Jump to content

Peacock/ Motian/ Bley Trio


LWayne

Recommended Posts

While on a business/ pleasure trip to New York last week, I was fortunate enough to catch the opening night of Gary Peacock/ Paul Motian/ Paul Bley at Birdland. This was a performance I was eagerly anticipating given that the trio rarely performs together, and had not recorded together since “Not Two, Not One” on ECM in 1999. In fact, that recording was some 30 plus years after their initial recording on the label.

The trio exhibited an almost telepathic chemistry, an unspoken level of communication, as they melded seamlessly on almost every song. Typically, Paul Bley would state the initial rhythm on piano, leaving Peacock and Motian to add their response. From there, the songs took on a life of their own. Bley added melodic flourishes and quotes inspired by other songs at will, but both Peacock and Motian answered flawlessly without fail.

The set list included Black and Blue (Waller), Pent-Up House (Rollins), Isn't It Romantic, I Can't Get Started, When Will The Blues Leave (Ornette), and My Old Flame, among others. Needless to say, most of these songs started on a recognizable note and then morphed into something totally original and magnificent given the level of performance and talent exemplified by this trio.

This night was certainly one for the ages as I was spellbound by both sets. A night I will not soon forget and definitely one of the best shows of this year. Or any other year!

LWayne :tup

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...