Storyteller (Marilyn Crispell Album)
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''Storyteller'' is an album by the
Marilyn Crispell Marilyn Crispell (born March 30, 1947) is an American jazz pianist and composer. Scott Yanow described her as "a powerful player... who has her own way of using space... She is near the top of her field." Jon Pareles of ''The New York Times'' ...
Trio, featuring rhythm section
Mark Helias Mark Helias (born October 1, 1950) is an American double bass player and composer born in New Brunswick, New Jersey. He started playing the double bass at the age of 20, and studied with Homer Mensch at Rutgers University from 1971 to 1974, then ...
and
Paul Motian Stephen Paul Motian (March 25, 1931 – November 22, 2011) was an American jazz drummer, percussionist, and composer of Armenian descent. He played an important role in freeing jazz drummers from strict time-keeping duties. Motian first came t ...
, recorded in February 2003 and released on
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April the following year.ECM discography
accessed November 14, 2011


Reception

Reviewing for ''
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'' in September 2004, Tom Hull said:
After two decades of comparisons to
Cecil Taylor Cecil Percival Taylor (March 25, 1929April 5, 2018) was an American pianist and poet. Taylor was classically trained and was one of the pioneers of free jazz. His music is characterized by an energetic, physical approach, resulting in comple ...
, her third ECM record is deliberate, cautious, almost pretty.
Paul Motian Stephen Paul Motian (March 25, 1931 – November 22, 2011) was an American jazz drummer, percussionist, and composer of Armenian descent. He played an important role in freeing jazz drummers from strict time-keeping duties. Motian first came t ...
could take credit for taming the shrew, but more likely it was her own growing interest in
Bill Evans William John Evans (August 16, 1929 – September 15, 1980) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist and composer who worked primarily as the leader of his trio. His use of impressionist harmony, block chords, innovative chord voicings, a ...
that led her to Motian. He wrote most of the pieces, but exerts little control. Indeed, his subtle drumming is almost untethered to Crispell's piano. But at this slow pace, the logic of her playing, her knack for surprising sequences that make perfect sense once you’ve heard them, is as dazzling as her speed ever was.
The
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review by Thom Jurek awarded the album 4 stars stating "''Storyteller'' is another triumph for Marilyn Crispell."Jurek, T
Allmusic Review
accessed November 14, 2011
The authors of the ''
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'' awarded the album 4 stars, and stated, "Increasingly concerned with form, and increasingly inclined to temper intensity with control, this is at first hearing an unfamiliar Crispell... she has... selected some... older themes of Paul Motian's... as a tribute to his still underrated compositional skills... the group sound is perfectly balanced... Helias... keeping step with Motian's quiet urgency every inch of the way." Writing for
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, John Kelman described the album as "a conversation where Crispell and Motian are active and highly interactive, with sparks sometimes flying, with Helias always present to propose a conciliatory viewpoint." He commented: "the album is a prime example of just how important each player is in creating a musical dynamic. ''Storyteller'' may lack the immediate spark of ''Amaryllis'', but in its richer contrast between participants it still makes for compelling listening." In a review for the
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, Peter Marsh stated, "''Storyteller'' sees Mark Helias taking over from
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Peacock, but the song remains much the same. In fact, this trio pare down the music even more; there are times when the space between the notes ring as loud as the notes themselves... for the most part this is poised, thoughtful music that gently demands close listening... Sometimes bass and piano echo each other's phrases; they hang in the air like clouds, till blown away gently by Motian's pattering snare or the hiss of cymbals." Writing for Clocks and Clouds, Beppe Colli remarked, "An excellent album, very well recorded, not at all difficult to listen to, ''Storyteller'' is the kind of album that makes me wonder about the real reasons why Crispell's name is not well-known."


Track listing

:''All compositions by Marilyn Crispell except as indicated'' # "Wild Rose" - 4:13 # "Flight of the Bluejay" (Paul Motian) - 4:39 # "The Storyteller" (Motian) - 6:06 # "Alone" - 4:45 # "Harmonic Line" (Mark Helias) - 5:55 # "Cosmology 2" (Motian) - 5:39 # "Limbo" (Helias) - 6:54 # "Play" (Motian) - 5:13 # "The Sunflower" (Motian) - 3:59 # "Cosmology 1" (Motian) - 4:02 # "So Far, So Near" - 9:27


Personnel


Marilyn Crispell Trio

*
Marilyn Crispell Marilyn Crispell (born March 30, 1947) is an American jazz pianist and composer. Scott Yanow described her as "a powerful player... who has her own way of using space... She is near the top of her field." Jon Pareles of ''The New York Times'' ...
piano A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are depressed, activating an Action (music), action mechanism where hammers strike String (music), strings. Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, tuned to a c ...
*
Mark Helias Mark Helias (born October 1, 1950) is an American double bass player and composer born in New Brunswick, New Jersey. He started playing the double bass at the age of 20, and studied with Homer Mensch at Rutgers University from 1971 to 1974, then ...
bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Wood * Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...
*
Paul Motian Stephen Paul Motian (March 25, 1931 – November 22, 2011) was an American jazz drummer, percussionist, and composer of Armenian descent. He played an important role in freeing jazz drummers from strict time-keeping duties. Motian first came t ...
drums The drum is a member of the percussion instrument, percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophones, membranophone. Drums consist of at least one Acoustic membrane, membrane, c ...


References

{{Authority control ECM Records albums Marilyn Crispell albums 2004 albums Albums produced by Manfred Eicher Albums recorded at Power Station