Jazz Articles about Paul Motian

Paul Motian: I Have The Room Above Her

by Jochem van Dijk
February 3, 2005

Supposedly you can't argue about taste. But sometimes an icon of exquisite taste simply presents itself, inescapable and undeniable like an early sunrise on a clear winter day. Such is the case with I Have the Room Above Her , the new album by the Paul Motian Trio. So why is that? Because in this superstar-studded project, egos aren't elbowing each other out of the limelight. Quite the contrary: Paul Motian, Joe Lovano and Bill Frisell first ...

Russ Lossing: As It Grows

by Ty Cumbie
October 14, 2004

Spacious, articulate, and artfully composed, the material heard on Russ Lossing's As It Grows --apparently some of it improvised and some composed--is consistently musical and satisfyingly rangy. Although there's a persistent strain of finespun moodiness that isn't for seekers of the heavy groove, there's enough heart-stopping beauty on this disc to make you forget, momentarily, that Keith Jarrett ever existed. This is the music Cecil Taylor might've made if he cared about conventional notions of musical pleasureability. All comparisons aside, ...

Joe Lovano: I'm All For You

by Jim Santella
June 1, 2004

Joe Lovano’s unique tone gives his ballad album a whispering quality that stays up close and intimate throughout. He’s with you back there at the corner table as you nurse your drink for another hour in one of your town’s respected nightclubs. Most of the crowd has already called it a night, but you’re loving this mood too much to go home. The tenor saxophone sound that wafts gently from his horn lifts your spirits and reminds you of the ...

Bill Evans: New Jazz Conceptions

by David Rickert
May 14, 2004

The first album by any given artist is not likely to be their best, for obvious reasons: most are still developing a style and honing their craft. This 1956 session, Bill Evans’ first as a leader, is no different. The introverted pianist had to be virtually forced into recording as a leader, but these early explorations launched one of the most acclaimed and influential careers in the history of jazz. However, these are, at heart, exactly that: early explorations. Even ...

Joe Lovano: I'm All For You

by Russell Moon
May 1, 2004

Joe Lovano's I'm All For You is subtitled Ballad Songbook. Every song is taken at a leisurely pace, and the recording reminds me of Charlie Haden's Quartet West album Haunted Heart. All of the renditions are indeed haunting and very soulful. Lovano has collected three of the best to join him—Hank Jones on piano, George Mraz on bass and Paul Motian on drums. The great ones make it look easy.

Half of the 59 minute album is made up of ...

Paul Motian: Rarum XVI: Selected Recordings

by Joshua Weiner
April 11, 2004

Paul Motian is best known to most jazz fans as the drummer in perhaps the greatest piano trio ever: the one led by Bill Evans in 1960-1961, which also included bassist Scott LaFaro. But that was a long time ago, and Motian has moved on and explored new realms over three decades as a leader. His contribution to ECM's Rarum series chronicles a fifteen year association with that label and provides a fascinating and useful introduction to his solo work. ...

Bill Evans Trio: Explorations

by David Rickert
February 10, 2003

An article in a men’s magazine once suggested an exercise regimen that consisted of a walk to the local record store to buy one Bill Evans CD every day. That way you would not only be in better shape, but you would also have a great collection of piano jazz as well. It’s an established fact that Evans revolutionized the sound of the piano trio; you can bet that every pianist who ever worked the hotel lounge circuit has worn ...