egroj world: Paul Motian Band • Garden of Eden

Wednesday, May 8, 2024

Paul Motian Band • Garden of Eden

Review by Thom Jurek
Though recorded in 2004, the release of Garden of Eden marks the year in which drummer, composer, and bandleader Paul Motian turned 75. The Paul Motian Band is structured after his Electric Bebop Band from the 1990s. The group's unique approach to bebop is here -- particularly in the bookends of the set with Charles Mingus' "Pithecanthropus Erectus," and "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat," at the beginning, and Thelonious Monk's "Evidence" and Charlie Parker's "Cheryl," at its end -- the aesthetic focus has changed considerably to reflect Motian's own compositions. This band contains three guitarists -- Steve Cardenas, Ben Monder, and Jakob Bro -- and a pair of saxophonists -- Chris Cheek and Tony Malaby -- with bassist Jerome Harris accompanying Motian. Through the continuing wonder of stereo reproduction, Motian guides us to the place where we know who's playing what in which channel, left, right, and center. And the magic begins. With the exception of the opening cut, everything here is short -- between two and five minutes. Though the music comes off as relaxed, somewhat gauzy and breezy; it nevertheless carries the pressure to deliver its various secrets in brief moments rather than long, drawn-out solos and engagements between players. The readings of the Mingus tunes carry all the knottiness of the originals, albeit with relaxed and breezy tempos. "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" is utterly moving as the three guitars all weave themselves around the saxophones and Motian and Harris keep steady, gently swinging time. On the leader's "Mesmer," the kaleidoscopic colors and tones that are possible with this kind of band are made self-evident. The simple nursery rhyme melody line -- like a less-urgent Ornette Coleman line -- asserts itself via a lone saxophonist, Motian, and Harris. The other horn enters, and they begin to engage and complement one another as the guitars enter the theme one at a time and wind, shimmer, and blur around the horns, ever-nuanced and elegant. Motian's drumming becomes more urgent and skittering, as does Harris' bass line, propelling movement against the repetition. In four-and-half minutes, the listener has been transported to another time and place. Other tracks here, like Jerome Kern's "Bill," written for the 1927 musical, Showboat, is made utterly pretty and wistful by the interplay between the saxophonists, who stagger each other in the lyric and chorus as guitars shadow them in various guises. The title track is the most speculative here, hinting at free improvisation as a skeletal melody asserts itself slowly and tersely. The tension created by Motian's around-the-beat drumming as the horns whisper their way through is quietly intense. Guitars nervously enter and fall away, adding minor-key shape and dimension to the proceedings. And though it threatens to explode at any moment, it merely swells and breathes cautiously yet purposely. The spirited yet laid-back swinging that takes place on "Cheryl," clocking in at just two minutes, brings the entire band full circle. It's irreverent yet accurate, it points to future looking, with empathic texture and dimension applied, to reading the music of jazz's past as a living composition as opposed to a staid, arid, reverence for history. Garden of Eden is more evidence -- like 2005's I Have the Room Above Her -- that Motian has been on a creative and compositional tear, and has been since the mid-'80s. This set is ambitious, full of humor, charm, warmth, and grace; it sings, whispers, talks, and at times it shouts; ultimately it offers listeners an intimate look at the complexity and beauty in the continually evolving soundworld of an artist who is a true musical giant.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/garden-of-eden-mw0000351867

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Reseña de Thom Jurek
Aunque grabado en 2004, el lanzamiento de Garden of Eden marca el año en que el baterista, compositor y líder de la banda Paul Motian cumplió 75 años. La Banda de Paul Motian está estructurada a partir de su Banda de Bebop Eléctrico de la década de 1990. El enfoque único del grupo hacia el bebop está aquí, particularmente en los sujetalibros del set con "Pithecanthropus Erectus" y "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" de Charles Mingus al principio, y "Evidence" de Thelonious Monk y "Cheryl" de Charlie Parker al final, el enfoque estético ha cambiado considerablemente para reflejar las propias composiciones de Motian. Esta banda contiene tres guitarristas, Steve Cardenas, Ben Monder y Jakob Bro, y un par de saxofonistas, Chris Cheek y Tony Malaby, con el bajista Jerome Harris acompañando a Motian. A través de la maravilla continua de la reproducción estéreo, Motian nos guía al lugar donde sabemos quién está tocando qué en qué canal, izquierda, derecha y centro. Y comienza la magia. Con la excepción del corte de apertura, todo aquí es corto: entre dos y cinco minutos. Aunque la música parece relajada, algo vaporosa y alegre; sin embargo, conlleva la presión de revelar sus diversos secretos en breves momentos en lugar de solos largos y prolongados y enfrentamientos entre jugadores. Las lecturas de las melodías de Mingus tienen todo el nudo de los originales, aunque con tempos relajados y ventosos. "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" se mueve por completo mientras las tres guitarras se entrelazan alrededor de los saxofones y Motian y Harris mantienen el ritmo constante y suave. En el "Hipnotizador" del líder, los colores y tonos caleidoscópicos que son posibles con este tipo de banda se hacen evidentes por sí mismos. La línea melódica simple de la canción infantil, como una línea menos urgente de Ornette Coleman , se afirma a través de un saxofonista solitario, Motian y Harris. Entra la otra trompa, y comienzan a engancharse y complementarse entre sí a medida que las guitarras entran en el tema una a la vez y se enrollan, brillan y se difuminan alrededor de las trompas, siempre matizadas y elegantes. La batería de Motian se vuelve más urgente y vacilante, al igual que la línea de bajo de Harris, impulsando el movimiento contra la repetición. En cuatro minutos y medio, el oyente ha sido transportado a otro tiempo y lugar. Otras pistas aquí, como "Bill" de Jerome Kern, escrita para el musical de 1927, Showboat, se vuelven completamente bonitas y melancólicas por la interacción entre los saxofonistas, que se tambalean entre sí en la letra y el coro mientras las guitarras los siguen de varias maneras. La canción principal es la más especulativa aquí, insinuando la improvisación libre a medida que una melodía esquelética se afirma lenta y concisamente. La tensión creada por el tamborileo de Motian mientras los cuernos susurran a su paso es silenciosamente intensa. Las guitarras entran y salen nerviosamente, agregando forma y dimensión de tonalidad menor a los procedimientos. Y aunque amenaza con explotar en cualquier momento, simplemente se hincha y respira con cautela, pero a propósito. El swing animado pero relajado que tiene lugar en "Cheryl", registrando solo dos minutos, cierra el círculo de toda la banda. Es irreverente pero precisa, apunta a una mirada hacia el futuro, con textura y dimensión empáticas aplicadas, a leer la música del pasado del jazz como una composición viva en lugar de una reverencia seria, árida y por la historia. Garden of Eden es más evidencia, como I Have the Room Above Her de 2005, de que Motian ha estado en una lágrima creativa y compositiva, y lo ha estado desde mediados de los 80. Este set es ambicioso, lleno de humor, encanto, calidez y gracia; canta, susurra, habla y, a veces, grita; en última instancia, ofrece a los oyentes una mirada íntima a la complejidad y belleza en el mundo sonoro en continua evolución de un artista que es un verdadero gigante musical.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/garden-of-eden-mw0000351867

www.drummerworld.com/Paul_Motian ...

Tracks:
1 - Pithecanthropus Erectus
Composed By – Charles Mingus 7:04
2 - Goodbye Pork Pie Hat
Composed By – Charles Mingus 4:54
3 - Etude
Composed By – Paul Motian 5:18
4 - Mesmer
Composed By – Paul Motian 4:35
5 - Mumbo Jumbo
Composed By – Paul Motian 3:33
6 - Desert Dream
Composed By – Chris Cheek 3:15
7 - Balata
Composed By – Steve Cardenas 3:36
8 - Bill
Composed By – Jerome Kern 3:02
9 - Endless
Composed By – Paul Motian 3:25
10 - Prelude 2 Narcissus
Composed By – Paul Motian 3:03
11 - Garden Of Eden
Composed By – Paul Motian 4:05
12 - Manhattan Melodrama
Composed By – Paul Motian 4:37
13 - Evidence
Composed By – Thelonious Monk 3:29
14 - Cheryl
Composed By – Charlie Parker 2:00

Credits:
    Bass – Jerome Harris
    Drums – Paul Motian
    Engineer – James A. Farber*
    Engineer [Assistant] – Anthony Ruotolo
    Guitar – Ben Monder, Jakob Bro, Steve Cardenas
    Photography By [Cover Photo] – Jean-Guy Lathuilière
    Photography By [Liner Photos] – Robert Lewis (10)
    Producer – Manfred Eicher
    Saxophone – Chris Cheek, Tony Malaby

Recorded November 2004
Avatar Studios, New York

Label:    ECM Records – ECM 1917, ECM Records – B0006065-02
Country:    US
Released:    2006
Genre:    Jazz
Style:    Contemporary Jazz
https://www.discogs.com/release/6293507-Paul-Motian-Band-Garden-Of-Eden