Paul Motian Trio w/ Bill Frisell, Joe Lovano - Sweet Basil, NYC September 3, 1984

This has always been one of my favorite bands (including the expanded quartet and quintet with these core three). It was amazing how long they kept playing together for 20+over years, beginning in the early 1980s on and off into the 2000s. They were a perfect vehicle for Paul Motian's compositions, as they could swing, rock out, or hold a free-jazz pulse with the best of them. This set shows that early on they were playing lots of Thelonious Monk. They eventually recorded more than one album focused on or including Monk compositions (Jim Hall famously had called Frisell the Thelonious Monk of the guitar).

This set was early in their run, with Bill Frisell still playing wild and wooly sounds through his Roland guitar synthesizer. At the time of this show, the band had already recorded their first album, It Should Have Happened A Long Time Ago, for ECM, but it was not released until 1985. At times this band really "rocked". Listen to Frisell's guitar and Motian's drums near the end of The Sunflower (14:28), or all of Fiasco. At other times, they took it way out into outer space (listen to Frisell's prepared guitar solo in Jack of Clubs starting at 50:33). I've had this recording since getting a copy in 1985 from my taping buddy Rich Williams, who recorded it.

Paul Motian - drums
Joe Lovano - tenor saxophone
Bill Frisell - Roland guitar synthesizer

00:00 It Should Have Happened A Long Time Ago
6:20 The Sunflower
15:26 In the Year of the Dragon
22:26 Conception Vessel
27:27 Pannonica (T Monk)
32:41 Fiasco
41:10 Trinkle, Tinkle
48:27 Jack of Clubs

This is uploaded here solely for educational purposes and historical interest for all those students and lovers of interesting music. Enjoy.