Paul Motian Band, Garden of Eden

[Guy Berger]

From Alan Lankin's website:

NEW Paul Motian Band - Garden of Eden (ECM Records) Jan 24

updated to include personnel info supplied by Frank Kimbrough:

Saxophones: Tony Malaby and Chris Cheek

Guitars: Steve Cardenas, Ben Monder, Jakob Bro

Acoustic bass guitar: Jerome Harris

Drums: Paul Motian

Edited December 5, 2005 by Guy

[Miles251]

guy....any idea of the musicians on this new release....

[fkimbrough]

Possibly the Electric Bebop Band - they definitely have one in the can for ECM. That group would include guitarists Ben Monder and Steve Cardenas, and a third guitarist from Europe whose name I can't remember. Also Chris Cheek and Tony Malaby. The bassist may be Jerome Harris - this is the group I saw at the Vanguard around the time of the EBB's recording.

[Aggie87]

Muthspiel perhaps?

[fkimbrough]

Nope, not Muthspiel.

[ghost of miles]

Thanks for the heads-up & info, Guy & Frank.

[Guy Berger]

Frank,

I take it this isn't the quintet w/Jim Pepper & Ed Schuller? Those guys haven't played together for four years but it would be nice to have another album.

Guy

[Miles251]

A recording with Jim Pepper may be tough since he has been dead for quite some time!

[Guy Berger]

A recording with Jim Pepper may be tough since he has been dead for quite some time!

Whoops did not know that... I must have confused him with Billy Drewes, who must've been the mystery 5th member of that 2001 quintet.

Guy

Edited December 5, 2005 by Guy

[Miles251]

Ah....Billy Drewes! Now that is another story!

[fkimbrough]

Ok - I just called Ben Monder to get the skinny on this one -

Saxophones: Tony Malaby and Chris Cheek

Guitars: Steve Cardenas, Ben Monder, Jakob Bro

Acoustic bass guitar: Jerome Harris

Drums: Paul Motian

[Miles251]

Thanks Frank....gotta pick that up!

Ok - I just called Ben Monder to get the skinny on this one -

Saxophones: Tony Malaby and Chris Cheek

Guitars: Steve Cardenas, Ben Monder, Jakob Bro

Acoustic bass guitar: Jerome Harris

Drums: Paul Motian

[JohnS]

Thanks for the info, one for the wish list.

[Lazaro Vega]

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:xneq97egkrkt

What is striking is the orchestral scope of the ensemble. This sounds like a band three times it's size. Those guitars just fill up everything. Yeah, they have no problem covering the horn parts from Pith, for instance, and Motian follows the rise and fall of the emtionalism of Mingus piece, but it's in his own way, you know, not as ecstatic as Mingus.

Weren't Malaby and Cheek the two tenors on Charlie Haden's Liberation Music Orchestra release from last year? Interesting partnership. Unlike any other two tenor combo I can think of.

[skeith]

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:xneq97egkrkt

What is striking is the orchestral scope of the ensemble. This sounds like a band three times it's size. Those guitars just fill up everything. Yeah, they have no problem covering the horn parts from Pith, for instance, and Motian follows the rise and fall of the emtionalism of Mingus piece, but it's in his own way, you know, not as ecstatic as Mingus.

Weren't Malaby and Cheek the two tenors on Charlie Haden's Liberation Music Orchestra release from last year? Interesting partnership. Unlike any other two tenor combo I can think of.

I take it you rather like this cd?? Interested to hear more about it.

[Lazaro Vega]

Just opened it last week and have been playing Pith during most of our evening broadcasts, streaming live from www.bluelake.org from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. monday through Friday (best to log on before 10 p.m.). Still need to listen to the middle pieces more carefully. The usual ECM caveats apply -- floating textures, subdued lines, rubato in excess.

Edited February 1, 2006 by Lazaro Vega

[skeith]

I picked it up yesterday and initial impressions are good, but I may not like it as much as I like the Paul Motian Trio, not sure yet.

[Guy Berger]

This is a very good album! The interplay between Cheek and Malaby is excellent, both of them do fine work here. The only other Electric Bebop Band album I've heard is Play Monk & Powell, which is totally different from this one. I'd describe it as an expanded-ensemble version of the Lovano/Frisell trio.

Steve Cardenas's tune, "Balata", is great!

Also... I like the trio's version(s) of "Mumbo Jumbo" better -- the one on here underplays the Latin rhythm for a more floating feel.

Guy

Edited June 3, 2006 by Guy

[Aftab]

I don't think this CD is considered the EBB. I am curious to find out more about the EBB cd in the can that was mentioned earlier in this thread.

I've been getting into Motian's stuff recently, picked up this, the first EBB cd with Joshua Redman (very nice), Trioism (Frisell, Lovano, Dewey Redman on a track), and I Have The Room Above Her (Frisell, Lovano) - all great stuff - definitely looking into other titles as $$$ permits

Edited June 8, 2006 by Aftab

[Guy Berger]

I don't think this CD is considered the EBB. I am curious to find out more about the EBB cd in the can that was mentioned earlier in this thread.

I think this is the EBBB -- it has a very similar lineup to the previous EBBB album (Holiday for Strings). I guess Motian changed the name since they aren't playing much bebop anymore.

Guy

[Aftab]

I getcha - similar lineup and sound, different repetoire - cool.