a r t i s t : Paul Motian Trio
t i t l e : Lost In A Dream
d a t e : 2010
l a b e l : ECM
c a t : ECM 2128
s o u r c e : CDDA
g e n r e : Jazz
r l s. d a t e : Jun/2010
t r a c k s : 10
b i t r a t e : VBRkbps
s i z e : 74,1 MB
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Though he's led larger ensembles, drummer Paul Motian seems
to be most comfortableùor, at the very least, most
interestedùin working within the particular confines and
freedoms of the trio. Whether it's his quarter century old
group with guitarist Bill Frisell and saxophonist Joe Lovano,
or the early saxophone/bass/drums trio of Dance (ECM, 1978)
and Le Voyage (ECM, 1979), Motian has spent much of his
career as a leader exploring a format less intimate than the
duo, perhaps, but still small enough a conversational context
to allow its participants to speak with a single voice. Lost
In A Dream, recorded live at New York's Village Vanguard in
the winter of 2009, features a new trio with saxophonist
Chris Potter, with whom Motian has worked since 1994, and
pianist Jason Moran, whose relationship with the iconic
drummer is just beginning.
Being an all-acoustic ensemble, the trio lacks the inherent
ethereality of Motian's group with the electrically expansive
Frisell, most notably on 2005's I Have the Room Above Her
(ECM), but that doesn't mean it can't approach similar
rarified atmospheres. Potter may be a firebrand when working
with bassist Dave Holland, heard recently on the incendiary
The Monterey Quartet: Live at the 2007 Monterey Jazz Festival
(Monterey Jazz Festival, 2009), but here he proves himself as
much a master of restraint as Motian, who contributes all but
one track to this collection. Potter plays, in fact, with
unusual economy and a softer-than-usual timbre, holding off
until over 20 minutes into this hour-long set, and the aptly
titled "Blue Midnight," before turning up the heat and
leaning more towards his typically robust tone and
expressionist approach.
The entire set works on an upward trajectory, progressing
into increasingly liberated and powerful landscapes. The trio
draws on material dating as far back as Voyage, including the
free-wheeling "Drum Music" and equally open-ended "Abacus," a
solo feature for Motian, whose textural breadth and dynamism
continue to evolve, even as he approaches octogenarian
status. Motian's newer material leans largely towards the
subdued and lyrical, including the closing "Cathedral," where
Moran plays with a gentility slightly skewed by his
characteristically idiosyncratic tendencies.
Moran's career continues to be a curious one. Since emerging
in the late-1990s, his best work has been under the
leadership of others, most notably saxophonist Charles
Lloyd's Rabo de Nube (ECM, 2008) and reedman Don Byron's
Ivey-Divey (Blue Note, 2005). Lost In a Dream demonstrates
his specific aptitude as a band member rather than band
leader once again, as the pianist provides a shifting
harmonic context for this bass-less trio, working beautifully
with Motian's in-the-moment layering of percussive colors.
"Casino," the disc's longest track, demonstrates the trio's
ability to mine the nuances of Motian's sketch-like writing,
while the knotty, rubato "Ten" provides both Moran and Potter
the chance to explore greater strength and tensility. Lost In
A Dream may be the first salvo from this empathic new trio,
but hopefully it won't be the last.
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01-Mode VI [05:10]
02-Casino [08:05]
03-Lost In A Dream [06:39]
04-Blue Midnight [06:09]
05-Be Careful It's My Heart [02:58]
06-Birdsong [06:52]
07-Ten [04:30]
08-Drum Music [06:07]
09-Abacus [04:26]
10-Cathedral Song [06:29]
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57:25 min