments in New York City Jazz in New York City