4 x 4 is an album by American composer, bandleader and keyboardist
Carla Bley with a
chamber ensemble recorded in Oslo in 1999 and released on the
Watt/ECM label in 2000.[1][2]
Reception
The
Allmusic review by David R. Adler awarded the album 3 stars and stated "This batch of compositions is informed by Bley's distinctive brand of tongue-in-cheek playfulness... While the entire eight-piece band is consistently a pleasure, some of the album's most appealing moments occur during several Bley/Swallow duet passages. The two have been performing and recording as a duo for many years, so in a certain sense the whole band seems to revolve around them".[3] The JazzTimes review by Aaron Steinberg said "Between gigs, the ruddy and no doubt road weary outfit took a time-out in Oslo to record 4 x 4. Bley and the band sound happy to have the time to themselves, and they mostly take it easy on light-hearted tunes with fun but simple arrangements".[4] The
Penguin Guide to Jazz awarded it 3+1⁄2 stars stating "with music as impressive and as ambitious as this, who's complaining? "[5]
.jpg)
[5]
)
[6]