Recorded by this quartet to celebrate drummer Paul Motian's 80th birthday, The Windmills of Your Mind is a collection of jazz and pop standards played by a stellar quartet that includes guitarist Bill Frisell, vocalist Petra Haden, and bassist Thomas Morgan. It mirrors, in an indirect manner, some of Motian's On Broadway releases (Morgan appeared on the fifth volume and Frisell on the first three), as well as the all-but-ignored duet album Petra Haden & Bill Frisell, from 2003. While this is Motian's date, it is Frisell who keeps these skeletal arrangements together. One gravitates naturally to his instrument's lyricism as it introduces each tune as if it were a human voice. When Haden enters, it's almost as if she duets with Frisell. This doesn't take anything away from Motian or Morgan. Even at his advanced age, the drummer is a consummate dancer, his touch erudite and certain, yet so artful and airy it sets these rather straight re-readings just "off" enough to open them up musically. Take the mysterious intro to the title track, introduced by his brushed snare and hi-hat. Frisell hints at the melody, posing it as a question to Haden, who states the lyric sweetly and plaintively, yet Motian's movement unlatches the door at the ends of each of her lines. Haden introduces "I Loves You Porgy," as a nearly pastoral love song. Frisell follows suit, highlighting her vocal with shimmering chord voicings and just enough reverb to create space. While Morgan's bassline stays close to the changes, it's Motian's accents, feints, and stutter-stops that hint there is a darker drama afoot. Only Frisell's guitar keeps the tune from moving somewhere else. Johnny Mercer's "I Remember You" begins almost haltingly with the trio finding a common space to insinuate rather than state the melody. When Haden begins singing, Morgan finds it first, while Motian skates around it deftly, creating movement inside Frisell's restraint. The singer is allowed to imbue the lyric with shades of meaning that not only evoke memory, but also a present-tense, nearly wistful longing. There are some lovely instrumental interludes inside its nearly six-minute length, that evidence the close listening of all participants at work on this lovely recording. - Tom Jurek / allmusic.com
While Paul Motian's name is on the spine of this CD, guitarist Bill Frisell is the tie that binds this band. Frisell's ability to paint ethereal coats of sound in an earnest manner that speaks to his love of all things musical is at the heart of this program, which may be seen as an expansion of Petra Haden and BillFrisell (True North, 2003)—a woefully overlooked vocals and guitar date which contains intimate and highly expressive takes on the music of Henry Mancini, Tom Waits, Stevie Wonder, George Gershwin, and many more. Motian, Frisell, Haden, and bassist Thomas Morgan, who appears on the drummer's OnBroadway, Vol. 5 (Winter & Winter, 2009), recorded this album in celebration of Motian's 80th birthday, and they find success at every turn by imbuing these pieces with a sound that's both earthy and slightly off-kilter at the same time.
While the complete quartet tackles many chestnuts in inimitable fashion, Haden sits out on several occasions, allowing the remaining trio to try their hand at different things. Two different takes on a gloomy, Motian-penned waltz ("Introduction") that would have felt at home on Bill Frisell Quartet (Nonesuch, 1996) bookend the album and, along with the twangy "Little Foot" and the oft-performed "Let's Face The Music And Dance," speak to the trio chemistry shared between Motian, Frisell and Morgan.
Haden's hypnotic vocals blend in well throughout the program, and she smartly imposes her own personality on certain numbers, like "Lover Man," which avoids the same old, bluesy sentiments in favor of supple suggestions and woozy charm, and "I Loves You Porgy," which sparkles and shines. Like Frisell, Haden is completely lacking in affect, which is made abundantly clear on the duo trip through "I've Got A Crush On You" that also appears on their earlier collaboration.
While Frisell and Haden both place their unique aural stamps on this material, Motian and Morgan never play second fiddle to that pairing. The drummer's elastic sense of phrasing is a key ingredient in this mix, and Morgan integrates his bass into the very fabric of the music.
Motian's prolific output makes it easy to occasionally overlook some of his albums, but this one is likely to gain a lot of attention. The Windmills Of Your Mind is simply sublime. - Dan Bilawsky / allaboutjazz.com
Tracks
01. Introduction I (Paul Motian)
02. Tennessee Waltz (Pee Wee King/Redd Stewart)
03. The Windmills Of Your Mind Alan & Marilyn Bergman/Michel Legrand)
04. Let's Face The Music And Dance (Irvin Berlin)
05. Lover Man (Jimmy Davis/James Sherman/Roger Ramirez)
06. It's Been A Long, Long Time (June Styne/Sammy Cahn)
07. Little Foot (Paul Motian)
08. Easy Living (Leo Robin/Ralph Rainger)
09. I've Got A Crush On You (George & Ira Gershwin)
10. Backup (Paul Motian)
11. I Loves You Porgy (George & Ira Gershwin)
12. Trieste (Paul Motian)
13. If I Could Be With You (Henry Creamer/James Johnson)
14. Wednesday's Gone (Paul Motian)
15. I Remember You (Johnny Mercer/Victor Schertzinger)
16. Introduction II (Paul Motian)
PAUL MOTIAN drums
THOMAS MORGAN bass
BILL FRISELL electric guitar
PETRA HADEN vocals
Recorded September 2010 at Sear Sound, NYC
Winter & Winter – 910 182-2 (Germany)