Bley/Haden/Motian: Memoirs

Rating: ★★★

Record and Artist Details

Musicians:

Paul Motian (p)
Paul Bley (p)
Charlie Haden (b)

Label:

Soul Note

May/2017

Catalogue Number:

SNGG005-2

RecordDate:

20 July 1990

If one thought in terms of the pulling power of their names, this would definitely be a summit meeting. Three very individual minds, with all their previous associations including some with each other, bring a wealth of personality and openness to the occasion. The result is some extended, and fairly intense, collective play on the title-track and a couple of others, while ‘Sting A Ring’ has lengthy solo spots for both Charlie and Paul. There is also more straightforward material to be heard, including a blues and some inventive romps through ‘Monk's Dream’ and Ornette's ‘Latin Genetics’, together with themeless ballad improv on ‘My Old Flame’ (as ‘New Flame’) and ‘Don't Blame Me’ (‘Enough Is Enough’), plus a modal fantasia on the folksong ‘This [i.e. Now] Is The Hour’ (strangely credited to Motian). The fact that each of these three now-departed icons recorded very prolifically shouldn't obscure the value of this present reissue.

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