TRIBUTE TO PAUL MOTIAN (1931 - 2011) 14

This album is the fourteenth in a series of 15, giving a beautiful view of the career of one of the greatest jazz drummers

2011 Lee Konitz - Live at Birdland (with Brad Mehldau, Charlie Haden & Paul Motion)

"A quartet of master musicians and a programme of jazz classics. “Live at Birdland” presents the finest moments from two inspired nights at New York’s legendary club, as Konitz, Mehldau, Haden and Motian play “Lover Man”, “Lullaby Of Birdland”, “Solar”, “I Fall In Love Too Easily”, “You Stepped Out Of A Dream” and “Oleo” with freedom, tenderness, and a love of melody that only jazz’s greatest improvisers can propose." Release
"The older guys sound great, if ultra laid-back, wending their way dreamily through six standards..." Down Beat
"These masters couldn't be better suited philosophically....Mehldau shares the group's reverence for standards and the notion that 'free' can be soft, slow, smart, subtle and sophisticated." JazzTimes
"The quartet's set consists of six jazz standards, all beautifully rendered, benefitting from almost 300 years-worth of musical experience." Mojo, 4 stars out of 5

Personnel
Lee Konitz: alto saxphone; Brad Mehldau: piano; Charlie Haden: double-bass; Paul Motian: drums

Track listing
1 Lover Man - Jimmy Davis, Jimmy Sherman, Roger Ramirez 12:05
2 Lullaby Of Birdland - George Shearing - 10:16
3 Solar - Miles Davis 11:39
4 I Fall In Love Too Easily - Jule Styne, Sammy Cahn* 10:17
5 You Stepped Out Of A Dream - Gus Kahn, Nacio Herb Brown 11:49
6 Oleo - Sonny Rollins

Disc

Modern Jazz Quartet, "Piramid"

This is a strong recording from the Modern Jazz Quartet, with inventive versions of John Lewis' "Vendome," Ray Brown's "Pyramid," Jim Hall's "Romaine," and Lewis' famous "Django," along with cooking jams on "How High the Moon" and "It Don't Mean a Thing." The MJQ had become a jazz institution by this time, but they never lost their creative edge, and their performances (even on the remakes) are quite stimulating, enthusiastic, and fresh. ~Scott Yanow

Modern Jazz Quartet, MJQ
Milt Jackson (vibraphone), John Lewis (piano, musical director), Percy Heath (double bass) and Connie Kay (drums)

Tracks
1 Vendome (John Lewis) 2:30
2 Pyramid (Blues for Junior) (Ray Brown) 10:46
3 It Don't Mean a Thing (If ItAin't Got That Swing) (Ellington, Mills) 5:02
4 Django (John Lewis) 5:23
5 How High the Moon (Hamilton, Lewis) 6:15
6 Romaine (Jim Hall) 7:28

Disc

TRIBUTE TO PAUL MOTIAN (1931 - 2011) 13

This album is the thirteenth in a series of 15, giving a beautiful view of the career ofone of the greatest jazz drummers

2006 Marc Copland – Voices - Trio Recording (with Gary Peacock & Paul Motian)

"Peacock's Runner is one of the finest group performances I've heard in a long time. These are fine albums both, that will grow in stature." Jazzwise (UK), 2008"One of the most original pianists in jazz...harmonically he's unlike anyone else. This marvelous trio is fresh, assured and independently minded."/Irish Times, 2007"A trio of jazz heavyweights... Voices” goes a long way in cementing this musician's place in the jazz world as one of the best contemporary pianists of our time."/ejazznews.com 2008

Personnel
Marc Copland piano; Gary Peacock bass; Paul Motian drums

Track listing
1. Vignette (G. Peacock) 6:11
2. Albert (G. Peacock)  3:41
3. River's rum (M. Copland) 6:40
4. Voices (M. Copland)  7:41
5. Runner (G. Peacock)  7:25
6. That's it ? (G. Peacock)  2:49
7. All blues ((M. Davis)  5:35
8. At night (M. Copland) 8:43

Disc

The Trumpet Kings Meet Joe Turner

This album features a most unusual session. Veteran blues singer Joe Turner and his usual rhythm section of the mid-'70s (which includes guitarist Pee Wee Crayton) are joined by four notable trumpeters: Dizzy Gillespie, Roy Eldridge, Harry "Sweets" Edison, and Clark Terry. On three blues (including the 15-minute "I Know You Love Me Baby") and "Tain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do," the group stretches out with each of the trumpeters getting ample solo space. It is not a classic outing (a little more planning and better material might have helped), but it is colorful and unique enough to be easily recommended to straight-ahead jazz and blues fans. ~ Scott Yanow


Personnel
Big Joe Turner (vocals); Dizzy Gillespie, Roy Eldridge, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Clark Terry (trumpet); Jimmy Robbins (piano); Pee Wee Crayton (guitar); Charles Norris (bass); Washington Rucker (drums).


Tracks
1 Mornin', Noon and Night (Joe Turner)
2 I Know You Love Me Baby (Joe Turner)
3 T.V Momma (Joe Turner)
4 T'ain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do (Grainger, Prince, Williams)


Disc

TRIBUTE TO PAUL MOTIAN (1931 - 2011) 12

This album is the twelfth in a series of 15, giving a beautiful view of the career of one of the greatest drummers in jazz

2005 Paul Motian -  I Have the Room Above Her 

"The sum total of the nuanced, elliptical lyricism at the heart of Paul Motian's compositional method can be heard in the opening seconds of "Osmosis Part III," the first track from I Have the Room Above Her. Recorded for ECM -- with producer Manfred Eicher, guitarist Bill Frisell and saxophonist Joe Lovano -- this date is Motian's first as a leader for the label in more than 20 years. This is the same team that recorded the seminal album It Should've Happened a Long Time Ago in 1984. At that time, Lovano and Frisell were just beginning to establish themselves as bandleaders though they" ~ Thom Jurek

Personnel
Paul Motian: drums; Bill Frisell: guitar; Joe Lovano: tenor saxophone.

Track listing
Osmosis Part III
Sketches
Odd Man Out
Shadows
I have the room above her - Hammerstein, Kern
Osmosis part I
Dance
Harmony
The Riot Act
The Bag Man
One In Thre
All compositons by Paul Motian, except as indicated

Disc

Paul Bley, "Introducing Paul Bley with Charles Mingus and Art Blakey"

Paul Bley was 21 years old when he recorded his first album in 1953. With Art Blakey on drums and Charles Mingus on bass (it was originally released on his Debut Records label), this finds Bley still working within the framework of bebop. This CD reissue adds four extra tracks and the alternate take it includes of Bley's own "Opus 1" is fascinating for what it reveals. In his soloing -- different on each of the two takes -- he can be heard using forceful but brief melodic fragments with little harmonic embellishment. He's continued to explore those possibilities on through the decades. However, it is remarkable to notice here, at the beginning of the young pianist's career, to hear Bley stepping out of the confines of the genre and to witness the development of his distinctive individual voice. ~ Release

Personnel
Paul Bley (piano); Charles Mingus (bass); Art Blakey (drums)

Track listing
1. OPUS 1 (Paul Bley)
2. OPUS 1 (alternate taeke)
3. (Teapot) Walkin' (Richard Carpenter)
4. Like Someone in Love (Burke - Van Heusen)
5. Spontaneous Combustion (Paul Bley)
6. Split Kick (Horace Silver)
7. I Can't Get Started (Duke Gershwin)
8. Santa Claus Is Coming to Town (Gillespie - Coots)
9. The Theme (writer unknown)
10. This Time the Dream's on Me (Arlen - Mercer)
11. Zootcase (Jack Sims)

Disc

TRIBUTE TO PAUL MOTIAN (1931 - 2011) 11

This is the eleventh album of a 15 series, giving a beautiful view of the career of one of the greatest drummers in jazz

2001 - Marilyn Crispell - Amaryllis (with Paul Motian & Gary Peacock)

“Breaking with free-jazz tradition that equates creativity with velocity, pianist Marilyn Crispell carves chords into silence on this trio session with the patient deliberation of a monk planting stones in a Zen garden. The pedigree of her bandmates is impeccable: drummer Paul Motian embarked on his career playing with Bill Evans, and Gary Peacock has held forth in the influential Keith Jarrett Trio since 1977. Majestic and quietly affirming, "Amaryllis" blends Crispell's interpretations of landmark Peacock and Motian tunes "Conception Vessel" and "Voice from the Past" with group improvisations so telepathic they sound composed. Crispell and her bandmates plumb the sacramental stillness of the classic Evans trios with an angularity and poise that is all their own.”  Stephen Silberman, writer, Wired Magazine

Personnel
Marilyn Crispell: piano; Gary Peacock: bass; Paul Motian: drums.

Track listing
1. Voice From the Past - Peacock - 5:56
2. Amaryllis -  Crispell 3:35
3. Requiem - Peacock 4:45
4. Conception Vessel/Circle Dance - Motian 5:38
5. Voices – Motian 4:32
6. December Greenwings - Peacock 4:11
7. Silence - Crispell 3:20
8. M.E. - Motian 5:18
9. Rounds - Crispell 4:08
10. Avatar - Crispell 4:18
11. Morpion - Motian 3:34
12. Prayer – Weiss  5:42

Disc

Dave Holland Octet, "Pathways", 2010

Pathways marks the recording debut of the Dave Holland Octet and the fourth album to be released on Dave's own Dare2 label.  The album was recorded live at New York City's Birdland jazz club. Holland returned to New York’s Birdland - the site ofExtended Play, his last live album - to record this latest effort. ~ Release

Personnel

Antonio Hart (Alto Sax and Flute), Chris Potter (Tenor Sax and Soprano Sax), Gary Smulyan (Baritone Sax), Alex "Sasha" Sipiagin (Trumpet & Flugelhorn), Robin Eubanks (Trombone), Steve Nelson (Vibraphone and Marimba), Dave Holland (bass), Nate Smith (drums)

Tracks

1. Pathways (Dave Holland) 10:46

2. How's Never? (Dave Holland) 13:03

3. Sea of Marmara (Chris Potter) 9:02

4. Ebb and Flow (Dave Holland) 10:48

5. Blue Jean (Dave Holland) 7:28

6. Wind Dance (Alex Sipigian) 9:10

7. Shadow Dance (Dave Holland) 15:06

Disc

TRIBUTE TO PAUL MOTIAN (1931 - 2011) 10

This is the tenth album of a 15 series, giving a beautiful view of the career of one of the greatest drummers in jazz


1994 Paul Motian - Reincarnation Of A Love Bird


The Electric Bebop Band is a very different ensemble on its second album than it was on the first. Apart from drummer and bandleader Paul Motian, the only member remaining from the debut is guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel; the place of his erstwhile counterpart Brad Schoeppach has been taken by Wolfgang Muthspiel, while saxman Joshua Redman has been replaced by two new players, Chris Potter and Chris Creek. Bassist Stomu Takeishi is gone, his slot occupied by new jazz elder statesman Steve Swallow. In addition to all of these changes, Don Alias is now supplementing the groove on percussion. But while these personnel changes have made a marked difference in the ensemble' s sound (which is a bit more refined this time out), Motian's approach remains the same: take familiar jazz standards and present them in the context of an electrified group in which guitars play a central role. In this case the songs include numbers by Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Charles Mingus and Charlie Parker, as well as originals from Motian and Muthspiel. On Monk's "Skippy," the guitars take the lead, playing an extended intro before everyone chimes in for the head proper; Swallow's astringent bass sound and creative walking line are especially noteworthy. The group's rendition of "Ornithology" seems strangely bloodless, but they do themselves proud on Miles Davis's "Half-Nelson" and on a joyfully headlong version of Gillespie's archetypal "Be-Bop." The element of surprise that charged the proceedings on the debut is missing this time, but this is still a very fine album overall. ~ Rick Anderson


Personnel
Paul Motian (drums, percussion); Kurt Rosenwinkel (guitar, electric guitar); Wolfgang Muthspiel (guitar); Chris Potter (alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Chris Cheek (tenor saxophone); Don Alias (percussion).


Track Listing
1 Split Decision (Paul Motian) 5:38
2 Half-nelson (Miles Davis) 3:52
3 Ask Me How (Thelonious Monk) 3:41
4 Reincarnation Of A Love Bird (Charles Mingus) 6:29
5 Skippy (Thelonious Monk) 3:38
6 2 Bass Hit (Dizzy Gillespie) 4:07
7 Waseenonet (Wolfgang Muthspiel) 7:00
8 Ornithology (Charlie Parker) 4:28
9 'Round Midnight (Bernie Hanighen, Cootie Williams, Thelonious Monk) 6:55
10 Be-bop (Dizzy Gillespie) 3:58
11 Split Decision (Paul Motian) 5:38


Disc

The Mercury Records Jazz Story

Mercury's jazz division had two distinct and important fathers. John Hammond brought his expertise and connections when Mercury bought Keystone Records in the late 1940's. And Mercury was the issuing company and distributor for Norman Granz's pre-Norgran/Verve recordings. Although both Hammond and Granz had departed Mercury by the mid-50's, they established the company in the jazz world.
Mercury, under its Emarcy label, released LPs by many important post-swing and bebop artists including Clifford Brown and Max Roach, Clark Terry, Dinah Washington, Nat and Cannonball Adderley, Sarah Vaughn, Maynard Ferguson, Jimmy Cleveland, Herb Geller and others. By the early 1960's, Mercury was releasing jazz under the flagship label and was an early leader in the new stereo sound releases.
Highlights of the early and mid-60's included albums by Quincy Jones, Buddy Rich, Cannonball Adderley, Charles (then called Charlie) Mingus, Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughn, Max Roach and others.
In the early 1950's, Norman Granz started his own record company, Norgran, which later became Verve. In an ironic twist, both Mercury and Verve are now owned by Universal Music Group and Mercury's jazz library falls under the Verve division. Since the early 1990's, Verve has reissued many Mercury jazz titles on CD, often taking care to use original master tapes and including session material not included on the original LPs.
In addition, Mosaic Records in Stamford CT has issued several box sets spotlighting the Mercury and Verve recordings of various artists including Max Roach, Roy Eldridge, Dizzy Gillespie and Buddy Rich. (en.wikipedia.org)


Compilation supervised by Michael Lang; Selected and sequenced by Dan Morgenstern; Researched by Ben Young; Mastered by Steven Fallone at PolyGram Studios; Notes edited by Peter Pullman



Tracklist, CD.1
01. Idaho / Gene Ammons (2:51)
02. Feather Brain / Muggsy Spanier (2:52)
03. I Cried for You / Dinah Washington (2:27)
04. I'll Always Be in Love with You / Paul Quinichette (3:01)
05. The Iron Hat / Ben Webster (2:57)
06. Don't Blame Me / Paul Gonsalves (3:18)
07. Eleanor / Art Blakey (2:54)
08. Moroccan Blues / Art Mardigan (3:05)
09. 'S Wonderful / Helen Merrill (3:12)
10. I've Got to Be a Rug Cutter / Erroll Garner (2:20)
11. Demanton / Gerry Mulligan (5:36)
12. Flossie Lou / Clifford Brown & Max Roach (4:02)
13. Love Letters / Max Roach (8:55)
14. Hoppin' John / Cannonball Adderley (4:38)
15. My Old Flame / Max Roach (3:36)
16. Three Little Words / Sarah Vaughan (3:43)
17. I Hadn't Anyone till You / Eddie South (3:32)
18. Weaver of Dreams / John Coltrane (5:35)
19. Willow Weep for Me / Conte & Pete Candoli (4:30)
20. (Back Home Again in) Indiana / Buddy Rich (3:18)


Tracklist, CD.2
01. Take the "A" Train - Exactly Like You / Charles Mingus (3:36)
02. The Midnight Sun Will Never Set / Quincy Jones (4:34)
03. Improvisation for Unaccompanied Saxophones / Al Cohn & Zoot Sims (2:26)
04. I Can't Get Started / Coleman Hawkins & Sol Yaged (4:30)
05. Struttin' with Some Barbecue / Pete Rugolo (2:25)
06. Sugar (That Sugar Baby o' Mine) / George Wein (4:37)
07. Scrapple from the Apple / Buddy DeFranco (4:47)
08. Mood Indigo / Julius Watkins (3:03)
09. The Big Cat / Terry Gibbs (4:28)
10. 3-in-1 Without the Oil / Roland Kirk (2:33)
11. Raincheck / Art Farmer (3:40)
12. Washboard Blues / Art Hodes & Truck Parham (2:38)
13. El Toro Grande / Woody Herman (4:59)
14. Squeaky's Blues / Oscar Peterson & Clark Terry (3:28)
15. Waltz for Ruth / Art Blakey (3:28)
16. Blues for Bird / Lee Konitz (5:41)
17. Groovin' High / Dizzy Gillespie (6:04)
18. Kid Dynamite / Paul Bley (3:13)
19. Sometimes I'm Happy / Jimmy Smith (4:47)


Disc

TRIBUTE TO PAUL MOTIAN (1931 - 2011) 9

This is the ninth album of a 15 series, giving a beautiful view of the career of one of the greatest drummers in jazz


1992 Paul Motian - On Broadway, Vol. 3 


"Paul Motian's ON BROADWAY VOL. 3--which includes takes on standards like Jerome Kern's "The Way You Look Tonight" and Irving Berlin's "How Deep Is the Ocean"-- is sophisticated post-bop jazz. But that's a simplistic assessment, as the sensitivity, nuance, and subtle experimentalism of the musicianship make this a case study in contemporary jazz of the first order. While melody is often paramount, and there are none of the cacophonous squawks usually associated with avant jazz, the musicians play off each other with edgy precision, creating swirling rhythms within rhythms, upending harmonic possibilities, and rooting through phrases to find their hidden secrets.
"That the ensemble is able to balance these two extremes--the "straight" and the experimental--so perfectly is no surprise given that the musicians are giants in the genre. Guitarist Bill Frisell, bassist Charlie Haden, and saxophonists Joe Lovano and Lee Konitz display such a deep structural understanding of this music and such a stunning group telepathy that they completely reinvent these old chestnuts. Motian's abstract conception of time (nicely heard in his ethereal cymbal patterns) and Frisell's shimmering guitar keeps this masterful set miles removed from a standard bop date, as do Lovano and Konitz's solos." Sigma Sounds


Personnel
Paul Motian (drums); Paul Motian; Charlie Haden (double bass); Bill Frisell (guitar); Lee Konitz (soprano saxophone, alto saxophone); Joe Lovano (tenor saxophone).


Track listing
1 "How Deep Is the Ocean?" (Irving Berlin) - 6:49
2 "I Wish I Knew" (Mack Gordon, Harry Warren) - 6:40
3 "Just One of Those Things (Cole Porter) - 6:12
4 "Crazy She Calls Me" (Bob Russell, Carl Sigman) - 4:15
5 "Tico Tico" (Zequinha de Abreu) - 2:44
6 "Weaver of Dreams" (Jack Elliott, Victor Young) - 6:56
7 "The Way You Look Tonight" (Dorothy Fields, Jerome Kern) - 5:18
8 "Handful of Stars" (Jack Lawrence, Ted Shapiro) - 6:42
9 "Pennies From Heaven" (Arthur Johnston, Johnny Burke) - 5:20
10 "Skylark" (Hoagy Carmichael, Johnny Mercer) - 5:00
Attention to "Tico-Tico" by Zequinha de Abreu, Brazilian compositor


Disc

Andrew Hill - Black Fire

Andrew's.

All compositons by Andrew Hill

1. "Pumpkin'" – 5:24
2. "Subterfuge" – 8:04
3. "Black Fire" – 6:56
4. "Cantarnos" – 5:42
5. "Tired Trade" – 5:51
6. "McNeil Island" – 2:58
7. "Land of Nod" – 5:48

Bonus tracks on CD reissue:

8. "Pumpkin'" [Alternate Take] - 5:16
9. "Black Fire" [Alternate Take] - 5:48

Andrew Hill – piano
Joe Henderson – saxophone
Richard Davis – bass
Roy Haynes – drums

DISC

Freddie Hubbard, "First Light"

Of the seminal recordings Hubbard made at Van Gelder studios for CTI in the early '70s, FIRST LIGHT was the trumpet player's favorite. Here it is, digitally re-mastered and re-released on CBS Associated. All the earmarks of Creed Taylor's production style are immediately apparent-the expanded instrumentation (including French horn, strings, and even harp), the jazz-fusion charged rhythm section, and the beautifully clean sound he achieved in the studio. FIRST LIGHT won a Grammy in '71 and solidified Hubbard's already formidable status among the greats of jazz trumpeting. ~ Release
Recorded at the Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey from September 14-16, 1971. 


Personel
Freddie Hubbard (trumpet, flugelhorn); George Benson (guitar); Margaret Ross (harp); Tosha Samaroff, Harold Kohon, David Nadien, Matthew Raimondi, Gene Orloff, Irving Spice, Paul Gershman, Emanuel Green, Joe Malin (violin); Alfred Brown , Emanuel Vardi (viola); Charles McCracken , George Ricci (cello); Romeo Penque (flute, clarinet, oboe, English horn); George Marge (flute, clarinet); Wally Kane (flute, bassoon); Hubert Laws (flute); Jane Taylor (bassoon); James Buffington, Ray Alonge (French horn); Richard Wyands (piano); Jack DeJohnette (drums); Airto Moreira (percussion)


Tracks
1.  First Light (Freddie Hubbard) 11:08 
2.  Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey (Paul McCartney/Linda McCartney) 8:19 
3.  Moment to Moment (Henry Mancini/Johnny Mercer) 5:45 
4.  Yesterday's Dreams (Don Sebesky/Norman Martin) 3:58 
5.  Lonely Town (From 'On The Town') (Leonard Bernstein/Betty Comden/Adolph Green) 7:02 
6.  Fantasy In D (Cedar Walton) 6:55 


Disc

TRIBUTE TO PAUL MOTIAN (1931 - 2011) 8

This is the eighty album of a 15 series, giving a beautiful view of the career of one of the greatest drummers in jazz


1989 Paul Motian - On Broadway, Vol. 2 

"The quartet of tenorman Joe Lovano, guitarist Bill Frisell, bassist Charlie Haden and drummer Paul Motian digs into nine show tunes from the 1930s and 40s, reinventing them in colorful fashion. The key to the rewarding project is Frisell, whose versatility and wide range of highly original sounds make the overall results sound quite unique. Among the highlights of the memorable set are unusual versions of "Liza," "They Didn't Believe Me" and "Last Night When We Were Young." ~ Scott Yanow / Wikipedia
Recorded at RPM Studios, New York, New York in November 1988.


Personnel
Paul Motian (drums);  Joe Lovano (tenor saxophone); Bill Frisell (electric guitar); Charlie Haden (bass).


Track listing
1. "Liza (All the Clouds'll Roll Away)" (Gershwin, Gershwin, Kahn) - 4:31
2. "Over the Rainbow" (Arlen, Harburg) - 3:14
3. "They Didn't Believe Me" (Kern, Reynolds, Rourke) - 4:20
4. "What Is This Thing Called Love?" (Porter) - 4:55. 
5. "My Heart Belongs to Daddy" (Porter) - 4:54
6. "Last Night When We Were Young" (Arlen, Harburg) - 5:20
7. "I Concentrate on You" (Porter) - 3:14
8. "Someone to Watch Over Me" (Gershwin, Gershwin) - 9:20
9. "So in Love" (Porter) - 4:05


Disc

Django Reinhardt, "All Star Sessions"

With the noted exception of Stephane Grappelli, Django was such a guitar marvel that he usually left his fellow musicians in the dust. Here, the Gypsy jazz giant is joined by an incredible roster of American talent who can keep up with him: Coleman Hawkins, Rex Stewart, and a ream of Ellington sidemen are on board to frame Django beautifully. ~Release


Personnel
Django Reinhart (guitar); Benny Carter (alto saxophone, trumpet); Andre Ekyan, Fletcher Allen, Charles Lisee (alto saxophone); Bertie King (tenor saxophone, clarinet); Coleman Hawkins, Alix Combelle (tenor saxophone); Arthur Briggs, Noel Chiboust, Pierre Allier (trumpet); Rex Stewart (cornet); Guy Pacquinet (trombone); Barney Bigard (clarinet, drums); Stephane Grappelli, Yorke De Souza (piano); Billy Taylor, Eugene S'Hellemmes (bass); Tommy Benford, Maurice Chailloux (drums).


Track List
1. Montmartre (django's Jump) - 05 Apr 1935, w/ Rex Stewart and His Feetwarmers
2. Low Cotton -05 Apr 1935, w/ Rex Stewart and His Feetwarmers
3. Finesse - 05 Apr 1935, w/ Rex Stewart and His Feetwarmers
4. I Know That You Know - 05 Apr 1935, w/ Rex Stewart and His Feetwarmers
5. Solid Old Man - 05 Apr 1935, w/ Rex Stewart and His Feetwarmers
6. Honeysuckle Rose - 28 Apr 1937, w/ Coleman Hawkins and His All-Star Ja 6. m Band 
7. Crazy Rhythm - 28 Apr 1937, w/ Coleman Hawkins and His All-Star Ja 6. m Band 
8. Out Of Nowhere - 28 Apr 1937, w/ Coleman Hawkins and His All-Star Ja 6. m Band 
9. Sweet Georgia Brown - 28 Apr 1937, w/ Coleman Hawkins and His All-Star Ja 6. m Band 
10. I'm Coming, Virginia - 07 Mar 1938, Benny Carter and His Orchestra
11. Farewell Blues - 07 Mar 1938, Benny Carter and His Orchestra
12. Blue Light Blues 07 Mar 1938, Benny Carter and His Orchestra
13. Blue Moon -  02 mar 1935, Coleman Hawkins w/ Michel Warlop and 13. His Orchestra
14. Avalon - 02 mar 1935, Coleman Hawkins w/ Michel Warlop and 13. His Orchestra
15. What A Difference A Day Makes - 02 mar 1935, Coleman Hawkins w/ Michel Warlop and 13. His Orchestra
16. Star Dust - 02 mar 1935, Coleman Hawkins w/ Michel Warlop and 13. His Orchestra


Disc

TRIBUTE TO PAUL MOTIAN (1931 - 2011) 7

This is the seventh album of a 15 series, giving a beautiful view of the career of one of the greatest drummers in jazz


1986 Paul Motian - Misterioso 


Misterioso is the third album by Paul Motian on the Italian Soul Note label. It was released in 1987 and features performances by Motian with Bill Frisell and Joe Lovano, along with Ed Schuller and Jim Pepper.
The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow awarded the album 4½ stars stating "Although often overlooked, drummer Paul Motian led one of the most inventive jazz bands of the mid-1980s. His quintet, which featured the tenors of Joe Lovano and Jim Pepper, guitarist Bill Frisell and bassist Ed Schuller, could play anything from swinging advanced hard bop and Ornette Coleman-type free bop to spacier improvising. An underrated composer, Motian contributed seven of the nine numbers for this date; the quintet also performs Thelonious Monk's "Misterioso" and "Pannonica." Frisell is featured on "Byablue" (which had earlier been recorded by Keith Jarrett); the two tenors (Pepper doubled on soprano) work together quite well, and the band definitely had its own sound. Of its three recordings, this is a strong one to start with. ~ Wikipedia


Personel
Paul Motian - drums; Bill Frisell - electric guitar; Joe Lovano - tenor saxophone; Jim Pepper - tenor and soprano saxophones; Ed Schuller - bass


Track listing
1."Misterioso" (Monk) - 6:50
2."Abacus" - 3:30
3."Once Around the Park" - 6:48
4."Gang of Five" - 4:28
5."Pannonica" (Monk) - 3:45
6."Folk Song for Rosie" - 5:08
7."Byablue" - 2:20
8."Dance" - 10:14
9."Johnny Broken Wing" - 2:12
All compositions by Paul Motian except as indicated


Disc

Paul Chambers, "Bass on Top", 1957

Paul Chambers cut this little known album for Blue Note in 1957. Those familiar with Chambers's bass work on straight bop recordings, especially those done with Miles Davis in the 1950s, might be surprised at the range and variety here. Chambers plays the bass as a lead instrument (as the album's title indicates), and leads a crack ensemble--which includes Kenny Burrell on guitar, Hank Jones on piano, and Art Taylor on drums--through a rousing session of exploratory post-bop. This one comes recommended to collectors, not least for the Rudy Van Gelder remastering. - Release


Personel
Paul Chambers (bass guitar); Kenny Burrell (guitar); Hank Jones (piano); Art Taylor (drums)


Tracks
1. Yesterdays - Jerome Kern, West Arkeen, Otto Harbach, J.J. Johnson, Axl Rose, Del James
2. You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To - Cole Porter
3. Chasin' the Bird - Charlie Parker
4. Dear Old Stockholm - Traditional
5. The Theme - Miles Davis
6. Confessin' - Al J. Neiburg/Doc Daugherty/Ellis Reynolds/Jay McShann/Walter Brown
7. Chamber Mate - Kenny Burrell/Paul Chambers



Disc 

TRIBUTE TO PAUL MOTIAN (1931 - 2011) 6

This is the sixty album of a 15 series, giving a beautiful view of the career of one of the greatest drummers in jazz



1982 Paul Motian - Psalm 


Psalm is the fifth album by Paul Motian to be released on the ECM label. It was released in 1982 and features the first recordings by Motian with Bill Frisell and Joe Lovano, along with Ed Schuller and Billy Drewes.
The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow awarded the album 4½ stars stating "The eight compositions by drummer Paul Motian on this ECM release (which is available on CD) are rather dry and none caught on as future standards. But the playing by Motian's sidemen (tenors Joe Lovano and Billy Drewes, bassist Ed Schuller and especially the remarkable guitarist Bill Frisell) uplifted the music and gave this group a strong personality of its own. Although the results are not all that memorable, the music should please adventurous listeners. "


Personal
Paul Motian – drums; Bill Frisell – guitar; Joe Lovano – tenor saxophone; Billy Drewes – tenor and alto saxophones; Ed Schuller – bass


Tracks
1."Psalm" - 6:57
2."White Magic" - 3:00
3."Boomerang" - 5:43
4."Fantasm" - 6:07
5."Mandeville" - 5:03
6."Second Hand" - 9:16
7."Etude" - 4:16
8."Yahllah" - 7:39
All compositions by Paul Motian


Disc

Bobby Hutcherson, "For Sentimental Reasons", 2007

Vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, who successfully translated John Coltrane’s "sheets of sound" approach to the vibes, became the acknowledged master of that instrument when Milt Jackson died in 1999. A veteran of many historic Blue Note dates, a bit player in the movie Round Midnight, and founding member of the SF Jazz Collective, Hutcherson calls this mostly ballads CD, with pianist Renee Rosnes, bassist Dwayne Burno, and drummer Al Foster, his "love record." All of his powers are evident here: his melodic fluency, vast harmonic imagination, and his incredible ability to make the vibes sing. Like Lester Young, Hutcherson knows how to melodically tell a story, as evidenced by his shimmering takes on the Latin-tinged "Ode to Angela," and "I Wish I Knew," his sumptuous piano duet on the Bernstein/Sondheim classic "Somewhere," and his heartbreaking, solo number "I’ll Be Seeing You," Hopefully we’ll be seeing and hearing from this genius more often. ~ Eugene Holley, Jr.

As the "Penguin Guide to Modern Jazz" notes vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson is "an undervalued genius" where "few have developed such a consistently challenging language for the instrument". 


Personnel
Bobby Hutcherson (vibraphone); Dwayne Burno (bass instrument), Renee Rosnes (piano), Al Foster (drums)


Track listings
1. (I love you) For sentimental reasons (deek watson/william best)
2. Ode to angela (harold land)
3. Embraceable you (george gershwin/ira gershwin)
4. Along came betty (benny golson)
5. Somewhere (leonard bernstein/stephen sondheim) 
6. Jitterbug waltz (fats waller)
7. What are you doing the rest of your life (marilyn bergman/alan bergman/michel legrand)
8. Don't blame me (jimmy mchugh/dorothy fields)
9. Spring is here (lorenz hart/richard rodgers)
10. I wish i knew (harry warren/mack gordon)
11. I'll be seeing you (irving kahal/sammy fain)


Disc

TRIBUTE TO PAUL MOTIAN (1931 - 2011) 5

This is the fifth album of a 15 series, giving a beautiful view of the career of one of the greatest drummers in jazz

1977 Keith Jarret - Silence (with Paul Motian, Charlie Haden & Dewey Redman)


The 1992 CD reissue of the Keith Jarrett "American" Quartet's last recording session combines most of the contents of the LPs Byablue and Bop-Be, omitting "Yahllah" and "Konya" from the former and "Pyramids Moving" from the latter. (Tellingly, in keeping with conservative '90s tastes -- never mind the time-limit excuse -- the deleted tracks are the ones which have an experimental Middle Eastern flavor.) Still, this partial sampling of the session indicates that the quartet went out on a high note, still exciting and inventive, the old interplay very much in action, unrepentantly acoustic in an electric era. Like the LP of the same name, "Byablue" brackets the CD with a group version at the beginning and a solo piano benediction at the close, which under these conditions becomes an emotional elegy for the soon-to-be defunct quartet by its leader. ~ Richard S. Ginell
Live Recording. Recorded at Generation Sound, New York, New York on September 9, 1977. Originally issued on Impulse (AS-9331) and (IA-9334). Includes liner notes by Michael Cuscuna.


Personnel
Keith Jarrett (soprano saxophone, piano); Dewey Redman (tenor saxophone); Charlie Haden (bass); Paul Motian (drums)


Tracks
1 Byablue 7:23 Motian
2 Rainbow 8:37 Margot Jarrett
3 Trieste 9:42 Motian
4 Fantasm 1:14 Paul Motian
5 Mushi Mushi 6:02 Dewey Redman
6 Silence 3:14 Charlie Haden
7 Bop-Be 7:00 K. Jarrett
8 Gotta Get Some Sleep 10:39 Dewey Redman
9 Blackberry Winter 3:40 Alec Wilder-Loomis McGlohon
10 Pocket Full of Cherry 8:59 Charlie Haden
11 Byablue (solo piano version) 3:39 Paul Motian


Disc

Oliver Nelson, "The Blues and the Abstract Truth"

"The Blues and the Abstract Truth!" is a jazz album by Oliver Nelson recorded in February 1961. It remains Nelson's most acclaimed album. It features a lineup of notable musicians: Freddie Hubbard, Eric Dolphy (his last appearance on a Nelson album following a series of collaborations recorded for Prestige), Bill Evans (his only appearance with Nelson), Paul Chambers and Roy Haynes. Baritone saxophonist George Barrow does not take a solo but is a key feature of the subtle voicings of Nelson's arrangements.
The album is an exploration of the mood and structure of the blues, though only some of the tracks are in conventional 12-bar blues form. In this regard, though it is not modal jazz, it may be seen as a continuation of the trend towards greater harmonic simplicity and subtlety via reimagined versions of the blues that was instigated by Miles Davis's Kind of Blue in 1959 (Evans and Chambers played on both albums). Of the pieces on Nelson's album, "Stolen Moments" is the most famous; it is a sixteen-bar piece (in an eight-six-two pattern), though the solos are on a conventional 12-bar minor-key blues structure in C minor. "Hoe-Down" is built on a forty-four-bar structure (with thirty-two-bar solos based on "rhythm changes"). "Cascades" modifies the traditional 32-bar AABA form by using a 16-bar minor blues for the A section, stretching the form to a total of 56 bars. The B-side of the album contains three tracks that hew closer to 12-bar form: "Yearnin'", "Butch and Butch" and "Teenie's Blues" (which begins with an essential 12-bar solo Bass intro by Chambers). ~ Wikipedia


Performers
Oliver Nelson — alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, Eric Dolphy — flute, alto saxophone, George Barrow — baritone saxophone, Freddie Hubbard — trumpet, Bill Evans — piano, Paul Chambers — bass, Roy Haynes — drums


Track listing
"Stolen Moments"
"Hoe-Down"
"Cascades"
"Yearnin'"
"Butch and Butch"
"Teenie's Blues"
All tracks composed by Oliver Nelson 


Disc

TRIBUTE TO PAUL MOTIAN (1931 - 2011) 4

This is the fourth album of a 15 series, giving a beautiful view of the career of one of the greatest drummers in jazz


1972 Paul Motian - Conception Vessel



Conception Vessel is the debut album by Paul Motian and was released on the ECM label. It was released in 1972 and features performances by Motian with Keith Jarrett, Charlie Haden, Leroy Jenkins, Sam Brown and Becky Friend. The Allmusic review by Ron Wynn awarded the album 4 stars stating "This is Motian's debut as a leader. It includes ambitious cuts with guitarist Sam Brown and also features pianist Keith Jarrett. ~ Ron Wynn


Personnel
Paul Motian - drums, percussion; Keith Jarrett - piano, flute; Sam Brown - guitar; Leroy Jenkins - violin; Becky Friend - flute; Charlie Haden - bass


Tracks
"Georgian Bay" - 7:31
"Ch'i Energy" - 2:37
"Rebica" - 11:14
"Conception Vessel" - 7:46
"American Indian: Song of Sitting Bull" - 2:45
"Inspiration from a Vietnamese Lullaby" - 9:41
All compositions by Paul Motian


Disc

Modern Jazz Quartet & Laurindo Almeida, Collaboration

"This important 1964 Atlantic recording pairs the world-renowned Modern Jazz Quartet -- drummer Connie Kay, bassist Percy Heath, vibraphonist Milt Jackson, and the late pianist and music director John Lewis -- with the Brazilian guitarist Laurindo Almeida. Together, they present an intelligent program showcasing the acoustic guitar in the group's trademarked combo sound. On "Silver," Lewis's shifting tempos are excellent foils for Milt Jackson's virtuosity. "Valeria" from Lewis's soundtrack A Milanese Story retains its Adriatic air. Lewis's arrangement of J.S. Bach's "Fugue in A Minor" is the perfect blend of counterpoint and swing. Connie Kay's driving and delicate drumming and Almeida's fleet-finger guitar solos drive Antonio Carlos Jobim's "One Note Samba." Almeida and the Quartet turn in their best performance on their moving rendition of Joaquin Rodrigro's "Concierto de Aranjuez." Lewis's ingenious treatment of the Spanish classical masterwork is rivaled only by the big band adaptation Miles Davis and Gil Evans created in 1959. With Almeida's brilliant understanding of Afro-Brazilian and Afro-American folk and improvisational forms, and the Modern Jazz Quartet's telepathic interplay and dignified musicality, this recording effortlessly combines 18th-century Germany, Moorish Spain, and modern-day New York." Eugene Holley Jr.

Personel
Modern Jazz Quartet: Milt Jackson (vibraphone), John Lewis (piano), Percy Heath (bass), Connie Kay (drums) + Laurindo de Almeida (guitar) 


Track listing
1 Silver (John Lewis)
2 Trieste (John Lewis)
3 Valeria (John Lewis)
4 Fugue in A minor (J. S. Bach)
5 Samba de uma nota só (Newton Mendonça, Tom Jobim)
6 Foi a saudade (Djalma Ferreira)
7 Concierto de Aranjuez (Joaquim Rodrigo)


Disc

TRIBUTE TO PAUL MOTIAN (1931 - 2011) 3

This is the third album of a 15 series, giving a beautiful view of the career of one of the greatest drummers in jazz


1969 Keith Jarrett - Somewhere Before (with Paul Motian & Charlie Haden)


"Somewhere Before is a live album by pianist Keith Jarrett recorded on August 30 & 31, 1968 at Shelly's Manne-Hole in Hollywood, California. It features a live performance by Keith Jarrett, Charlie Haden and Paul Motian.
"The Allmusic review by Richard S. Ginell awarded the album 4 stars stating. As an example of early, unfocused Jarrett, this is fascinating material." Wikipedia


Track listing
"My Back Pages" (Dylan) - 5:24
"Pretty Ballad" - 3:30
"Moving Soon" - 4:24
"Somewhere Before" - 6:50
"New Rag" - 5:40
"A Moment for Tears" - 3:07
"Pouts' Over (And the Day's Not Through)" - 4:35
"Dedicated to You" (Cahn, Chaplin, Zaret) - 5:00
"Old Rag" - 2:37
All compositions by Keith Jarrett except as indicated


Disc

TRIBUTE TO PAUL MOTIAN (1931 - 2011) 2

This is the second album of a 15 series, giving a beautiful view of the career of one of the greatest drummers in jazz

1967 Keith Jarrett - Life between the exit signs (with Paul Motian & Charlie Haden)

"Life Between the Exit Signs is a jazz album by pianist Keith Jarrett. It was recorded on May 4, 1967 at Atlantic Recording Studios, in New York City. It was released April 1, 1968, under the record label Vortex, a subsidiary label of Atlantic Records. It is a collaboration of esteemed pianist Keith Jarrett, bassist Charlie Haden and established drummer Paul Motian.

"Although this was his debut leading album, Keith Jarrett's playing had a profound effect upon the world of jazz. His unique playing style, first truly exhibited here, was to make him one of the most famous jazz pianists of all time, influencing much of the experimental jazz of the 80s and 90s. It was also the beginning of a long lasting relationship with Paul Motian.

"The tracks on the album are heavily influenced by Ornette Coleman and Bill Evans, Jarrett having long been an admirer of both, Haden having played with Coleman and Motian having played with Evans." Wikipedia

All songs written by Keith Jarrett, unless otherwise noted:

"Lisbon Stomp" - 6:06

"Love No. 1" - 6:17

"Love No. 2" - 4:32

"Everything I Love" (Cole Porter) - 4:33

"Margot" - 3:45

"Long Time Gone (But Not Withdrawn)" - 4:55

"Life Between the Exit Signs" - 6:53

"Church Dreams" - 6:17

Disc

TRIBUTE TO PAUL MOTIAN (1931 - 2011) 1

This is the first album of a 15 series, giving a beautiful view of the career of one of the greatest drummers in jazz.

1961 Bill Evans - Waltz for Debby (with Paul Motian & Scott LaFaro)

Recorded live at the Village Vanguard, New York, New York on June 25, 1961. Originally released on Riverside (9399). Includes liner notes by Joe Goldberg. "This was Bill Evans' first trio. The album was the fourth and final effort from the unit — LaFaro died in a car accident just ten days after the live date at the Village Vanguard from which Waltz for Debby and its predecessor, Sunday at the Village Vanguard were taken. The loss of LaFaro hit Evans hard, and he went into a brief seclusion. When Evans returned to the trio format later in 1962, it was with Motian and noted bassist Chuck Israels." Wikipedia

Track listing:

"My Foolish Heart" 4:56

"Waltz for Debby" [Take 2] 7:00

"Waltz for Debby" [Take 1] 6:46

"Detour Ahead" [Take 2] 7:37

"Detour Ahead" [Take 1] 7:13

"My Romance" [Take 1] 7:12

"My Romance" [Take 2] 7:15

"Some Other Time" 5:11

"Milestones" 6:30

"Porgy (I Loves You, Porgy)" 5:58

Disc

Guinga

This is not an usual post here at the sunny side, but Guinga is arguably one of the most prominent composers alive in Brazil. Indeed a very fine acoustic guitar player - and dentist -, but moreover, brilliant in connecting dots and putting great minds to work on his compositions; usually accompanied by lyrics from Aldir Blanc, which, aside from Chico Buarque - who is beyond any dispute, cannot be beat.

So here we have two albums, one called Cheio de Dedos (roughly translated as Full of Fingers), and the other called Suite Leopoldina (Leopoldinean Suite).

Allow me to add a very good review from all music about Suite Leopoldina:

Review

by Alex Henderson

Comparable to New York's Penn Station or Philadelphia's 30th Street Station, Leopoldina Station is a major train station in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Just as a New Yorker would venture to Penn Station to take a train to the suburbs of Long Island or Northern New Jersey, Leopoldina Station is where a carioca would catch a train to Rio's suburbs. By calling this CD Suite Leopoldina, Brazilian guitarist Guinga is celebrating his Rio background. All of the tunes that Guinga wrote or co-wrote for this album, recorded in late 1998 and early 1999, have a strong Rio orientation. Whether he is playing samba or choro, whether he is embracing instrumental Brazilian jazz or jazz-influenced Brazilian pop, the guitarist is consistently Rio-minded on Suite Leopoldina. And it's important to emphasize the Rio connection because carioca music is distinctive; Guinga might admire the Brazilian pop and jazz sounds coming out of Salvador or São Paulo, but this ultra-melodic CD is distinctly Rio. That is true of the album's instrumentals as well as the tracks that feature vocalists, who include Alceu Valenca, Ed Motta, and the influential Ivan Lins. Guinga's love of jazz is strong; he features harmonica player Toots Thielemans on two instrumentals ("Constance" and "Dos Anjos") and pays tribute to Charles Mingus on "Mingus Samba" (which features vocalist Lenine). Excellent from start to finish, Suite Leopoldina is enthusiastically recommended to anyone who treasures the Rio school of Brazilian jazz and pop.

Disc 1


And one, also worth reading, about Cheio de Dedos:

Review

by Alvaro Neder

This is the third CD of Carioca dentist Guinga (Carlos Althier de Souza, 46) in his belated discography, which was awarded with three Sharp prizes. Intended to be a cultural chronicle of Rio de Janeiro, it has the genre choro as a glue for all the whole. Respecting the tradition and modernizing it at the same time, it brings a inventively crafted harmony together with angular melody lines directly descended from classical achievements of the 20th century. The sophisticated arrangements never compromise, offering a real obstacle for the average listener, harassed by easy listening these days. Paying tribute to distinguished musicians (who had always made the choro an important part of their lives),Jacob do Bandolim, Rafael Rabelo, and Villa-Lobos, from the 15 recorded tracks only two are sung: "Ária de Opereta," interpreted by funk singer Ed Motta in an expressive and heartfelt rendition, and "Impressionados," a choro that makes reference to the impressionist movement, delivered by Chico Buarque. The overall result is at the same time perfectionism and spontaneity: Guinga doesn't edit his songs after written. "Me Gusta A Lagosta" enriches the musical landscape with an Afro-Cuban rendition delivered by pianistChano Dominguez, string section Diapason, and percussionist Eladio Amat. Modern Brazilian popular music at it's best.


 Disc 2


Get'em both. You won't be sorry.


Beijos