Live At the Village Vanguard Vol. II

Paul Motian will always be known for his work in the legendary edition of the Bill Evans Trio, though he has long since established himself as a bandleader who has recorded prolifically on his own. This second volume from December 2006 sessions at the Village Vanguard feature the same band heard on the first volume: pianist Masabumi Kikuchi, bassist Larry Grenadier, plus saxophonists Greg Osby and Chris Potter. Once more Tadd Dameron's "If You Could See Me Now" is featured, though this offbeat arrangement is a bit dark and much shorter, adding guest Matt Maieri on viola. The once popular standard "Till We Meet Again" is revamped into something quite different from its original conception, featuring both saxophonists overlapping each other under a slightly off-center rhythm section. The remaining selections are all by the drummer, moving more into avant-garde territory. "Ten" is a particularly challenging piece for the players, with a jagged rhythm and a demanding theme. "Fiasco" has an intense, dissonant theme, though Kikuchi's noisy vocals prove just as irritating as Keith Jarrett's self-indulgent cries, adding little to the performance. Motian, as usual, is not one to spotlight himself. The Vanguard audience devours this powerful music, restraining themselves until each number is complete.