Paul Bley - Synth Thesis

This 1994 recording of Paul Bley playing piano and accompanying himself on synthesizers has long been a misunderstood part of his catalog. For many this was a sellout, a cheap experiment with technology. Few critics with this mindset -- or Bley fans for that matter -- seem to remember that, along with fellow Canadian Glenn Gould, Bley and his then-wife Annette Peacock were early champions of the analog Moog synthesizer. That Bley had, after many years, re-embraced an instrument he had a fondness for should have come as no surprise -- especially given the man's championing of music video as a new possibility for jazz. Read More