Trio 2000+Two
Paul Motian [drums]
Thomas Morgan [bass]
Loren Stillman [saxophone]
Michaël Attias [saxophone]
Masabumi Kikuchi [piano]
Recorded at Avatar Studios, New York
Recording, mixing and mastering: Adrian von Ripka
© 2009 Winter & Winter
The Guardian: As befits an elder statesman of the drums, who has lent his vision to the work of giants such as Bill Evans and Keith Jarrett, Paul Motian likes to stay home in New York these days and wait for the jazz world to come to him – and the queue is pretty long. This set is a collection of mostly slow-paced standard ballads, with the exception of Motian’s own deliciously dolorous, restless composition, Morrock. It draws a high-energy inventiveness out of Japanese pianist Masabumi Kikuchi, who is necessarily more low-key elsewhere. It may be a little too whimsically reflective for some, though the two-sax harmonies and conversations of Loren Stillman and Michaël Attias lend a different kind of muscularity and tone. The preoccupied mutterings and growlings of one of the players are even more distracting than Jarrett’s are, but this is an immensely subtle recording of underplayed drama. From Motian, of course, that’s only to be expected.
Four Stars, June 2009
All About Jazz.com: “The recording’s curtain call, Frank Loesser’s “Sue Me” […] is simply divine as it delicately balances dissonance and harmony. Mirroring the entire set, it is a testament to the source material and Motian’s own stylistic touches in keeping the music relevant and contemporary. At nearly 80 years of age, his vitality and art continue to inspire.”
September 2009