Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Anat Fort: The Dreamworld of Paul Motian
Anat Fort: The Dreamworld of Paul Motian
ByAnat Fort
pianob.1970

Paul Motian
drums1931 - 2011
Motian elevated the role of drumming in modern jazz. From his time with the

Bill Evans
piano1929 - 1980

Keith Jarrett
pianob.1945

Bill Frisell
guitar, electricb.1951

Lee Konitz
saxophone, alto1927 - 2020
Fort's first exposure to Motian came from listening to the Bill Evans Trio recordings, where she was impressed by the expressive, conversational role he created for the drums. Later, in New York, she immersed herself in his live performances and eventually played alongside him on her 2007 ECM release A Long Story, a collaboration that Motian himself helped bring to fruition.
The Dreamworld of Paul Motian is more than simply a tribute album. This is a thoughtfully constructed collection of songs that captures the spirit of Motian's innovation and energy. Fort features five previously unrecorded pieces drawn from Motian's composition books, alongside familiar compositions, all of which serve as her own thank you letter to the musician who has made such a lasting impact on her life.
For this project, Fort assembled a quartet well-suited to navigate Motian's elusive terrain. Guitarist

Steve Cardenas
guitar
Gary Wang
bass, acoustic
Matt Wilson
drumsb.1964
The ensemble's chemistry is unmistakable. There is an exceptional group dynamic at work, as evidenced by the opening track, "Dreamworld." Here, the players enter into a musical dialogue, beginning with the feeling of everyone talking at once, slowly evolving into harmonic unity. Songs such as "Mumbo Jumbo" and "Riff Raff" present what might be best described as structured freedom. In someone else's hands, these songs might come across as avant-garde cacophony, but the players here bring out what is best in free jazz and make it accessible to mainstream listeners.
The Dreamworld of Paul Motian is not a backward glance. Although Motian is gone, his presence is still very much alive, and Fort is maintaining the spirit and integrity of his work. With this album, Anat Fort reminds us that influence is not about imitation but rather continuing the legacy left behind. ">
Track Listing
Dreamworld; Mumbo Jumbo; Yallah; Riff Raff; Tacho (quatet); Prairie Avenue Cowboy; It Should've Happened a Long Time Ago; Umh Hum: Tacho (solo); Byablue; Arabesque.
Personnel
Album information
Title: The Dreamworld of Paul Motian | Year Released: 2025 | Record Label: Sunnyside Records
Tags
Comments
PREVIOUS / NEXT
Support All About Jazz
