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Not Two, Not One

Paul Bley
1 disc

1. Not Zero: In Three Parts
2. Entelechy
3. Now
4. Fig Foot
5. Vocal Tracked
6. Intente
7. Noosphere
8. Set up Set
9. Dialogue Amour
10. Don't You Know
11. Not Zero: In One Part
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Additional Info

Manufacturer Part Number (MPN): 559447
Credits

Producer Manfred Eicher
Engineer James Farber
Full performer name: Paul Bley/Gary Peacock/Paul Motian.
Personnel: Paul Bley (piano); Gary Peacock (bass); Paul Motian (drums).
Recorded at Avatar Studio, New York, New York in January 1998.
Pianist Paul Bley is here joined by Gary Peacock and drummer Paul Motian. One of the things which makes this 1998 session so compelling is the long shared history of these three formidable players. In various combinations they have performed and recorded together since the '60s. Their sympathetic interplay is the result of both familiarity and their keen skills as improvisers.
Three of the pieces were composed by pianist Bley, another two by Peacock, and the remainder are jointly credited and, for the most part, the result of improvisatory dialogue. As with all ECM releases, the recording sound is crystal clear, but also warm. Motian's cymbal work rings like light rain or can explode in bursts of thunder. The commitment these three musicians have brought to the art of jazz has never ceased to unfold and here again bears fresh fruit.
Critic Reviews

Entertainment Weekly (10/29/99, p.115) - "...[dealers] in the magic of intuition, meditative repose, and telepathic response. There's plenty of flinty, gripping playing on these originals, but subtlety remains the main mode of attack." - Rating: B
CMJ (11/1/99, p.30) - "...Quiet, meditative and subdued, this tranquil and reflective album highlights what these three do best, and lives up to their considerable legacy."
JazzTimes (10/99, pp.80,82) - "...a consistently rewarding disc; perhaps inspired by the chance to play with these definitive partners-in-crime, Bley is the best I've heard from him in quite a while..."