Paul Motian
Joe Lovano, Paul Motian and Bill Frisell in Rome
Background information
Birth name	Paul Motian
Born	(1931-03-25)25 March 1931 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Origin	Providence, Rhode Island, United States
Died	22 November 2011(2011-11-22) (aged 80) Manhattan, New York, United States
Genres	Jazz, bebop, hard bop, post-bop, avant-garde jazz, free improvisation
Occupations	Drummer, composer
Instruments	Drums, percussion
Labels	ECM, Blue Note, Soul Note, Impulse!, JMT, Atlantic
Associated acts	Bill Frisell, Joe Lovano, Bill Evans, Keith Jarrett, Charles Mingus, Charlie Haden, Chick Corea, Eddie Gomez, Paul Bley, Scott LaFaro, Thelonious Monk

Stephen Paul Motian^[1] (25 March 1931 – 22 November 2011)^[2][3] was an American jazz drummer, percussionist and composer.

He first came to prominence in the late 1950s in the piano trio of Bill Evans, and later led several groups. Motian played an important role in freeing jazz drummers from strict time-keeping duties.

Biography [edit]

Motian was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and raised in Providence, Rhode Island. After playing guitar in his childhood, Motian began playing the drums at age 12, eventually touring New England in a swing band. During the Korean War he joined the Navy.

Motian became a professional musician in 1954, and briefly played with pianist Thelonious Monk. He became well known as the drummer in pianist Bill Evans's trio (1959–64), initially alongside bassist Scott LaFaro and later with Chuck Israels.^[4][5]

Subsequently, he played with pianists Paul Bley (1963–64) and Keith Jarrett (1967–76). Other musicians with whom Motian performed and/or recorded in the early period of his career included Lennie Tristano, Warne Marsh, Lee Konitz,^[6] Joe Castro, Arlo Guthrie (Motian performed briefly with Guthrie in 1968-69, and performed with the singer at Woodstock), Carla Bley, Charlie Haden, and Don Cherry. Motian subsequently worked with musicians such as Marilyn Crispell, Bill Frisell, Leni Stern, Joe Lovano, Alan Pasqua, Bill McHenry, Stephane Oliva, Frank Kimbrough, Eric Watson and many more.

Later in his career, Motian became an important composer and group leader,^[7] recording initially for ECM Records in the 1970s and early 1980s and subsequently for Soul Note, JMT, and Winter & Winter, before returning to ECM in 2005.^[4] From the early 1980s he led a trio featuring guitarist Bill Frisell and saxophonist Joe Lovano, occasionally joined by bassists Ed Schuller, Charlie Haden or Marc Johnson, and other musicians, including Jim Pepper, Lee Konitz, Dewey Redman and Geri Allen. In addition to playing Motian's compositions, the group recorded tributes to Thelonious Monk and Bill Evans, and a series of Paul Motian on Broadway albums, featuring original interpretations of jazz standards.

Despite his important associations with pianists, Motian's work as a leader since the 1970s rarely included a pianist in his ensembles and relied heavily on guitarists. Motian's first instrument was the guitar, and he apparently retained an affinity for the instrument: in addition to his groups with Frisell, his first two solo albums on ECM featured Sam Brown, and his Electric Bebop Band featured two and occasionally three electric guitars. The group was founded in the early 1990s, and featured a variety of young guitar and saxophone players, in addition to electric bass and Motian's drums, including saxophonists Joshua Redman, Chris Potter, Chris Cheek, and Tony Malaby, and guitarists Kurt Rosenwinkel, Brad Shepik, Wolfgang Muthspiel, Steve Cardenas, Ben Monder, and Jakob Bro.

In 2011, Motian featured on a number of new recordings; Live at Birdland with Lee Konitz, Brad Mehldau and Charlie Haden, Samuel Blaser's Consort in Motion, No Comment by Augusto Pirodda with Gary Peacock, and Further Explorations with Chick Corea and Eddie Gomez. Bill McHenry's Ghosts of the Sun was released - by coincidence - on the day of Motian's death.

Motian's final album as bandleader was The Windmills of Your Mind, featuring Bill Frisell, Thomas Morgan and Petra Haden. Posthumous releases so far are Sunrise by the Masabumi Kikuchi Trio (with Thomas Morgan), released in March 2012 by ECM; Owls Talk by Alexandra Grimal (also featuring Lee Konitz and Gary Peacock) was released in July 2012.

Motian died on November 22, 2011 at New York's Mount Sinai Hospital of complications from myelodysplasic syndrome.^[8]

Box set releases [edit]

CAM Jazz released a box set titled Paul Motian in September 2010. This release compiles a number of albums which were originally issued by the Soul Note label; The Story of Maryam, Jack of Clubs, Misterioso, Notes (with Paul Bley), One Time Out (with Bill Frisell and Joe Lovano) and Flux and Change (duet with Enrico Pieranunzi).

In November 2012, Winter & Winter released Paul Motian On Broadway Vol. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 which collects the five volumes of On Broadway into a single set.

ECM Records released a box set titled Paul Motian in April 2013, as part of the label's continuing Old & New Masters Edition series. This set compiles the six albums that Motian recorded for ECM from 1972 to 1984; Conception Vessel, Tribute, Dance, Le Voyage, Psalm and It Should've Happened a Long Time Ago.

Motian compositions recorded by others and tributes [edit]

Motian Sickness - The Music of Paul Motian (For The Love of Sarah) was released in September 2011, featuring Jeff Cosgrove, John Hebert, Mat Maneri and Jamie Masefield. The album is available as a CD or in downloadable formats from Cosgrove's official website.^[9]

November 2011 saw the release of Joel Harrison's String Choir: The Music of Paul Motian. Harrison arranged Motian's music for a string quartet (featuring Christian Howes, Sam Bardfeld, Mat Maneri and Dana Leong), plus two guitars (Liberty Ellman and Harrison).^[10]

Russ Lossing's Drum Music: Music of Paul Motian (Solo Piano) was released in July 2012 by Sunnyside Records.^[11] Lossing originally recorded the album to celebrate Motian's 80th birthday; he has published a video on YouTube about the recording.^[12]

Ravi Coltrane has included the Motian compositon Fantasm on his 2012 album Spirit Fiction. The performance features Joe Lovano.

Discography [edit]

As leader [edit]

• Conception Vessel (ECM, 1972)^[13][14]
• Tribute (ECM, 1974)^[15][16]
• Dance (ECM, 1977)^[17][18]
• Le Voyage (ECM, 1979)^[19][20]
• Psalm (ECM, 1982)^[21][22]
• The Story of Maryam (Soul Note, 1984)^[23][24]
• Jack of Clubs (Soul Note, 1985)^[25][26]
• It Should've Happened a Long Time Ago (ECM, 1985)^[27][28]
• Misterioso (Soul Note, 1986)^[29][30]
• One Time Out (Soul Note, 1987)^[31][32]
• Monk in Motian (JMT, 1988)
• On Broadway Volume 1 (JMT, 1989)
• Bill Evans (JMT, 1990)
• On Broadway Volume 2 (JMT, 1990)
• Motian in Tokyo (JMT, 1991)
• On Broadway Volume 3 (JMT, 1991)
• Paul Motian and the Electric Bebop Band (JMT, 1992)
• Trioism (JMT, 1993)
• Reincarnation of a Love Bird (JMT, 1994)
• Sound of Love (Winter & Winter, 1995 [1997])
• At the Village Vanguard (JMT, 1995)
• Flight of the Blue Jay (Winter & Winter, 1998)
• 2000 + One (Winter & Winter, 1997 [1999])
• Play Monk and Powell (Winter & Winter, 1998 [1999])
• Europe (Winter & Winter, 2000 [2001])
• Holiday for Strings (Winter & Winter, 2001 [2002])
• I Have the Room Above Her (ECM, 2004 [2005])
• Garden of Eden (ECM, 2004 [2007])
• On Broadway Vol. 4 or The Paradox of Continuity (Winter & Winter, 2005)
• Time and Time Again (ECM, 2006)
• Live at the Village Vanguard (Winter & Winter, 2006 [2007])
• Live at the Village Vanguard Vol. II (Winter & Winter, 2006 [2008])
• Live at the Village Vanguard Vol. III (Winter & Winter, 2006 [2010])
• On Broadway Volume 5 (Winter & Winter, 2009)
• Lost in a Dream (ECM, 2010)
• The Windmills of Your Mind (Winter & Winter, 2011)

Compilations

• Selected Recordings (ECM, 2004)

Box Sets

• Paul Motian (CAM Jazz, 2010)
• Paul Motian On Broadway Vol. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (Winter & Winter, 2012)
• Paul Motian (ECM, 2013)

As sideman [edit]

With Michael Adkins

• Rotator (HatHut, 2008) with Russ Lossing and John Hébert

With Geri Allen

• In the Year of the Dragon (JMT, 1989) with Charlie Haden
• Segments (DIW, 1989) with Charlie Haden
• Live at the Village Vanguard (DIW, 1991) with Charlie Haden

With Tim Berne

• Songs and Rituals in Real Time (Empire, 1982; reissue by Screwgun, 1998) with Mack Goldsbury and Ed Schuller
• The Ancestors (Soul Note, 1982)^[33] with Ray Anderson, Mack Goldsbury, C. Herb Robertson and Ed Schuller
• Mutant Variations (Soul Note, 1984)^[34] with C. Herb Robertson and Ed Schuller

With Samuel Blaser

• Consort in Motion (Kind of Blue, 2011)^[35] with Russ Lossing and Thomas Morgan

With Paul Bley

• Turns (Savoy, 1964) with John Gilmore and Gary Peacock (also in part on Improvising Artists’ Turning Point, 1975)
• Paul Bley with Gary Peacock (ECM, 1970)
• Fragments (ECM, 1986) with Bill Frisell and John Surman
• Notes (Soul Note, 1987)^[36][37]
• The Paul Bley Quartet (ECM, 1987) with Bill Frisell and John Surman
• Memoirs (Soul Note, 1990)^[38] with Charlie Haden
• Zen Palace (Transheart, 1993) with Steve Swallow
• Not Two, Not One (ECM, 1998) with Gary Peacock

With Salvatore Bonafede

• Plays (Ken Music, 1991) with Marc Johnson
• For The Time Being (CAM Jazz, 2006)^[39] with Joe Lovano, Michele Rabbia, Mark Dresser and Adam Rogers

With Jakob Bro

• Balladeering (Loveland, 2009)^[40] with Bill Frisell, Lee Konitz and Ben Street

With Marc Copland

• New York Trio Recordings Vol.2: Voices (Pirouet, 2007)^[41] with Gary Peacock

With Chick Corea and Eddie Gomez

• Further Explorations (UCJ Japan, 2011; international release by Concord Jazz, 2012)^[42]

With Eddie Costa

• Eddie Costa Quintet (Interlude, 1957)
• Guys and Dolls Like Vibes (Coral/Verve, 1958) with Bill Evans, Wendell Marshall
• The House of Blue Lights (Dot, 1959) with Wendell Marshall

With Marilyn Crispell

• Nothing Ever Was, Anyway: Music of Annette Peacock (ECM, 1997)
• Amaryllis (ECM, 2000)
• Storyteller (ECM, 2003)

With Furio Di Castri plus Joe Lovano Quartet

• Unknown Voyage (A Tempo, 1988)

With Jakob Dinesen

• Around (Stunt, 2001) with Kurt Rosenwinkel
• Dino (Stunt, 2009) with Anders Christensen

With Bill Evans

• New Jazz Conceptions (Riverside, 1957)
• Portrait in Jazz (Riverside, 1959)
• Explorations (Riverside, 1961)
• Sunday at the Village Vanguard (Riverside, 1961)
• Waltz for Debby (Riverside, 1961)
• How My Heart Sings! (Riverside, 1962)
• Moon Beams (Riverside, 1962)
• Nirvana with Herbie Mann (Atlantic, 1962)
• Trio '64 (Verve, 1963)

With Pierre Favre

• Singing Drums (ECM, 1984)

With Anat Fort

• A Long Story (ECM, 2004) with Perry Robinson and Ed Schuller

With Bill Frisell

• Rambler (ECM, 1985)
• Bill Frisell, Ron Carter, Paul Motian (Nonesuch, 2006)^[43][44]
• Bill Frisell, Ron Carter, Paul Motian EP (Nonesuch Records, 2006) - Download exclusive^[45]

With Alexandra Grimal

• Owls Talk (Aparte/Harmonia Mundi, 2012)^[46] with Lee Konitz and Gary Peacock

With Charlie Haden

• Liberation Music Orchestra (Impulse!, 1969)
• Closeness (Horizon/Verve, 1976)
• Ballad of the Fallen (ECM, 1982)
• Etudes (Soul Note, 1987)^[47] with Geri Allen
• The Montreal Tapes: with Geri Allen and Paul Motian (Verve, 1989 [1997])
• The Montreal Tapes: with Gonzalo Rubalcaba and Paul Motian (Verve, 1989 [1997])
• The Montreal Tapes: with Paul Bley and Paul Motian (Verve, 1989 [1994])
• The Montreal Tapes: Liberation Music Orchestra (Verve, 1989 [1997])
• Dream Keeper (Blue Note, 1989)

With Yuri Honing

• Seven (Jazz In Motion, 2001)^[48] with Paul Bley & Gary Peacock

With Keith Jarrett

• Life Between the Exit Signs (Vortex, 1967)
• Somewhere Before (Atlantic, 1968)
• The Mourning of a Star (Atlantic, 1971)
• El Juicio (The Judgement) (Atlantic, 1971)
• Birth (Atlantic, 1971)
• Expectations (Columbia, 1972)
• Fort Yawuh (Impulse!, 1973)
• Treasure Island (Impulse!, 1974)
• Backhand (Impulse!, 1974)
• Death and the Flower (Impulse!, 1974)
• Mysteries (Impulse!, 1975)
• Shades (Impulse!, 1975)
• Bop-Be (Impulse!, 1976)
• The Survivors' Suite (ECM, 1976)
• Eyes of the Heart (ECM, 1979)
• At the Deer Head Inn (ECM, 1992) with Gary Peacock

With Masabumi Kikuchi

• Sunrise (ECM, 2012) with Thomas Morgan

With Frank Kimbrough

• Play (Palmetto, 2006)^[49] with Masa Kamaguchi

With Lee Konitz, Brad Mehldau, Charlie Haden

• Live at Birdland (ECM, 2011)^[50]

With Lee Konitz & Steve Swallow

• Three Guys (Enja, 1999)

With Rudy Linka

• Songs with Larry Grenadier

With Russ Lossing

• Dreamer (Double Time, 2000)
• As It Grows (HatHut, 2004)

With Joe Lovano

• Village Rhythm (Soul Note, 1988)^[51][52] with Kenny Werner, Tom Harrell and Marc Johnson
• I’m All for You (Blue Note, 2004)^[53][54] with Hank Jones and George Mraz
• Joyous Encounter (Blue Note, 2005)^[55][56] with Hank Jones and George Mraz

With Bill McHenry

• Bill McHenry Quartet Featuring Paul Motian (Fresh Sound, 2002)
• Roses (Sunny Side, 2007)
• Ghosts of the Sun (Sunny Side, 2011)

With Sam Most

• Most Plays Monk Bird & Miles (Bethlehem Records (US), Parlophone (UK), 1958)

With Simon Nabatov

• Circle the Line (GM Recordings, 1986) and Ed Schuller, Arto Tuncboyaci

With Stephan Oliva and Bruno Chevillon

• Fantasm - The Music of Paul Motian (BMG France/RCA Victor, 2000)^[57]
• Intérieur nuit (Night Bird, 2002)^[58]

With Enrico Pieranunzi)

• Untold Story (IDA, 1993; reissue EGEA, 2006) with Marc Johnson
• Flux and Change (Soul Note, 1995)^[59][60]
• Fellini Jazz (CAM Jazz, 2003)^[61] with Kenny Wheeler, Chris Potter and Charlie Haden
• Doorways (CAM Jazz, 2004)^[62] with Chris Potter
• Special Encounter (CAM Jazz, 2005)^[63] with Charlie Haden
• New York Reflections: Live at Birdland^[64] (CAM Jazz, 2012) with Steve Swallow
• Live at The Village Vanguard (CAM Jazz, 2013)^[65] with Marc Johnson

With Augusto Pirodda

• No Comment (Jazzwerkstatt, 2011) with Gary Peacock

With Enrico Rava

• Tati (ECM, 2004)
• New York Days (ECM, 2008)

With Jacob Sacks and Eivind Opsvik

• Two Miles a Day (Yeah Yeah, 2005)^[66][67] with Mat Maneri

With Saheb Sarbib

• Seasons (Soul Note, 1982)^[68] with Mark Whitecage and Mel Ellison

With Martial Solal

• Just Friends (Dreyfus, 1997) with Gary Peacock
• Balade du 10 Mars (Soul Note, 1999)^[69] with Marc Johnson

With Martin Speake

• Change of Heart (ECM, 2002) with Bobo Stenson and Mick Hutton

With Bobo Stenson

• Goodbye (ECM, 2005) with Anders Jormin

With Tethered Moon^[70] (Trio with Masabumi Kikuchi and Gary Peacock)

• First Meeting (Winter & Winter, 1997)
• Chansons d’Édith Piaf (Winter & Winter, 1999)
• Experiencing Tosca (Winter & Winter, 2004)
• Play Kurt Weill (Winter & Winter, 2005)

With Henri Texier

• Respect (Label Bleu, 1997) with Bob Brookmeyer, Lee Konitz and Steve Swallow

With Pietro Tonolo

• Your Songs: The Music of Elton John (ObliqSound, 2007)^[71] with Gil Goldstein and Steve Swallow

References [edit]

External links [edit]

• Paul Motian on ECM Records
• Memorial by Winter & Winter (PDF file)