Search - Bobo Stenson, Anders Jormin, Paul Motian :: Goodbye

Not goodbye, surely?

N. Dorward | Toronto, ON Canada | 01/21/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The irony is that this one will get compared to Tord Gustavsen's immensely popular _The Ground_, another ECM piano trio release from 2005, even though it's Stenson who was one of the key architects of the ECM aesthetic (he has only had own-name releases on the label in recent years, but he has been a sideman on many sessions for the label going back to the 1970s). And _Goodbye_ is by far the better disc, too: it may be quiet & limpidly beautiful, but is never feels confected, and the group interplay is vivid & full of surprise. A great pick of tunes, too: a Henry Purcell song, a Tony Williams Lifetime tune, Ornette's "Race Face", songs from Argentina & Russia, the old Benny Goodman/Jimmy Giuffre standby "Goodbye", and a non-schmaltzy "Send in the Clowns", not to mention some excellent Anders Jormin & Paul Motian compositions (just one by the leader himself, "Queer Street"). It was recorded in New York, well up to ECM's usual standards but with a fuller sound on the drums than I'd perhaps expected (compare with Motian's more recessed contributions to Rava's recent, rather dull _Tati_). Except for the Ornette Coleman tune, it's all mid-tempo to slow, often rubato, but it doesn't drag, & the important thing is that it never feels like more-of-the-same (as the Gustavsen disc does): every tune has its own mood & texture. Stenson really brings out the distinctive contours of each of these very different pieces, even as he & the other two musicians reshape them substantially."

Deep Beauty

Karl W. Nehring | Ostrander, OH USA | 07/08/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"A new recording from pianist Bobo Stenson is always a welcome occasion; the new wrinkle in this release is the presence of veteran drummer Paul Motian. Long-time fans of Stenson know that this pianist is always lyrical in his approach, but always willing to explore new musical avenues within the framework of the trio setting.



A case in point is the opening cut, the new/old standard "Send in the Clowns." At once this piece sounds completely familiar yet completely different from how you have ever heard it played before. Amazing! The rest of the program is quite varied, with compositions by the band members and other composers, including Henry Purcell and Ornette Coleman (and hey, how often do you encounter those two gentlemen in the same sentence or same recording?!)



With three expressive players running through an eclectic list of compositions, you can anticipate a wide range of musical expression, and that is what you get here, although I hasten to add that the music never sounds strained or forced. Indeed, even in the more intense passages, the emphasis is on lyricism and beauty, not merely on color. This is a wonderful recording of deep beauty."