A product of what I think was Manfred Eicher's second trip to New York for the purposes of recording, which also produced John Abercrombie's Timeless and Dave Liebman's Drum Ode, this is one to remember. Quietly impressive, the LP-length programme has five tracks of mostly free-tempo playing of considerable urgency, and including the first revivals of Haden's ‘hit tunes’ from the first Liberation Music Orchestra album (to which Motian contributed, of course), namely ‘War Orphans’ and ‘Song For Ché’. Haden is naturally a considerable presence on the other three items written by Motian, as is the acoustic guitar of Brown (Metzke doesn't play on everything, but it's interesting how the full quintet line-up on the track ‘Sod House’ foreshadows Motian's Electric Bebop Band of 25 years later). The underrated Carlos Ward, perhaps most associated with Abdullah Ibrahim, is passionately lyrical on his two appearances, and the whole album is typical of the excellent music that might have been missed at the time by anyone not already sold on ECM. - Brian Priestley
This is the drummers second outing as leader for ECM and the follow up to the acclaimed ConceptualVessel, and has stood the test of time well proving to be the more adventuress of the two albums. Tribute retains the services of Charlie Haden and guitarist Sam Brown from the earlier record, and adds to the line up a second guitar in Paul Metzke along with Carlos Ward on alto saxophone. At first glance the use of two guitars seemed somewhat unorthodox, and an experiment that the drummer was to repeat some years later with his Electric Be Bop Band. We should also note that his affinity with guitarists has been well documented in his work with the Bill Frisell and Joe Lovano on tenor.
This relationship with the twinned guitars of Brown and Metzke bursts forth on 'Tuesday Ends Saturday', and Motian is more explicit in the way he marks time and emphasises the beat. The heart of the album finds the drummer in a more lyrical and exploratory mode, coaxing and cajoling things along on a superb version of Ornette Coleman's 'War Orphans' and opens up the way for some incredible interplay between the guitarists and magisterial playing from Charlie Haden. The set concludes with the sublime reading of Haden's 'Song For Ché' in which the guitars, bass and percussion all find a way bring forth maximum expression of the composition, yet leaving so much space which becomes breath taking and integral to the performance.
With the main action taking place within the quartet, saxophonist Ward appears to be left on the bench appearing on only two numbers. His plangent tone on alto is heard on the opening 'Victoria' and taking a more central role and more expansive solo on another Motian composition, 'Sod House'. Both solid performances, but side-lined by the exciting and developing relationships being forged elsewhere within the music.
What marks Tribute out as such an important reissue is that it showcases so many of Motian's strengths, both as a composer and band leader, while not overshadowing or diluting the quality of the music. In fact, quite the opposite, making an important and early statement and laying sowing the seeds for the future. - jazzviews.net
Tracks
1. Victoria (Paul Motian)
2. Tuesday Ends Saturday (Paul Motian)
3. War Orphans (Ornette Coleman)
4. Sod House (Paul Motian)
5. Song For Che (Charlie Haden)
SAM BROWN acoustic guitar, electric guitar
CARLOS WARD alto saxophone
CHARLIE HADEN bass
PAUL MOTIAN percussion
PAUL METZKE electric guitar
Recorded Mat, 1974 at Generation Sound Studios, New York City
ECM Records - ECM 1048 Germany