Uncle Paul's Jazz Closet

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  © P...

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://ja...

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?, P...

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 Jerr...

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 &...

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 ©P...

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