Track Listing

1. Oska T.
2. Birdfeathers
3. Blue Midnight
4. Introspection
5. New Moon
6. Fiasco
7. Gallops Gallop
8. If You Could See Me Now
9. 2300 Skidoo

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #363657 in Music
• Released on: 2001-07-10
• Number of discs: 1

Customer Reviews

absolutely definitive motian; divine human sounds!
After a handful of albums featuring the EBBB, Motian has finally showed us what it's really all about. Flight of the Blue Jay was gorgeous, though, but especially as the albums continued, Chris Potter and Kurt Rosenwinkel dominated the group sound, weighing it down with their formidable musical personalities. Now, with new names from all around and a delicious mix of bebop and beyond, what a wonderfully fresh inspired shaping of an album. Certainly one of Motian's best ever. Though only one of his penned tunes is on display on this album (Blue Midnight), what a display, I tell you! Breaks my heart every single time, in the sweetest most glorious fashion! Heart of the album! From Monk to Tadd Dameron to Heribe Nichols, this is on my top twenty, maybe even top ten! Buy it and weep! Miss it and weep! Know what I mean? Find out!

A Truly Beautiful Album That Just Keeps Getting Better
Paul Motian and the Electric Bebop Band have been around for a long time. The lineups have always changed and some lineups have been better then others. This lineup for "Europe" released in 2001 for the Winter & Winter label is this group's best: Ben Monder and Steve Cardenas on electric guitar, Chris Cheek and Pietro Tonolo on saxophones, Andres Christensen on electric bass, and of course Paul Motian on drums. There are two songs on this album that don't go with this album, but the rest of the album sublime.

I do want to talk a bit about the unusual instrumentation for this group. I never heard two saxophones outside of this album that sounded good together, but these two saxophonists pull off the two saxophone thing with great ease. I never really cared for two guitars being played at the same time either unless one played rhythm and the other played lead and vice versa, but when you have two exceptional players that actually stay out of each others way and that are in tune with each other's sound what the other person is doing, then you have a recipe for great music.

Highlights for me were "Birdfeathers," "Blue Midnight," "New Moon," and "If You Could See Me Now."

I bought this album a couple of years ago and I haven't really listened to it until about a week ago. Having said that, I'm glad I listened to it again, because it was one of the most rewarding listens I've had in a long time. I suggest listening to this album with headphones on. That way you can really get lost in the sonic tapestry these musicians weave. If you dig this album then I suggest trying out "Holiday For Strings" and "Flight of the Bluejay."