Garden of Eden (album)

For other albums with similar titles, see Garden of Eden (disambiguation).
Garden of Eden
Studio album by
Paul Motian
Released3 February 2006[1]
RecordedNovember 2004
GenreJazz
Length56:35
LabelECM
ECM 1917
ProducerManfred Eicher
Paul Motian chronology
I Have the Room Above Her
(2004) 		Garden of Eden
(2006) 		On Broadway Vol. 4 or The Paradox of Continuity
(2005)

Garden of Eden is an album by the Paul Motian Band, consisting of guitarists Ben Monder, Steve Cardenas and Jakob Bro, saxophonists Chris Cheek and Tony Malaby, and bass guitarist Jerome Harris, recorded in November 2004 and released on ECM in February 2006.[2]

Reception

The AllMusic review by Thom Jurek awarded the album 4 stars, stating, "Motian has been on a creative and compositional tear, and has been since the mid-'80s. This set is ambitious, full of humor, charm, warmth, and grace; it sings, whispers, talks, and at times it shouts; ultimately it offers listeners an intimate look at the complexity and beauty in the continually evolving soundworld of an artist who is a true musical giant."[3]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[3]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings [4]

Track listing

All compositions by Paul Motian except as indicated
  1. "Pithecanthropus Erectus" (Charles Mingus) – 7:06
  2. "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" (Mingus) – 4:56
  3. "Etude" – 5:21
  4. "Mesmer" – 4:39
  5. "Mumbo Jumbo" – 3:34
  6. "Desert Dream" (Chris Cheek) – 3:18
  7. "Balata" (Steve Cardenas) – 3:39
  8. "Bill" (Jerome Kern) – 3:04
  9. "Endless" – 3:30
  10. "Prelude 2 Narcissus" – 3:05
  11. "Garden of Eden" – 4:09
  12. "Manhattan Melodrama" – 4:43
  13. "Evidence" (Thelonious Monk) – 3:31
  14. "Cheryl" (Charlie Parker) – 2:00

Personnel

The Paul Motian Band

Note: Guitarists Steve Cardenas and Jakob Bro are heard on the left and right stereo channels, respectively, while guitarist Ben Monder and bassist Jerome Harris are mixed in the center. Saxophonists Tony Malaby and Chris Cheek are, respectively, center left and center right. Motian's drums are heard across the stereo spectrum, whether soloing or supporting the ensemble.[5]

References

  1. ^ Garden of Eden - Paul Motian Band - ECM Records
  2. ^ ECM Records catalogue accessed August 10, 2011
  3. ^ a b Jurek, T. Allmusic Review accessed August 10, 2011
  4. ^ Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008) The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th edition). Penguin. p. 1049
  5. ^ ECM