Enrico Pieranunzi/Paul Motian: Doorways

Overall the music's edgy, especially on Chris Potter's three appearances. His solo on the title piece improves after an "I Got Rhythm" quote some way through. He's missing something, and below his best.

"No Waltz for Paul" features dark, intense, even downright dour piano, too unrelievedly the norm on much here. The tune's dedicatee (Motian) does however keep things moving behind and between piano passages. "Utre" is an interesting composition in a performance too short and too perfunctory. The pianist sounds as if he's just rehearsing, and little happens.

When "Blue Evening" suddenly and quietly demonstrates a talent for rendering pianistic colour, earlier drab passages seem more disappointing, and puzzling. "Anecdote," with Potter again, has an interesting extended theme and a weird surging effect like the sound of a tape being played backwards, or very fast. Again, not enough is made of this. "Suspension Points" initially sounds a bit like an Ellington composition, it's the best thing since the opener, slightly marred by Motian's champing at the bit, distractingly, behind.

"Double Excursion III" has Motian usefully to the fore and the pianist fitting in Bartokian passages. "Words of the Sea" suggests indecision between jazz and European written music; the piano's expression isn't focused. "The Shifting Scene" has a title too appropriate to the whole. Potter's almost to the end unyielding sharp-edged tone is just clumsy with "The Heart of a Child," but the piano accompaniment is remarkable, full and moving. On the whole this is a disappointment. Everybody here can do much better.