JENNY SCHEINMAN

It would be hard to overstate the excellence of On
Broadway, Vol. 1,2,3,4,5, a anthology release of late
drummer Paul Motian’s 20-year project to reenvision
and ‘re-roast’ those famous and not-quite-as-famous
chestnuts of the Great American Songbook. Whereas
Ella Fitzgerald’s previous interpretations of Tin Pan
Alley tunes were faithful renditions that even exhumed
long forgotten introductory sectional verses, Motian’s
approach is decidedly heterodox, often ignoring vital
rhythms, melodies and harmonies in favor of
interaction and improvisation.
The five albums divide into two groups, the first
three recorded in 1988, 1989 and 1991 with tenor
saxophonist Joe Lovano, guitarist Bill Frisell and
bassist Charlie Haden (Vol. 3 adds alto/soprano
saxophonist Lee Konitz), all musicians that share
Motian’s penchant for group interplay, ability to say
more with less and deconstructionist attitude towards
composition and improvisation. The last two volumes
were recorded considerably later, in 2005 and 2008,
with a younger generation of musicians: saxophonist
Chris Potter and bassist Larry Grenadier with vocalist
Rebecca Martin and veteran pianist Masabumi Kikuchi
NEW
On Broadway, Vol. 1,2,3,4,5
Paul Motian (Winter & Winter)
by Tom Greenland
236 West 26 Street, Room 804
New York, NY 10001
Monday-Saturday, 10:00-6:00
Tel: 212-675-4480
Fax: 212-675-4504
Email: jazzrecordcenter@verizon.net
Web: jazzrecordcenter.com
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(Vol. 4) and saxophonists Loren Stillman and Michäel
Attias, bassist Thomas Morgan and Kikuchi (Vol. 5).
The lack of guitar, charismatic presence of Kikuchi and
an extreme generation gap (Morgan was born 50 years
after Motian) give these latter two albums a different
character, though the leader’s overarching ethos is still
very much to the fore. Indeed, it would have been out
of character for Motian to revisit his own work after a
13-year break only to retread previous patterns. The
earlier three albums also differ from the later two in
that their setlist concentrates on a few iconic tunesmiths
- in particular George Gershwin, Cole Porter and
Jerome Kern - while Vols. 4 and 5 feature a wider
selection of writers and less canonized melodies such
as Frank Loesser’s “Sue Me”, Jay Gorney’s “Brother,
Can You Spare a Dime?” and Jack Little-John Siras’ “In
a Shanty in Old Shanty Town”. Finally, the sonic
‘canvas’ of the three initial albums (engineered by Joe
Ferla) differs from that of the last two albums
(engineered by Adrian Von Ripka): Motian’s drum
colors overlap and blend seamlessly with the total
audio backdrop on the earlier recordings whereas the
component sounds of his drumkit are panned and
separated more distinctly on the later ones.
Vol. 1 sets the tone for the two to follow, employing
various strategies to draw fresh water from the well.
To begin with, Motian never ‘lays down’ the time, but
rather implies or plays around it, preferring the role of
co-soloist to that of metronome. Likewise, Haden finds
ways to break up obvious bass patterns and while
either Lovano or Frisell usually ‘leads’ a statement of
the song’s melody, they are most often in dialogue
with each other, akin to the heterophonic (multiple
solos at once) blowing of traditional jazz. Many of the
cuts eschew an obvious introduction to the tune,
instead referring to it only in passing or in abstraction,
so that a listener only gradually realizes that they are
listening to “Liza” or “Someone To Watch Over Me”.
Lovano and Frisell are in fine form throughout, the
former burning with quiet fire and fluid intensity,
producing dense but relaxed statements that push
gently towards the outré limits (listen to his work on
“My Heart Belongs To Daddy” from Vol. 1, “I Got
Rhythm” from Vol. 2 or “Weaver of Dreams” from Vol.
3) while the latter employs an encyclopedia of
Americana guitar techniques with his idiosyncratic
touch, rendering sparse-but-full chord solos on “What
Is This Thing Called Love?” and “Last Night When We
Were Young” from Vol. 1 or “I Wish I Knew” from Vol.
3 and slow-hand soul on “You and the Night and the
Music” from Vol. 2. Konitz’ alto is an integral part of
Vol. 3, particularly on “How Deep Is the Ocean” and
“Weaver of Dreams”. Together, these elements continue
an aesthetic approach Motian made famous with Bill
Evans, ensuring that these covers of classics avoid the
‘aging process’ so common to repertory projects.
The fourth and fifth volumes are marked by the
presence of Kikuchi who, like Bill Evans, exudes deep
musicality in his lightest, most minimalist touches,
bringing an unfakeable sincerity to “The Last Dance”,
“Never Let Me Go”, “I Loves You Porgy” (all from Vol.
4), “Something I Dreamed Last Night” and especially
“I See Your Face Before Me” (from Vol. 5), though at
times his spontaneous vocalizations overshadow his
sensitive playing. On Vol. 4, Potter is a fountain of
ideas, delivered with taut logic and a dry, almost
vibrato-less tone, often in counterpoint to Martin, who
brings life to the lyrics, hitting her stride on “How
Long Has This Been Going On”, which closes the set.
Vol. 5 is notable for the interweavings of Stillman and
Attias, particularly on “Midnight Sun” when, after
four minutes of free-form interaction, the melody
finally materializes from the musical mists, creating an
‘aha!’ moment for listeners.
For more information, visit winterandwinter.com. A tribute
to Paul Motian is at Symphony Space Peter Jay Sharp
Theatre Mar. 22nd. See Calendar.
THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | March 2013 29