Paul Motian

Biography

A masterfully delicate drummer and an excellent colorist, Paul Motian was also a sophisticated improviser along with a bandleader having a flavor for challenging post-bop. Given birth to Stephen Paul Motian in Philadelphia on March 25, 1931, he was raised in Providence and started playing the drums at age group 12, ultimately touring New Britain inside a golf swing band. He relocated to NY in 1955 and used numerous music artists — including Thelonious Monk, Lennie Tristano, Coleman Hawkins, Tony Scott, and George Russell — before settling right into a regular function within Bill Evans’ most well-known trio (with bassist Scott LaFaro), showing up on his classics Weekend at the Community Vanguard and Waltz for Debby. In 1963, Motian still left Evans’ group to become listed on up with Paul Bley to get a 12 months, and began an extended association with Keith Jarrett in 1966, showing up using the pianist’s American-based quartet through 1977. Furthermore, Motian freelanced for performers like Mose Allison, Charles Lloyd, Carla Bley, and Charlie Haden’s Liberation Music Outfit, and rejected the opportunity to end up being John Coltrane’s second drummer. In 1972, Motian documented his first program as a head, Conception Vessel, for ECM; he implemented in 1974 with Tribute. He shaped a regular functioning group in 1977 (which highlighted tenor Joe Lovano) and documented several more schedules for ECM, after that revamped the ensemble to add guitarist Costs Frisell in 1980. Extra schedules for ECM and Spirit Note implemented, and in 1988 Motian shifted to JMT, where he documented an extended string of great albums you start with Monk in Motian. Through the ’90s, he also led an ensemble known as the Electric powered Bebop Music group, which presented saxophonist Joshua Redman, guitarists Kurt Rosenwinkel and Brad Shepik, and bassist Stomu Takeishi. In 1998, Motian authorized on with the wintertime & Winter season label, where he started recording another constant blast of albums, including 2000 + One in 1999, European countries in 2001, and Vacation for Strings in 2002. In 2005, Motian relocated to the ECM label, liberating I Have the area Above Her that same 12 months, followed by Backyard of Eden in 2006 and Again and again in 2007. In ’09 2009, he released his 5th in his group of requirements albums with On Broadway, Vol. 5 and came back this year 2010 using the trio recording Lost inside a Desire on ECM. The next 12 months, Motian released many albums including Consort in Movement, his exploration of Renaissance and Baroque composers on Sort of Blue, the concert recording Live at Birdland on ECM, and Windmills of YOUR BRAIN featuring guitarist Expenses Frisell on Winter season & Winter season. A hugely important drummer, bandleader, composer, along with a journeyman live performer, Motian passed away from problems of myelodysplastic symptoms, a bone tissue marrow disorder, early each day on November 22, 2011 in NEW YORK. He was 80 yrs . old. The recording Further Explorations offering pianist Chick Corea and bassist Eddie Gomez made an appearance posthumously on Concord in January, 2012.

Quick Facts