Paul Motian was a great musician. Notice I didn't qualify that by saying he was a great drummer. He was much more. He always served the song he was playing. Even though he was capable of anything, he only played the notes that mattered. His work had a subtlety and depth of feeling that was rare.
His passing was a real shock to me. He's been playing since long before I first got interested in jazz and his playing stayed fresh until the end. I guess I thought he would live forever.
