Articles by Paul Olson
Paul Motian: There's a Million Songs Out There
by Paul Olson
This interview was first published at All About Jazz in April 2006. Paul Motian doesn't like being interviewed. That said, the 75-year-old drummer has plenty to say, and doesn't hesitate to speak his mind. Motian first came to prominence in the late 1950s as one-third (with bassist Scott LaFaro and pianist Bill Evans) of the great Bill Evans Trio, which upended expectations of just what a jazz piano trio was supposed to do (at ...
read moreNils Petter Molvaer: Skeletons, Samples and Fish Fillets
by Paul Olson
There's no overstating the impact that Nils Petter Molvær's debut CD Khmer made when it was released on the ECM label in 1997. The Norwegian trumpeter/composer was no stranger to ECM and its founder/producer Manfred Eicher-- Molvær had been a member of the collective jazz group Masqualero, that had released records on the label, and he'd played on sessions by ECM artists such as percussionist Robyn Schulkowsky. With his impeccable European jazz credentials and his winsomely melodic, atmospheric trumpet playing--distilled ...
read moreJoe Fonda: Rhythmic Architect
by Paul Olson
Bassist Joe Fonda has nourished so many groups and projects with his unerring time, deep and constant imagination and rich tone that one struggles to imagine a New York jazz scene that doesn't include him. He's played as a sideman with dozens of great, prominent players (including Anthony Braxton, with whom he played in various musical combinations for 15 years) and has led, and still leads, a number of his own groups--none of them less than worth hearing, and most ...
read moreDavid Witham: A Sideman Steps Out
by Paul Olson
You may not know keyboardist David Witham's work, but the chances are actually pretty good that you've actually seen him play. As the musical director for jazz/pop guitar icon George Benson, the L.A. based Witham has put in plenty of road time, and he's also done side work with Chick Corea, k.d. lang, Randy and Michael Brecker, Ernie Watts and Jeff Gauthier.It's great to be a working musician, and Witham never has to worry about being out of ...
read moreMiroslav Vitous: It Comes Down to Taste
by Paul Olson
You can't ask for a more interesting interview subject than Miroslav Vitous, but anyone in search of self-deprecation or false modesty would be best advised to seek elsewhere. Simply put, Miroslav Vitous believes in Miroslav Vitous; he believes--no, knows--that his work is important, and he will not waste a moment pretending otherwise.That's not terribly surprising, since the 60-year-old, Czech-born bassist and composer's resume places him dead-center in some very important musical settings and movements. Vitous was playing violin ...
read moreChris Tarry: New Challenges, New Influences, New York
by Paul Olson
Why would a very successful musician throw his career away to become just another bassist in New York City?Well, Chris Tarry didn't exactly throw his career away. But the Calgary-born, Vancouver-based Tarry was certainly one of the most celebrated bassists in Canada. As a solo artist and one-fourth of the fusion super group Metalwood, Tarry was a serious presence on the Canadian jazz scene and a winner of two Juno Awards (that's the Canadian Grammy, mind you).
read moreEberhard Weber: Please Don't Play Jazz
by Paul Olson
It's impossible to tell the story of European jazz without mentioning bassist/composer Eberhard Weber. One of the true virtuosos of the bass, the German-born Weber has an immediately recognizable, singing tone—even when he's not performing on his trademark, self-designed electrobass. Like his American counterpart Jaco Pastorius, Weber wasn't shy about making his instrument heard—his round, supple lines didn't tend to disappear into the background, nor was their role exclusively rhythmic or supportive.Weber made his name in Europe performing ...
read moreRobin Eubanks: Master Trombonist... and Would-Be Rock Guitarist?
by Paul Olson
Name one contemporary jazz trombonist. Robin Eubanks, right?Eubanks is only one member of a notoriously musical Philadelphia family--you're probably familiar with some of his brothers--and was playing trombone at a tender age. He moved to New York City after graduating from the Philly-based University of the Arts, and has collaborated with an enormous range of musicians. He did serious road time with both Art Blakey and Elvin Jones, was a prominent participant in the 1980s ...
read moreJerry Granelli: Groovemaster or Destroyer?
by Paul Olson
It's easy to mention drummer Jerry Granelli's accomplishments, but hard to really make clear his importance, or the way he's continuously, over forty years, been at the forefront of most of the innovations and new movements in jazz music. Granelli grew up in San Francisco and made his mark drumming for pianists Vince Guaraldi and Denny Zeitlin. Guaraldi's trio with Granelli and bassist Fred Marshall and Zeitlin's trio with Granelli and bassist Charlie Haden were top-tier, big-gig jazz ...
read moreDavid Torn: A Lifetime of Improvisation in Non-Improvisational Settings
by Paul Olson
David Torn has done work in so many capacities in such a variety of musical projects that it's somewhat daunting to try to state just what exactly he is. Certainly Torn's a guitarist of humbling technique--but he's always been more interested in texture and sound than the kind of electric shredding beloved in guitar-hero-worshiping circles. Torn studied composition with Leonard Bernstein and guitar with John Abercrombie and Pat Martino. It was during his tenure as guitarist with the ...
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