Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Paul Bley: About Time

481

Paul Bley: About Time

By

Sign in to view read count
Paul Bley: About Time
Pianist Paul Bley has set many milestones along his illustrious career, taking the piano on undiscovered paths and fermenting his art with unbridled imagination. Risk has never daunted him, and even as he takes it, he keeps logic in lockstep.

He is as much at home in avant-garde and free explorations as he is in giving the mainstream a new sparkle, and for a time, even tinkering with electronics. The call to experiment is ever present, wrapped compactly into the history of jazz.

About Time is a solo recording. The pianist lures the listener into his web as he blends technique into the expanse of his creativity. Space and time are worked into a melodic dance, atonality sings besides formal structure, and harmony strikes a rich chord. His time signatures are shaped on the go as a pensive interlude can turn into a lithe romp when he traverses tangents with agile lines.

Bley's sense of invention never ceases, as on the title track where he works the blues seamlessly into the theme and then rustles it with a flurry of notes. He interpolates silence into his scheme as well as he does a lyrical flourish. Change is his compass, surprise his guide.

The mood on "Encore" is playful, setting an exuberant frame within which the artist skitters and gambols, draws back and reflects, and fathoms the deeper recesses of the blues. His artistry is upfront and center. With About Time it takes Bley less than 45 minutes to stamp his virtuosity.

Track Listing

About Time; Encore.

Personnel

Paul Bley
piano

Paul Bley: piano.

Album information

Title: About Time | Year Released: 2008 | Record Label: Justin Time Records

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris
Candid
Sunny Five
Inside Colours Live
Julie Sassoon

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.