Ted Sirota Music

I’m heartbroken to hear about the passing of Paul Motian.  Having only met him briefly a couple of times I can’t say that he was a personal influence on me, in the way that Alan Dawson was, but his playing was, and is, a HUGE inspiration to me.  I’ve always thought of this quote from Picasso when I think about Paul Motian – “It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child”.  Paul was like the Picasso of the drums, in my humble opinion.  He was a true artist.  He was more of a painter on the drums than he was just a “drummer”.  He proved that you can be great without concern for “chops” or “licks”.  He was 100% music.  Have you ever heard of a drummer playing “Paul Motian licks”?  If you have let me know, because that’s absurd to me.  It’s impossible.  The only thing you could try to copy from Paul was his concept or sound – maybe.  That’s how unique he was – you can’t even copy him.  You can’t say that about Philly Joe Jones, Art Blakey, or even Tony Williams, as great as they were.

The one chance I had to talk to Paul on the phone didn’t go so well.  It was 1991 or 92, and Kurt Rosenwinkel was living in the extra room in my apartment.  The phone rings and I answer it. This voice snaps out, “WHO IS THIS?!”  I was taken aback.  I always have hated people calling MY telephone and being rude. Plus, it sounded like he was calling from a pay phone, which seemed shady to me for some reason – like an angry drug dealer or something.  I said, “THIS IS TED!”, trying to be rude right back. Then the gruff voice barks out, “WELL IS KURT THERE?!” I yelled back real loud and obnoxious, “NO KURT’S NOT HERE!!!”  Then he says, “Well tell him Paul Motian called!”  I almost dropped the phone!  So many things rushed through my head in the next two seconds – “Oh shit!  I was just rude to one of my heroes!” I had a thousand questions that I wanted to ask if I ever got a chance to speak with Paul Motian but I could barely find my voice enough to say sheepishly, “Sure, I’ll tell him you called.”  And that was it…

Fortunately I did get to hear him play in person a number of times and I think it’s really incredibly inspiring that a lot of the musicians that I came up with (Kurt, Chris Cheek, Bill McHenry, and others) got to be regulars in his band, as I know they all idolized him as well.  I remember how much of an impact the “Monk In Motian” record had on cats at Berklee when it came out.  I remember the excitement that we all had when “On Broadway Vol. I” and then “On Broadway Vol. II” came out. He played on so many influential records long before these, and so many after.  His playing on Paul Bley’s “Turns” absolutely blew my mind – and still does.  That’s one of my desert island discs.  There are so many others. Maybe I’ll list some of my favorites soon…