Spotlight: Paul Motian

(original pronunciation: MOH-ti-en)

(later, preferred pronunciation: MOH-shun, like the word motion)

Paul Motian, while a somewhat undersung figure in the jazz world, nonetheless created his own highly personal sound not only as a drummer, but as a composer and worldbuilder. Many people would recognize his name from notable sessions with the Bill Evans Trio, among them Portrait in Jazz, Explorations, and various live recordings from the Village Vanguard. However, upon closer inspection, Motian's strengths far surpassed his sound in Evans' trio, especially later in his career. Perhaps more notable than his partnership with Evans is his stint with Keith Jarrett's trio and quartet, which lasted over ten years (compared to the five spent with Evans). Moreover, his own groups rarely included a pianist and rather placed emphasis on the guitar; his wonderful working trio highlighted Bill Frisell's iconoclastic spectrum of sounds, and his Electric Bebop Band featured two (sometimes three) different guitarists. His brilliant playing involved subverting time, interesting tone colors (especially on the cymbals), strong group interaction, and tuning the drums in a way that showcased his Armenian heritage.

While many have stated Motian's drumming in the Evans trio sounds stifled, I think it's absolutely beautiful. I agree that it was very much restrained based on what he would do later, but it's the icing on the cake that balances the busier playing of Evans and bassist Scott LaFaro. Not to mention, one can already hear Motian breaking away from typical jazz patterns; this is especially highlighted on ballads, on which he focuses not so much on time as on texture and sound. They also definitely highlight some of the best cymbals of any jazz drummer ever. For a perfect example of this, look no further than Bill Evans' trio playing "My Foolish Heart" at the Village Vanguard, on the album Waltz for Debby:

At the beginning of his career, Motian played with the enigmatic Thelonious Monk. While it seems inconsequential since his stint was brief and there are no released recordings of them together, it actually had a profound impact on Motian's development. Not only did Monk give him some drumming advice, but playing with Monk left an imprint on his entire career; it didn't click with me until very recently that Motian is the Thelonious Monk of the drums. Both were criticized for having poor technique, but both also ended up honing very personal, very jagged, and very spontaneous rhythms; both were also steeped in tradition while simultaneously driving the music into the future. 

One of the first recordings where Motian comes into his own is Trio 64, a Bill Evans album also featuring bassist Gary Peacock. Not surprisingly, this would be Motian's last album with Evans, for reasons Keith Jarrett described: "Bill wouldn't let him use sticks." On "Everything Happens to Me", while Motian still provides lush backing with brushes, he manages to sneak in some sharp counter-attack on sticks. He pushes Evans with a snapping crackle on "A Sleeping Bee", and "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town" (!) showcases the interplay between the two at its best. In particular, Motian finds common ground with Gary Peacock, whose Scott LaFaro-esque acrobatics are pushed to the limit with a feeling of urgency; the pair's chemistry is magical when Evans drops out during Peacock's solos, especially on "A Sleeping Bee". As a musical example, here is, you guessed it:

Past his stint with Evans, as well as a brief time with pianist Paul Bley, Motian was asked to play on Keith Jarrett's first album as a leader. Jarrett recalls what he thought of hearing Motian for the first time:

"Someone had played me an amazing tape of Lowell Davidson playing free with Motian, and I couldn’t believe it was Paul on drums: I had only heard Paul with Bill [Evans] and said, 'Who the hell is that drummer?' When they told me it was Paul, I put that information away in my mental file."

 

To my knowledge, it's also the first recorded outing with Motian and bassist Charlie Haden, which would start a professional and personal friendship lasting over forty years. In general, it's an ode to Jarrett's incredibly rich and nuanced vision that Life Between the Exit Signs is as good as it is, especially for a debut solo album. I've gushed about this trio before (see here), so I'll keep this brief. The album is notable for Jarrett's early knack for more folksy/Ornette Coleman-style music; not only did Haden help accomplish this, being a former employee of Ornette, but now Motian is finally freed from his shackles, with a disposition full of bright sparks. Not only does he fly off the rails on romps such as "Lisbon Stomp" and "Love No. 2", but his experience with Evans also plays into his softer support on "Love No. 1" and Cole Porter's "Everything I Love". Here is the jaunty "Lisbon Stomp", an original of Jarrett's:

Starting in the late 1960's, Motian would find himself in a variety of contexts. Outside of Jarrett's trio (which would later expand into a quartet with reedist Dewey Redman), Motian also played in Charlie Haden's Liberation Music Ensemble, Paul Bley's trio, and with pianist-composer Carla Bley on her epic Escalator Over the Hill; he even played with singer-songwriter Arlo Guthrie at Woodstock.

It was now that Motian gained a reputation for supportive, abstracted group playing in settings with or without a pulse, and in 1972, at 41 years old, he recorded his debut solo album Conception Vessel. Not only does this showcase his sensitive drumming, but also his development up to that point as a composer; he shows a clear influence of Ornette Coleman (and Ornette's associate Dewey Redman) in how he prioritizes melody, but he adds an air of mystery and spiritualism. Some prime examples are the gorgeous opening "Georgian Bay" next to Haden and guitarist Sam Brown, the striking drum feature "Ch'i Energy", and the transcendent title track played as a duet with Jarrett. Also featured are Leroy Jenkins' violin and Becky Friend's flute on the last track, "Inspiration from a Vietnamese Lullaby". Motian's second album, Tribute, is in a similar vein, featuring the return of Sam Brown and Charlie Haden, along with second guitarist Paul Metzke and alto saxophonist Carlos Ward.

Motian's third album as leader, Dance, featured his first regular trio with saxophonist Charles Brackeen and bassist David Izenzon (another associate of Ornette). This stripped-down sax trio setting beautifully showcases Motian's intensely melodic themes and how they can be utilized for improvisation. In this regard, Brackeen is a perfect casting choice for his often-delicate soprano and constant stream of melodic ideas; on the track "Prelude", he switches to tenor and absolutely blows the roof off the place. David Izenzon also makes some positive contributions for his ability to create unusual textures, making for a perfect sparring partner for the subversive Motian. While neither Conception Vessel or Dance are on YouTube, there are a few live recordings of the band from the latter, such as this version of the song "Dance":

Not long after this, Motian would eventually assemble the working band that would gain the most acclaim: his trio with saxophonist Joe Lovano and guitarist Bill Frisell. While the group had recorded as a quintet with a bassist and second saxophonist (on the album Psalm), it was their first trio record, It should've happened a long time ago, where their partnership truly starts to blossom. The heart-aching title track, the nuttiness of "Fiasco", the straight-ahead fire of "In the Year of the Dragon", and the return of "Conception Vessel"; this group leaves an indelible mark on anything it touches. 

The chemistry of this band was so perfect that it would continue operation until Motian's death in 2011. In the meantime, the trio alone would record nine albums, and the lack of a bass player gave them an elastic nature that perfectly fit Motian's musical conception. The often nutty yet pure and melodic sounds from Frisell's guitar, mixed with the Coltrane-steeped explorations from Lovano, perfectly suited Motian's driving, yet fragmented pulse. A perfect showcase for this group is this live performance from 1986, in Lisbon (in particular, listen for "In the Year of the Dragon", Bill Evans' "Twelve Tone Tune Two", and Monk's "Pannonica"):

Starting in the early 90's, apart from the trio, Motian started his Electric Bebop Band, which acted as a way of confronting the music's roots. Besides Motian's own compositions, the band also played bebop tunes by Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk and Bud Powell, as well as other standards from varying sources. Throughout its existence, the group featured many of the greatest saxophonists and guitarists in the music. In its first iterations, it featured Joshua Redman, Chris Potter, and Kurt Rosenwinkel; more recent members included Ben Monder, Steve Cardenas, Chris Cheek and Tony Malaby.

The sounds the group can get is amazing; often, both guitarists or saxophonists would improvise at the same time. In this performance from 2002, the guitarists form a floating, yet solid wall of harmony before the entire group plays Motian's oblique line ("Look to the Black Wall") in unison. Cheek and Malaby take winding saxophone solos, and the guitar solos from Jakob Bro and Cardenas are equally probing. The solos also highlight something else that made the Bebop Band special: while Motian often churns at the drums and pushes his younger players, he never does so in an overly virtuosic or show-offish manner. Anything he plays is in tandem with the group, and any time he comes out in front is meant to push the group forward.

In summation, Motian epitomizes the trope of the eccentric musician, but to his credit it gives him that much more attention. He also sits next to Miles Davis as one of the most paradoxical musicians in the last 100 years: he had perfect time, but he often abandoned metronomic pulse. He was steeped in American drumming traditions, but he was hellbent on playing what he thought sounded good. As a person, he was direct and often abrasive, but always full of love, and it absolutely seeps into his playing and the way he interacts with whatever group he's in. He insisted on building his own personal musical universe, derived from jazz and folk music among other things, while at the same time he shared and often fully offered the spotlight to the people who played with him. He was the ultimate supporter, but he reveled in the limelight and controversy around his many quirks.

Paul Motian has been a huge inspiration to me as of late, as a musician and risk-taker, and I hope this inspires you to dive deeper into his life's work.

Further reading:

• The Paradox of Continuity: a brilliant essay by pianist and writer Ethan Iverson on Motian's career, written not long after Motian's death.
  
• Ethan Iverson's interview with Keith Jarrett: this is also extremely valuable because among other things, Jarrett discusses his relationship with Motian. Despite Jarrett's European Quartet being more well-known, about half of the interview revolves around the stellar American Quartet in which Motian was featured. (Incidentally, visit here for an in-depth dive into Jarrett's American Quartet discography.)
  
• Reviews of Motian's early ECM discography: these very poetic reviews perfectly translate Motian's ideas into descriptions. While not necessarily containing much criticism, they're fun to read and they offer insight into six of Motian's albums.
  

Further listening:

• Byablue, an album by Keith Jarrett's American Quartet featuring almost exclusively tunes written by Motian
• Motian's drum work with Keith Jarrett's trio and quartet is some of the best drumming of all time. While all of it holds up, a particularly stellar example is on Eyes of the Heart, during the Encores A and B. On Encore A especially, Motian absolutely tears up the kit using only brushes.
• Also check out this NDR concert recording from 1972; the other half was released as Hamburg '72 on ECM in 2014.
  
  
• Much of Paul Motian's discography as leader was released on ECM, and nothing from the label can be found on YouTube anymore unless one upgrades to Premium. So go check it out on Spotify on your own, it's definitely worth it. It's some of the most heart-wrenching music out there.
• Songs and Rituals in Real Time, Tim Berne - Berne is one of my favorite alto players and composers, so it's really a treat to hear him playing with Motian (as well as Motian's on/off bassist Ed Schuller).
• Etudes, under Charlie Haden's name but featuring the brilliant pianist Geri Allen. This group was dynamite, and the ways Allen and the rhythm section play off each other are certainly different from Jarrett or Paul Bley. The group starts with a brilliant cover of Ornette Coleman's "Lonely Woman", and other numbers include group originals and Herbie Nichols' "Montgomery Shuffle". Plus, this is only the trio's first effort: the rest of their work is worth finding.
• Apart from his regular groups, Motian also co-led a trio, Tethered Moon, with pianist Masabumi Kikuchi and former Bley associate Gary Peacock. Motian is in perfect company, since the baand and its members create a kind of paradox: they do not shy away from (and in fact embrace) standards, but any material they do tackle is approached from a very subversive, direct, and somewhat tongue-in-cheek perspective. At least, this is their aesthetic on their self-titled 1992 album chronicling their second session. It is very highly reccommended.
• This redux of "Conception Vessel": this recording is from the year Motian died, but he proves as unrelenting as ever. Here, he supports a talented ensemble with pianist David Virelles, bassist Ben Street, and the singular Mark Turner on tenor. The band deconstructs Motian's theme in the spirit of meditation and introspection that defined its first recording.
• One last thing: go watch the incredible documentary Motian in Motion. It provides anecdotes from many musicians who have played with him, including Chris Potter, Tony Malaby, and Gary Peacock, as well as recorded interviews and asides from Motian himself. The documentary gives extraordinary insight into not only Motian the drummer, but Motian the person and the personality, for he believed them to be one and the same.