What was that?! Huh? Let me come again to explore that further...

Recently I've had this album on repeat, and has brought back a few memories...

The first time I heard Paul Motion it was passed to me by a high school friend, Robert Glasper. Though he was a couple of years ahead of me, we struck up an almost immediate connection. Personality wise, we couldn't have been more different... At his core, Glasper is a true extrovert, getting his energy from the connectivity of the people in the room. On their other hand, I've always been more content to let others do the talking. My inquisitive nature led me to ask if I could borrow some of his cds, which I would record on cassette before returning. Glasper was really into this Keith Jarrett Trio album, Live at the Deerhead Inn. I had never heard anything like it... It was simultaneously spacious, light, deep and profoundly grooving. The drummer was Paul Motion. I immediately made a mental note.

Years later, after moving to New York I would constantly see Paul Motion's name appearing at the famed Village Vanguard on 7th Avenue South. By this time he had tired of the road life, and his friendship with the owner of the Vanguard, Ms. Loraine Gordon basically insured he could play there whenever he wanted to(appearing at least four to six times a year). One night I paid the cover and made my way down to the bar. The music I encountered was completely unexpected, and completely confused. I stayed for the second set... Same reaction. It was almost like a roller coaster ride that took you somewhere distant, but strangely enough time had eerily stood still... And just like the ride was over. I didn't know what to think about what I had heard. In the proceeding years I would check him out at the Vanguard, sometimes going several nights out of his weekly run. Each time I was trying to focus on what made him so focused, so intense and uniquely original. Revisiting this trio recording brought back so many memories, and I cherish the opportunity to reflect on such formative experiences. Thank you Mr. Motion.