Haden, Pieranunzi, and Motian Meet
A trio of quiet conversation: bass, piano, and drums finding their own space.
Special Encounter is a meeting of three musicians who spent decades learning how to listen to each other. Charlie Haden, the bassist whose lyricism anchored so much of the modern jazz tradition, shares the session with pianist Enrico Pieranunzi and drummer Paul Motian, a longtime collaborator whose brushwork and sense of space make him a natural partner for this kind of playing.
The music leans toward the lyrical and conversational side of the trio tradition. Haden's bass carries melody as often as it supplies harmony, and Pieranunzi's piano moves with an unhurried, European-inflected elegance. Motian keeps the pulse light and responsive, rarely pushing, always listening. The interplay rewards close attention rather than surface drama.
Within Haden's discography this is a late-period session, recorded when he had long since established himself as one of the most respected bassists in jazz. It is not a reinvention, and it does not chase novelty. For a listener new to Haden, it is a pleasant entry point into his more intimate work, though records like Liberation Music Orchestra (1969) or his duet and quartet albums offer a broader picture of what he did. For fans already committed to his playing, this one is a quiet pleasure: three players who clearly enjoy one another's company.
Who's playing
Where next?
More by Charlie Haden
All 44 albums →
The musicians on this record
Their own records, close in time
