Closer
Album | Paul Bley
Lyrical miniatures from the free-jazz era.
Paul Bley's second and final release for ESP-Disk is a quiet gem. Literally, for the most part: after the aptly-named Batterie, a loud and aggressively percussive session, Bley went down a more delicate path. Indeed, for much of the album it sounds like bassist Steve Swallow and drummer Barry Altschul are playing on the other side of a closed door, with Bley's piano well to the fore. He's in one of his lyrical moods here, and melody-focused as well: this session's version of "Ida Lupino" (one of Bley's signature songs, written by then-wife Carla Bley and future NRBQ leader Terry Adams) is the closest Bley ever came to a potential crossover hit in the style of Vince Guaraldi's "Cast Your Fate To The Wind." The rest of the album is a bit more abstract, but interestingly, at a time when Bley's compatriots on the New York modern jazz scene were increasingly preoccupied with stretching out into improvisations that occasionally covered an entire LP side, only three of the album's 10 tracks break the three-minute barrier. Those daunted by the '60s free jazz scene's reputation for discordant noise may find this collection of miniatures a less challenging -- but entirely enjoyable -- entry point.
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| Paul Bley and the Gentler Side of '60s Modern Jazz | |
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