Podcast of a jazz radio show that airs live on WRFR.org on the first 3 Fridays of the month 9-11am. Featuring the music of drummer, composer & bandleader Paul Motian. There are also readings from his autobiography, interviews and liner notes. Visit my blog for more info: www.jazzcloset.blogspot.com.
All unreleased live Jazz from the Paul Motian Band touring in Europe in 1981. With Joe Lovano tenor sax; Billy Drewes tenor & alto sax; Bill Frisell guitar; Ed Schuller double bass; Paul Motian drums Set List: https://jazzcloset.blogspot.com/2018/09/set-list-090318.html Photo: Poster for Nov./Dec. 1981 European Tour 23" x 33" © Paul Motian Archive
Hear a reading about Paul Motian's thoughts on racial identity and the story of his only known relative who was also a musician–she played the oud. Thanks to Andreas Schmidt for sharing his 'Poo' recordings! Set List: https://jazzcloset.blogspot.com/2026/02/tethered-moon-unreleased-kikuchi-part.html
1990s Jazz Trio with Paul Motian, Gary Peacock and Masabumi Kiluchi. Interspersed with unreleased solo piano Home Recordings by Masabumi Kikuchi. Set List: https://jazzcloset.blogspot.com/2026/02/tethered-moon-unreleased-kikuchi-011518.html Photo: Masabumi 'Poo' Kikuchi, Paul Motian and Gary Peacock 1991 photo: ©Yukio Ichikawa courtesy King Records
This show is a digitized cassette of a concert from September 23, 1980. Recorded Live at Ryles, Boston, MA The only time this group played together: Paul Motian drums, Charlie Haden bass, Pat Metheney guitar, Julius Hemphill saxophone Set List: https://jazzcloset.blogspot.com/2025/11/1980-live-at-ryles-112325.html Photo: Pat Metheney 1980 © Paul Motian
Unreleased rehearsal tapes of Paul Motian, Bill Frisell & Joe Lovano in 1988. Recorded at Lovano's loft in NYC. Set List: https://jazzcloset.blogspot.com/2025/11/1988-motian-frisell-lovano-rehearsals.html Photo: Joe Lovano, Paul Motian, Bill Frisell 1989 at Bach, Dancing & Dynamite Half Moon Bay, CA photographer unknown
Music and readings about guitarist Metheny and drummer Motian. Motian toured with Metheny around 1980. Set List: https://jazzcloset.blogspot.com/2025/11/pat-metheny-paul-motian-around-1980.html Photo: Pat Metheny & Paul Motian at McCabe's in Santa Monica, CA Dec. 1980 photographer unknown courtesy McCabe's & David Goodrich
Eddie Schuller tells stories about the 1980s Paul Motian Quintet. Music with Billy Drewes, Jim Pepper, Joe Lovano, Bill Frisell & Paul Motian. Set List: https://jazzcloset.blogspot.com/2025/11/eddie-schuller-interview-081919.html Photo: Paul Motian Quintet July 4, 1982 Massachusetts, USA Paul Motian, Eddie Schuller, Billy Drewes, Bill Frisell, Joe Lovano
On April 4, 1978, the Paul Motian Trio with David Izenzon & Charles Brackeen gave a concert for broadcast on WKCR-FM radio, Columbia University’s non-commercial student-run radio station. More Info: https://jazzcloset.blogspot.com/2025/08/paul-motian-trio-live-at-public-theatre.html Photo: Paul Motian 1977 © Richard Berner
Featuring all improvised tunes with Charlie Haden, Paul Bley, Masabumi Kikuchi, Thomas morgan, Enrico Pieranunzi, Marilyn Crispell, Gary Peacock, Stephan Oliver, Bruno Chevron and Paul Motian. With readings from the liner notes of Masabumi Kikuchi Trio 2012 album Sunrise on ECM. Set List: https://jazzcloset.blogspot.com/2025/07/improvised-by-paul-motian-friends-021017.html Photo: Paul Motian © Pierluigi Bumba 1994...
Featuring unreleased rehearsal and concert tapes of the 19080's Paul Motian Quintet Version 2. With Bill Frisell, Joe Lovano, Eddie Schuller and Jim Pepper. Set List: https://jazzcloset.blogspot.com/2025/07/1980s-paul-motian-quintet-v2-part-13.html Photo: Jim Pepper in NYC?Bremen? 1983 photo: Paul Motian
Paul Bley, Gary Peacock and Paul Motian played together throughout their jazz careers. But they only played all 3 of them together before 1963 and 1999- a 36 year gap. I feature the 2019 ECM release of the 1999 tour concert in Lugano, Switzerland, earlier recordings of them, and excerpts from unreleased cassette tape in the Paul Motian Archive. With readings from the Archive. Set List: https://jazzcloset.blogspot.com/2025/07/bley-peacock-motian-when-will-blues.html Photo: Gary Peacock On the Roa...
Carla Bley's epic 1971 album Escalator Over the Hill is featured. Paul Motian played drums on some of the cuts. With readings from the Paul Motian Archive. Set List: https://jazzcloset.blogspot.com/2021/05/escalator-over-hill-carla-bley.html Photo: Carla Bley 1971 ©Paul Roughen courtesy JCOA Records
This week's show features many early Paul Motian recordings and influences (Warne Marsh, Bill Evans, Tony Scott, Moondog, Lee Konitz) interspersed with Joe Lovano's 2019 release Trio Tapestry (with Marilyn Crispell & Carmen Castaldi). With readings from the archive. Set List: https://jazzcloset.blogspot.com/2025/04/something-old-something-new-012119.html Photo: Bill Evans, Jimmy Garrison?, Paul Motian location and date unknown photographer unknown ©Paul Motian Archive...
Featuring music Paul Motian recorded in the 1950s with Jerry Wald (1955, where he met Bill Evans), Bill Evans, Don Elliot, Eddie Costa, George Russell, Lennie Tristano, Warne Marsh, & Lee Konitz. With readings from Motian's unpublished autobiography about these times. Set List: https://jazzcloset.blogspot.com/2025/02/more-music-from-1950s-011419.html Photo: Paul Motian rehearsing with the Jerry Wald Orchestra 1955 Photographer unknown © Paul Motian Archive...
An unreleased cassette tape of Paul Motian practicing and composing on his piano interspersed with recordings with a variety of pianists he played with: Keith Jarrett, Marc Copland, Frank Kimbrough, Marilyn Crispell, Masabumi Kikuchi, Lowell Davidson, Anat Fort, & Bill Evans. Set List: https://jazzcloset.blogspot.com/2025/02/paul-motian-piano-and-some-pianists.html Photo: Paul Motian & Keith Jarrett 1973 05courtesy ECM Records photographer unknown...
All live performances by pianist and Paul Motian bandmate Masabumi 'Poo' Kikuchi. The unreleased recordings from the 2000s are Courtesy of Paul Motian and Andreas Schmidt collections. Set List: https://jazzcloset.blogspot.com/2025/02/kikuchi-at-home-and-elsewhere-021819.html Photo: Masabumi Kikuchi ©Abby Kikuchi from Black Orpheus CD Booklet Courtesy ECM Records...
Paul Motian recordings from the 1960s featuring Pharaoh Sanders, Paul Bley, Joe Castro, David Izenzon and more. Readings from the archive. Set List: https://jazzcloset.blogspot.com/2025/01/1960s-classics-and-innovators-part-2.html Photo: Sam Motian (Paul's wife), Paul Motian, Joe Castro in Hawaii 1965 courtesy James Castro Collection...
A selection of Paul Motian recordings from the 1960s with Paul Bley, Gary Peacock, Bill Evans, Mose Allison and more. With readings from Motian's unpublished autobiography. Set List: https://jazzcloset.blogspot.com/2025/01/1960s-classics-and-innovators-030419.html Photo: Paul Motian recording with Paul Bley 1964 photo ©Len Dobbin
Featuring Paul Motian's album Tribute, Keith Jarrett, Carla Bley and more. All jazz projects that happened in the mid-1970s. Set List: https://jazzcloset.blogspot.com/2024/12/tribute-around-1974-061719.html Photo: Keith Jarrett Quartet Tour Flier Keystone Korner San Francisco 1974
Sideman recordings of Paul Motian around 1962. Includes Perry Robinson, George Russell, Bill Evans, Eddie Costa, Zoot Sims, Tony Scott, Mose Allison. With readings from Motian's unpublished autobiography. Set List: https://jazzcloset.blogspot.com/2024/11/related-to-1962-021119.html Photo: Paul Motian July 1962 Likely Cape Cod, MA where he was playing a gig with Zoot Sims photographer unknown ©Paul Motian Archive...
Lots of unreleased rehearsals and concerts in this last episode of Frisell, Motian, Lovano Trio & Nothing Else. With readings from the archive. Set List: https://jazzcloset.blogspot.com/2024/11/frisell-motian-lovano-trio-and-nothing.html Photo: detail of Motian composition Elenore Antique which became the tune Good Idea ©Yazgol Music/Paul Motian Archive
Lots of unreleased rehearsals and concerts in this last episode of Frisell, Motian, Lovano Trio & Nothing Else. With readings from the archive. Set List: https://jazzcloset.blogspot.com/2024/11/frisell-motian-lovano-trio-and-nothing.html Photo:
More released and unreleased music from the Paul Motian Trio with Bill Frisell & Joe Lovano. With readings about band size, instrument and song possibilities from Paul Motian's 1986 Band Book. Set List: https://jazzcloset.blogspot.com/2024/10/frisell-motian-lovano-trio-nothing-else.html Photo: Paul Motian, Bill Frisell & Joe Lovano 1980s photo © Cheung Ching Ming...
The Paul Motian Trio with Bill Frisell & Joe Lovano. Released & Unreleased recordings. Lots of readings from Paul Motian's unpublished autobiography. Set List: https://jazzcloset.blogspot.com/2024/10/frisell-motian-lovano-trio-and-nothing.html Photo: Lovano, Motian, Frisell on stage photographer unknown
A selection of Motian live recordings spanning the years 1969-2011. All are unreleased. Set List: https://jazzcloset.blogspot.com/2024/09/motian-live-and-unreleased-050718.html Photo: Paul Motian early 1960s photographer and situation unknown
Music from past resistances is appropriate for the current resistance. Featuring the Keith Jarrett Quartet with Charlie Haden, Paul Motian and Dewey Rodman. With readings from Motian's autobiography about the group's Japan tour in 1974. Set List: https://jazzcloset.blogspot.com/2024/09/charlie-paul-part-34-081417.html Photo: Keith Jarrett's American Quartet on tour in Japan 1974 From l to r: (women unknown) Charlie Haden, Paul Motian, Keith Jarrett, Dewey Redman...
More Tim Berne Music with Paul Motian Set List: https://jazzcloset.blogspot.com/2024/08/more-tim-berne-music-121817.html Photo: ©Wes Orshosky courtesy ECM Records Tim Berne's Snakeoil: from l to r: Ches Smith, Ryan Ferreira, Oscar Noriega, Matt Mitchell, Tim Berne
Featuring pianist Masabumi 'Poo' Kikuchi improvisational compositions from CDs he recorded at home and gave to Paul Motian. Most unreleased. Set List: https://jazzcloset.blogspot.com/2024/06/kikuchi-mostly-at-home-030317.html Photo: Masabumi 'Poo' Kikuchi © Abby Kikuchi courtesy ECM Records
The Paul Motian Trio with Joe Lovano and Bill Frisell did a European Tour in the summer of 1992. The unreleased recording from July 11 at the Hague, Netherlands is featured on the show along with readings from Motian's Notebook/Diary that he took on the tour. Set List: https://jazzcloset.blogspot.com/2024/05/the-northsea-jazz-festival-1992-011317.html Photo: Joe Lovano, Bill Frisell, Paul Motian 1991 Minneapolis photographer unknown...
100th Episode! Featuring the Paul Motian Compositions For the Love of Sarah and Folk Song For Rosie. Sarah and Rosie are Motian's sisters. Set List: https://jazzcloset.blogspot.com/2024/05/for-love-of-sarah-rose-111816.html Photo: Rose, Paul & Sarah Motian abt. 1942 ©Paul Motian Archive
