Paul Bley Trio: Paul Bley (piano); Steve Swallow (bass); Barry Altschul (drums).

Recorded in New York, New York on December 12, 1965.

Paul Bley: Paul Bley (piano); Steve Swallow (bass instrument); Barry Altschul (drums, percussion).

Audio Remasterers: Douglas McGregor; Frans de Rond.

Recording information: RLA Studios, New York, NY (05/20/1965-12/18/1965).

Author: Bernard Stollman.

If the strident experimentation of free-jazz pioneers such as Cecil Taylor and Albert Ayler railed against conventional ideas of chord voicing and fixed rhythmic accompaniment, pianist Paul Bley took a decidedly more understated approach to musical innovation. Bley's classic 1966 trio album for ESP-Disk, CLOSER, is a study in restraint. Moving confidently from melodic lyricism to explosive bursts of tone color, Bley and his compatriots--drummer Barry Altschul and bassist Steve Swallow--strike a pleasing balance between order and chaos, creating music as evocative as it is challenging.

Down Beat (6/93, p.48) - 4 Stars - Very Good - "...Compared to the previous year's ESP date, it is the calm after the storm, highlighting Bley's oblique lyricism, as well as his will-to-wail. Those twin attributes have stood Bley in good artistic stead over the years..."