Paul Bley Trio – Modern Chant (1994) [Japan 2018]
SACD Rip | SACD ISO | DSD64 2.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 52:11 minutes | Front/Rear Covers | 1,59 GB
or DSD64 2.0 (from SACD-ISO to Tracks.dsf) > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | Front/Rear Covers | 1,42 GB
or FLAC (carefully converted & encoded to tracks) 24bit/48 kHz | Front/Rear Covers | 700 MB

Can it be a coincidence that this album, subtitled “Inspiration from Gregorian Chant,” was recorded right around the time that chant music was reaching its improbable peak on the album charts? In any case, this enjoyable, offbeat trio album featuring the unusual combination of Bley’s piano, David Eyges’ electric cello and Bruce Ditmas’ drums seems to have very little to do with Gregorian chant per se. Indeed, such numbers as “Wisecracks” and “Loose Change” are definitely based on the blues, “Decompose” has an M-base funk foundation, and “Funhouse” is a nasty, down-home bit of grooving that eventually becomes engulfed in a swirling maelstrom (so this is from whom Keith Jarrett may have picked up some of his group concepts). Only “Digitant” seems to breathe some of the ambience of chant in its thematic material. Eyges’ cello usually fills in the traditional function of a bass – albeit a very light-toned bass – while occasionally forming dissonant arco (bowed) counterlines around the piano. Bley’s playing is often brilliantly unpredictable, difficult to categorize, and thus, able to stand out from the pack.

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Paul Bley Trio – Emerald Blue (1994) [Japan 2019]
SACD Rip | SACD ISO | DSD64 2.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 48:28 minutes | Front/Rear Covers | 1,39 GB
or DSD64 2.0 (from SACD-ISO to Tracks.dsf) > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | Front/Rear Covers | 1,28 GB
or FLAC (carefully converted & encoded to tracks) 24bit/48 kHz | Front/Rear Covers | 591 MB

Modern Chant (subtitled Inspiration from Gregorian Chant) is an album by pianist Paul Bley, cellist David Eyges, and drummer Bruce Ditmas recorded in 1994 and released on the Japanese Venus label.

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