Uncle Paul's Jazz Closet

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.htmlPhoto: 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.htmlPhoto: 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.htmlPhoto: Gary Peacock On the Road March 1999 photo: Paul Motian ©Paul Motian Archive

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.htmlPhoto: 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.htmlPhoto: 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 With readings from Motian's unpublished autobiography about these times.Set List: https://jazzcloset.blogspot.com/2025/02/more-music-from-1950s-011419.htmlPhoto: Paul Motian rehearsing with the Jerry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.htmlPhoto: 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.htmlPhoto: 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.htmlPhoto: 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.htmlPhoto: 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.htmlPhoto: 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.htmlPhoto: 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.htmlPhoto: 

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.htmlPhoto: Paul Motian, Bill Frisell & Joe Lovano 1980s photo © Cheung Ching Ming