Influential jazz drummer Paul Motian died yesterday morning at a Manhattan hospital in New York. He was 80 years old. Paul was suffering from complications of myelodysplastic syndrome, a bone marrow disorder.
Though little known outside jazz circles, Paul Motian's career, well over five decades long, helped change the role of drums in jazz. His deep internal sense of swing, and the beauty he could create from colorful, occasionally spare accents, made him among the most respected musicians in his field.
Paul grew up in Rhode Island. He came to the prominence as a member of Bill Evans's classic trio in the late 1950s and early 60s. The drummer also had long-time partnerships with pianist Keith Jarrett (in the pianist's so-called American quartet), bassist Charlie Hayden and guitarist Bill Frisell.
Paul's career also included stints as a bandleader, beginning with the album 'Conception Vessel' in 1972.
Even after he stopped touring, Paul continued to perform and record, mostly in his hometown New York and most often most often in the same room where he recorded with Bill Evans forty years ago; the Village Vanguard. He last performed there in September.
