Paul Motian

Paul Motian was an American jazz drummer, percussionist, and composer born in Philadelphia in 1931 and raised in Providence, Rhode Island. He moved to New York in the late 1950s and became a central figure in the avant-garde and post-bop scenes. Motian gained prominence through his work with the Bill Evans Trio in the early 1960s and later collaborated extensively with Keith Jarrett, Paul Bley, and Charlie Haden. He led his own groups including the Electric Bebop Band and the Paul Motian Trio, releasing numerous albums on ECM and his own Winter & Winter label. Known for his impressionistic, textural drumming style, Motian composed many jazz standards and remained active until his death in 2011.