Search - Charlie Haden, Paul Bley, Paul Motian :: Montreal Tapes

Piano trio plays classic Ornette

Douglas T Martin | Alpharetta, GA USA | 02/06/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"On another volume of "The Montreal Tapes" Charlie Haden, Don Cherry, and Edward Blackwell played a set that that consisted mostly of Ornette Coleman songs; incredibly well done. On this recording, Haden is joined by impressionistic pianist - and longtime Ornette interpreter - Paul Bley and freeform drummer Paul Motian for a set heavily stocked with Ornette tunes. The first song, a medley of "Turnaround" and "When Will The Blues Leave?" is guided by Bley who sets the tone with the opening notes of "Turnaround". The set closes with "Turnaround", this time under the direction of Charlie Haden who leads the trio in a bluesier rendition of the Ornette Coleman classic. In between each member contributes a ballad; they also perform Carla Bley's "Ida Lupino", a song recorded by Paul Bley so many times one almost expects to see it on all of his albums. The Paul Bley Quintet that recorded a live set at the Hillcrest Club in 1956 was Bley backed by the classic Ornette Coleman quartet (Ornette, Cherry, Haden, Higgins) breaking ground by performing some (soon-to-be) classic Coleman songs. At the time those songs were revolutionizing or destroying jazz (depending on your viewpoint). Forty years later we have a recording of those "standards" being performed in front of a very appreciative (and quite large) audience. Excellent performances, great material."

Yeah, Baby

George Grella | Brooklyn | 05/11/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Maybe the highlight of the Haden Montreal Tapes CDs. This is a dream trio that has collaborated before. In this setting, Paul Bley really takes the lead on the piano, with his strong personality and his incredible, boundless creativity. Haden and Motian follow along beautifully, maintaining a conversation that is loose on the boarders and dead on with the beats. If you haven't heard these three play together, there's no good analogy to describe it, except to say, take the idea of a jazz piano trio and stretch it into the blues-based freedom of Ornette Coleman with a touch of avant-garde piano technique, with master musicians."