Occasionally, there are musical visionaries who suggest new ways to approach
performance and composition. Drummer Paul Motian was one
of these visionaries. Though he has been gone for nearly 14 years, Motian’s
freeing of the drums and folk-like melodies influence the generations that
have followed him. Pianist Anat Fort continues to honor his sound and approach,
dedicating her new recording, The Dreamworld of Paul Motian, to
his memory and highlighting his music, both known and unknown.
Fort first heard Motian on recordings by the great Bill Evans Trio. She was
immediately smitten with his musical approach to the drums and delved
deeply into his catalog. When she moved to New York City, Fort made sure to
catch all the Motian gigs that she could. Eventually, Fort began playing with
longtime Motian associate, bassist Ed Schuller, and ventured to see if Motian
would be willing to play with her.
Their first musical meeting would result in Fort’s 2007 recording, A Long
Story. Motian’s enthusiasm for the music led him to propose release from
ECM Records. From there they remained in touch, performing intermittently.
Motian’s last performance before his passing was with a group Fort led at
Cornelia St. Café.
Fort has long wanted to put together an album of pieces written by Motian.
She had studied his music and lead sheets from the volumes of The
Compositions of Paul Motian, which were compiled and published by Cynthia
McGuirl, but she had a hard time deciding on which to record.