Chansons D'Edith Piaf

Tethered Moon, Paul Motian | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 12, 1999)
• Original Release Date: October 12, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Winter & Winter
• ASIN: B00001X52W
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #196,781 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

On Chansons d'Édith Piaf, Tethered Moon--the adventurous trio of iconoclastic Japanese pianist Masabumi Kikuchi, bassist Gary Peacock, and drummer Paul Motian--focuses its abstract, impressionist lens on the legacy of Édith Piaf, one of the most revered figures in the history of popular song. The quintessential torch singer, whose name means "little sparrow" in Parisian slang, seduced a global audience with dramatic performances of cabaret and theatrical songs distinctively delivered in a bold voice that contrasted starkly with her tiny, frail appearance. Kikuchi's interpretations begin with impressionistic improvisations that play hide-and-seek with the charts of various chansons until a timeless Piaf theme emerges like a ray of sunshine from behind a rain cloud. Peacock and Motian's skill at effortlessly playing both inside and outside changes and their ability to comfortably switch from performing in free-form and structured contexts provides a lush setting for Kikuchi's broad pianistic strokes. --Mitchell Feldman

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Jazz Guy Pick (www.voiceofvashon.org), October 27, 2001

By 

Bill Wood - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chansons D'Edith Piaf (Audio CD)

"Tethered Moon" is the rather unfortunate name that bassist Dave Holland, drummer Paul Motian and pianist Masabumi Kikuchi have chosen for their trio. Entirely fortunate, however, is their choice of material. Many of Piaf's songs would appear to be somewhat resistant to the jazz treatment, but this is an absolutely gorgeous album and there are no real missteps here. The music easily rates all five stars, but, unhappily, Kikuchi has developed the habit, shared by Keith Jarrett and Oscar Peterson,among others, of inappropriately (or perhaps involuntarily) vocalising along with the music with a variety of grunts and whines and squeals, none of them pleasant, which are all, however, dutifully recorded and included on the soundtrack as if they were somehow an enhancement. They are not. Without these untoward vocal intrusions this would be an absolutely exquisite trio - dumb name and all.