Pianist/composer Paul Bley's indisputable contributions to modern jazz and improvisation are somewhat legendary.
Whether exploring parts unknown with clarinetist Jimmy Guiffre or when citing his highly acclaimed stints with bassist Gary Peacock and drummer Paul Motian, not to mention some of his early endeavors with the bebop crowd, Bley's unique craft resides in a class of its own.
And with this 2001 solo piano performance titled Basics, the artist continues to meld mainstream applications with forward thinking concepts and his somewhat infamous implementations of subtle melodic intervals amid ingenious utilization of space and depth.
Here, the pianist presents a series of original compositions along with Thelonious Monk's "Monk's Mood." Through it all, Bley's expressive lyricism provides the listener with melodious, interweaving sequences brimming with lush statements, sweeping arpeggios, and animated choruses, while his richly thematic composition "Told You So" features a lovely childlike theme constructed upon R&B motifs, rhythmic block chords, and daintily executed harmonies.
Hence, a complex musician at work as Paul Bley intermingles askew phraseology with geometrically fabricated lines and endearing propositions.
Recommended!.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Love LostPaul Bley | Paul Bley | Play | 04:41 | 10 MB | 15 MB |
| 2 | BasicsPaul Bley | Paul Bley | Play | 02:29 | 5 MB | 8 MB |
| 3 | Speed KillsPaul Bley | Paul Bley | Play | 02:04 | 4 MB | 7 MB |
| 4 | Told You SoPaul Bley | Paul Bley | Play | 09:15 | 21 MB | 34 MB |
| 5 | LuckyPaul Bley | Paul Bley | Play | 08:18 | 19 MB | 29 MB |
| 6 | ChetPaul Bley | Paul Bley | Play | 07:50 | 17 MB | 30 MB |
| 7 | Walk HomePaul Bley | Paul Bley | Play | 07:34 | 17 MB | 26 MB |
| 8 | Monk's MoodThelonious Monk | Paul Bley | Play | 04:46 | 10 MB | 18 MB |
| 9 | Early AlbenPaul Bley | Paul Bley | Play | 02:51 | 6 MB | 8 MB |
| 10 | StartledPaul Bley | Paul Bley | Play | 04:00 | 9 MB | 14 MB |
| 11 | Blues Waltz | Paul Bley | Play | 06:18 | 14 MB | 23 MB |
| 60 mins | 137 MB | |||||
| 60 mins | 217 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paul Bley | Composer, Piano, Primary Artist |
| 2 | Len Dobbin | Liner Notes |
| 3 | Thelonious Monk | Composer |
| 4 | Billy Szawlowski | Editing, Engineer |
| 5 | Jim West | Producer |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |