Paul Motian in concert this week – recorded live at Ubersee-Museum in Bremen on December 7, 1981 and broadcast by West German Radio. Lineup for this gig is Billy Drewes on tenor and alto saxophones – Joe Lovano and tenor sax – Bill Frisell on guitar – Ed Schuller on bass and the Man Himself (Paul Motian) on drums.
Here are a few passages from the excellent biography: “The Compositions Of Paul Motian” (which appears to be out-of-print at the moment – if not, let me know)
Throughout the 1950s and 60s, Paul Motian played with a staggering number of musicians, including Lennie Tristano, Mose Allison, Oscar Pettiford, Stan Getz, Zoot Sims, Paul Bley, Lee Konitz, and Charles Lloyd. He was always learning, both an influence and an influencer. In 1955, he met pianist Bill Evans when they toured together as sidemen for clarinetist Jerry Wald. Five years later, Bill invited Paul and bassist Scott LaFaro to form his first groundbreaking trio. Best known for an extraordinary series of live recordings made at the Village Vanguard in 1961, the group redefined the jazz piano trio as a group of improvisers and equals. In the late 1960s, Paul began playing with pianist Keith Jarrett, first in a trio with bassist Charlie Haden, and then in Jarrett’s “American Quartet” with the addition of saxophonist Dewey Redman. They became lifelong friends.
Paul’s first album as a bandleader, Conception Vessel, was released in 1972 and marked the start of a 39-year relationship with the German label ECM. 1984’s It Should’ve Happened a Long Time Ago was Paul’s first record to feature his trio with tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano and guitarist Bill Frisell—a musical partnership that lasted for the rest of Paul’s life. Paul once summed up his career to that point in time: “I was Bill Evans drummer in the 1960s, Keith Jarrett’s drummer in the 1970s, and Paul Motian’s drummer in the 1980s.”
Always a maverick in his performances and compositions, the closest thing Paul had to a rule was, as he would often say, “Less is more.” His precision and economy of expression were matched by a commitment to creative exploration. He was a generous composer in that he was not threatened by, and in fact encouraged, creative freedom and spontaneity in the playing of his works. “I’m not exactly Cole Porter,” he once told Modern Drummer with typical modesty, “But I generally find what I’m going for.”
Press Play and dive in.
