Jazz Articles about Motif

About Motif

Album Review

Formed in 1998, Norwegian sextet Motif celebrates its sixth release with My Head Is Listening and its second on Clean Feed following Art Transplant (2011). Bassist Ole Morten Vågan, who co-founded the outfit with reedman Atle Nymo, is once again responsible for all seven compositions. As well as Motif, he boasts some heavyweight credits with Joshua Redman, Chick Corea and Kris Davis, and testament to his organizational skills, has also been appointed Artistic Director of the renowned Trondheim Jazz Orchestra ...

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Extended Analysis

Motif: Facienda

by John Kelman
March 17, 2011

Motif Facienda Jazzland Records 2010 Just because there's nearly a three-year gap between recordings, it doesn't mean an artist hasn't been busy. Norwegian free bop-meister Motif was last heard from in 2008, on the tradition-twisting Apo Calypso (Jazzland), closing yet another gap from the previous Expansion (AIM, 2005). Released in late 2010, Facienda demonstrates, in the clearest possible terms, that this freewheeling, mostly five-piece lineup--exploring in, out and around the structures defined by bassist ...