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In addition to his work as a sideman for Bill Evans, Keith Jarrett, Mose Allison, Charles Lloyd, Carla Bley and others, the innovative drummer Paul Motian has recorded many albums as a leader over the last 30 years for ECM, Soul Note, and since 1988, for Stefan Winter's JMT and Winter & Winter labels. He currently has several groups with unusual instrumentation, including his trio with saxophonist Joe Lovano and guitarist Bill Frisell and the Electric Bebop Band (E.B.B.B), which consists of two saxes, two electric guitars, bass and drums.
The E.B.B.B.'s latest CD, Europe, has two compositions by Thelonious Monk and Motian, and one each from Charlie Parker, Herbie Nichols, Tadd Dameron and guitarist Steve Cardenas. (Perhaps the album is called Europe because the group has more opportunity to play there. It was recorded in Germany and two of the musicians are European.)
Throughout the CD, Motian drums in the moment, subtly pushing the band with an irregular pulse rather than a steady beat, using accents and color to propel the music. His young musicians employ styles here similar to the more experienced pair in his trio: the guitarists play in the ringing Frisell mold; and the saxophonists show a mixture of force and lyricism xxx as Lovano.
It's not surprising, given the group's name, that some of the tunes on the album use the structure of traditional hard bop—the head of the tune followed by solos and concluding with the head again—but with a twist. For example, on "Birdfeathers," the saxes and the guitars solo as pairs, alternating with Motian. On Tadd Dameron's ballad "If You Could See Me Know," there's a nice electric bass solo from Anders Christensen (whose walking electric bass reminds me a bit of Steve Swallow).
Besides the bop standards, the album includes some originals tunes such as Motian's slow ballad "Blue Midnight," which employs multiple simultaneous lines to interesting effect.
Europe is an enjoyable, twisty mixture of past, present and future, with enough sonic wrinkles to keep it fresh.
— Alan Lankin, September 2001
Release Date: 10 July 2001
Europe (Winter & Winter)
1. Oska T (Monk) - 2:13 / 2. Birdfeathers (Parker) - 3:04 / 3. Blue Midnight (Motian) - 7:03 / 4. Introspection (Monk) - 5:21 / 5. New Moon (Cardenas) - 5:46 / 6. Fiasco (Motian) - 3:21 / 7. Gallops Gallop (Monk) - 3:56 / 8. If You Could See Me Now (Dameron) - 6:23 / 9. 2300 Skidoo (Nichols) - 4:28
Personnel:
Pietro Tonolo - Tenor & Soprano Saxes / Chris Cheek - Tenor Sax / Steve Cardenas - Guitar / Ben Monder - Guitar / Andy Christensen - Electric Bass / Paul Motian - Drums
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last update 6 September 2001