Ben Monder - Amorphae: the sound of great musicians listening to one another

Even if, like guitarist Ben Monder, you have appeared on north of 100 recordings (including David Bowie's Blackstar), your ECM debut as leader is a special moment and an opportunity to stretch into new spaces.

Monder’s plan was to make his a duo with his erstwhile employer, Paul Motian, but those hopes were dashed by the great drummer’s passing in 2011.

The two tracks they had already laid down are here, but to complete the recording, Monder called up another lion of the drum set, Andrew Cyrille, who shares Motian’s uncanny ability to shape abstract improvisation into riveting, meaningful music.

Monder's achievement here is not only what is said – which is sometimes startlingly beautiful – but what is left unsaid: Amorphae is the delicate, ineffable sound of great musicians listening to one another.