Watch: Exploring New York Jazz Clubs with Drummer Paul Motian and Friends

Motian in Motion celebrates the ECM artist as he drums his way through the Village Vanguard, Birdland, the Blue Note, and beyond.

Halfway through Motian in Motion, a documentary about brilliant jazz drummer Paul Motian, a fan visits him and the two bandmates in his trio for the night at the Village Vanguard. Alongside saxophone player Joe Lovano and guitarist Bill Frisell in the green room, the late Motian, best known for his stellar work with ECM Records, greets the young jazz student.

“I expected more,” says the visitor, almost apologetically, before critiquing the set as “like spaghetti without noodles.” Motian — who has played with titans including Thelonius Monk, Bill Evans, and Keith Jarrett — is taken aback. Who goes backstage just to insult the performers? With a tough New York accent and fire in his voice, the drummer starts listing the past week of gigs, asking the dude if he’d seen any of those dozen-odd sets. Nope.

“I thought you guys had balls, man,” replies the fan.

Looking at Frisell — whose gentle, soft-spoken demeanor has been apparent throughout the documentary — the visitor adds that he was excited for the gig because he buys Frisell’s records. Without missing a beat, Frisell looks him in the eyes, casually flashes him the bird, and says, “Well, fuck you.”

“You got a lotta nerve. You oughta drop fucking dead, man,” Motian adds. (The scene is at 46:13 below.)

It’s one among many moments in Motian in Motion that capture the drummer’s essence. Featuring insight from artists, writers and producers including Frisell, Lovano, Manfred Eicher, Chick Corea, Greg Osby, Marilyn Crispell, Ben Ratliff, Charles Lloyd, and Carla Bley, the doc travels with Motian, who died in 2011, as he gigs with his trio, hangs with him backstage, and follows him into the recording studio with Crispell.

Are there a lot of talking heads? Yes, it’s a pretty standard documentary. But within is a fount of profoundly deep live footage and a ton of information. Combined, the film with guide you to an avalanche of brilliant records.

Here’s a clip of the Paul Motian Trio from 1994.