Since September 2010, this blog has recorded the journey of this music junkie as I attempt to listen to all the music in my CD collection. CDs revisited in their entirety from start to finish - no skipping tracks, no shuffle. Compact Discs only - no vinyl, no tapes, no files.

Monday, March 20, 2017

Paul Motian - Selected Recordings :rarum XVI (2004)


ECM :rarum MONTH* (MARCH 2017)

My least favorite disc in the box set. The musicianship is brilliant and Motian's credentials aren't in question; I just don't care for Motian's adventurous hard-bop and avant-garde compositions here. I'm partial to the tracks with guitarist Bill Frisell because his playing mesmerizes me.


Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks: 9 tracks, 67 minutes.


Title Album
Year

1 One in Four The Paul Bley Quartet 1987
2 Conception Vessel Conception Vessel 1973
3 Dance Dance 1977
4 Asia Dance 1977
5 Folk Song for Rosie Le Voyage 1979
6 Abacus Le Voyage 1979
7 It should've happened a long time ago It should've happened a long time ago 1985 ✔
8 Fantasm Psalm 1982
9 Mandeville Psalm 1982 ✔

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None



*Back in June 2015, this beautiful thing showed up at my doorstep:


It's a 12 CD box set (2008) of compilation discs from ECM's :rarum series, a birthday gift from a good friend. In this series, the artists were given the freedom to pick their personal favorite recordings from any ECM release they've made as a leader or sideman. In other words, the label got outta the way and good for them. I'll be making my way through the set this month.

ECM (Edition of Contemporary Music), originally a German label, was founded in 1969. "Rarum" comes from the Latin root "rarus" meaning "rare" (perhaps foreshadowing that these CDs wouldn't be in print for very long).

No comments:

Post a Comment