Karen Mantler (born 1966 in New York City, USA) is an American singer, composer, pianist, organist and harmonica player.
She appeared as a child on the recording of jazz-opera Escalator Over the Hill, which featured both her parents, Carla Bley and Michael Mantler.
Mantler studied organ and piano at the Berklee College of Music. In 1987 she formed her own ensemble with Eric Mingus, Jonathan Sanborn, Steve Weisberg, Ethan Winogrand, Marc Muller, Steven Bernstein and Pablo Calogero and has released several discs of material. She toured Europe with her own band twice, and played at the Montreal International Jazz Festival.
She worked then with mit Steve Swallow, Motohiko Hino and Jack Bruce and toured Europe in 1992 as the organist of Carla Bley Big Band.
She often took part in live performances from Escalator Over the Hill. In 1996, she appeared as a singer on the opera The School Of Understanding of her father, Michael Mantler, in Copenhagen.
In 2001, she appeared as a singer with Annie Whitehead’s band when organized by Robert Wyatt Meltdown Festival at London’s Royal Festival Hall.
Karen Mantler also composed and played on several songs for the Robert Wyatt album Cuckooland in 2003.
