eMusic Review 0
Anyone who knows Paul Motian's work in the landmark Bill Evans Trio of the early '60s should have no trouble imagining that the Philadelphia-born drummer — whose work with Evans and bassist Scott LaFaro radically re-imagined the trio format as a democracy of equals — would bring a similarly egalitarian sense to his own bands. Even more than in his efforts with Evans (and subsequently with Keith Jarrett), in his solo work Motian creates propulsion not through muscular drive and repetition, but through a delicate ebb and flow of density, applied with the most sensitive of touches.
While he had recorded under his own name since 1972, it was Motian's trio and quintet dates of the '80s, starting with The Story of Maryam, that he emerged as a truly compelling bandleader and composer. Four-fifths of the quintet — tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano, guitarist Bill Frisell and bassist Ed Schuller — had come together on Motian's previous album, Psalm.
With the addition of a second tenor player, Jim Pepper, Motian struck a balance that suited his style ideally: Lovano extended the lineage of John Coltrane and Sonny Rollins, while Pepper tapped into the free-jazz energy… read more »