Paul Motian RIP

[Steve Reynolds]

No Tony Malaby at the Vanguard 1/31 through 2/5

Damn shame.....

[mjzee]

Ethan Iverson's commentary

Thanks for posting that. He's an excellent writer; I admire his big ears and and his analyses. I enjoy his writing more than his playing.

[jeffcrom]

Ethan Iverson's commentary

Thanks for posting that. He's an excellent writer; I admire his big ears and and his analyses. I enjoy his writing more than his playing.

I just told my wife that this afternoon.

Another thank-you for the link. The story about Iverson's confusion when playing "Blue in Green" with Haden and Motian is priceless.

[7/4]

I don't think this link has been posted, I just discovered this:

NewMusic Box: Paul Motian (1931-2011): Colors in Sounds

By Anat Fort on November 30, 2011

Edited December 4, 2011 by 7/4

[JETman]

I don't think this link has been posted, I just discovered this:

NewMusic Box: Paul Motian (1931-2011): Colors in Sounds

By Anat Fort on November 30, 2011

Thanks, that is awesome. What a musician he was! Definitely one of my faves.

[Patrick]

Ethan Iverson's commentary

Thanks for posting that. He's an excellent writer; I admire his big ears and and his analyses. I enjoy his writing more than his playing.

I just told my wife that this afternoon.

Another thank-you for the link. The story about Iverson's confusion when playing "Blue in Green" with Haden and Motian is priceless.

I happened to catch Ethan's "Do the Math" trio with Corcoran Holt (b) and Steve Williams (d) on the day before Thanksgiving. I had not heard the news of Paul's passing until Ethan mentioned it just before a moving solo performance of "Byablue" to close out his last set.

[mjzee]

Just noticed this is scheduled for release on January 17:

Further Explorations - Amazon

[JETman]

I picked this up as a Japanese import a few months ago. As expensive as it was, it was still a worthy addition to my collection. As a domestic release, it would have been even more worthy.

[skeith]

I found Iverson's tributea very moving, but some things were hard to agree with.

On the famous trio recordings at the Village Vanguard 1961 - Iverson says the best part is what he leaves out. I find the drumming on those recordings - even when he is actually playing - to be sublime.

Also he singles out Trio '64 as when Motian comes into his own - Iverson seems to imply that Motian finally got his chops together. THis has never been even remotely near the top of my Evans or Motian recording favorites.

[Guy Berger]

Also he singles out Trio '64 as when Motian comes into his own - Iverson seems to imply that Motian finally got his chops together. THis has never been even remotely near the top of my Evans or Motian recording favorites.

I don't read it that way. I think Ethan means that's when Motian's "mature style" finally starts to emerge.

[skeith]

Also he singles out Trio '64 as when Motian comes into his own - Iverson seems to imply that Motian finally got his chops together. THis has never been even remotely near the top of my Evans or Motian recording favorites.

I don't read it that way. I think Ethan means that's when Motian's "mature style" finally starts to emerge.

Perhaps, but what do you make of his comments on Motian's playing on the 1961 Village Vanguard Recordings? In one sentence he says Motian was seen as "Max Roach without the chops" which he says has a "kernel of truth" and then goes on to say that the best parts of his drumming on those recordings are the silences. I think this is just dead wrong.

[Tom Storer]

Perhaps, but what do you make of his comments on Motian's playing on the 1961 Village Vanguard Recordings? In one sentence he says Motian was seen as "Max Roach without the chops" which he says has a "kernel of truth" and then goes on to say that the best parts of his drumming on those recordings are the silences. I think this is just dead wrong.

The "Max Roach without the chops" refers to an earlier recording, 1956 if I recall correctly.

When he says, of the Vanguard recordings, that the best parts are the parts Motian leaves out, I think he meant this: some criticize Motian for a lack of chops, but that relative lack of chops (and lack of concern for chops) is of a piece with his creative spontaneity. I thought he meant that "the parts he leaves out" are the automatic, learned licks that come with "chops"... he leaves out the predictability that comes with standard good technique. In other words, a relative lack of chops is not always good but not necessarily always bad either, and in Motian's case his art is served by a certain technical naiveté.

[Enterprise Server]

Fine musician who made excellent and challenging music. So many great masters are fading. It's the reality of life but still sad......

[David Ayers]

His 'Lost in a Dream' has been rarely far from my CD player since it was issued, and it plays rather differently now since his death. Wonderful company.