1967 · Album
On Broadway Vol. 4 Or The Paradox Of Continuity
Recorded 1966-1967 · Jaro Recordings · Produced by Paul Motian
When the Street Becomes a Conversation
Motian keeps returning to Broadway because the songs themselves are never finished conversations.
By this point in his career, Paul Motian had established himself as a drummer willing to listen rather than push, to shape space rather than fill it. On Broadway Vol. 4 Or The Paradox Of Continuity continues his fascination with the American songbook, specifically the standards that shaped mid-century jazz. The title itself hints at what's happening here: these are songs everyone knows, yet Motian keeps finding new angles, new reasons to play them again. The "paradox of continuity" isn't some abstract concept—it's the practical question of how you keep something alive by returning to it.
What makes this volume distinct is how casual it all sounds. There's no striving for reinterpretation or jazz mythology-building. Motian and his group simply play these tunes the way musicians do when they're in the room together and something needs exploring. The tempos breathe. The melodies get space to exist without being either sacred or disposable. If you've heard other Motian records, you know he's always been more interested in what happens between the notes than in the notes themselves. Here, that sensibility extends to song selection—he picks standards that most players have already worn smooth, then refuses to polish them further. Instead, he lets them get a little dusty, a little more human.
This is a record for listeners who understand that not every session needs to be a revelation. Sometimes the point is simply to sit with good songs and good musicians and see what an afternoon produces. It's not his most celebrated work, but it's an honest one. If you're already deep into Motian's catalog, this fits naturally into the arc of his thinking about rhythm, composition, and conversation. For newcomers, you might find more obvious entry points elsewhere, but there's nothing here that would steer you wrong.
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