Recorded in a single day in Paris, "Chaos" is a stark, late-career trio statement from the legendary pianist, leaning into sparseness and negative space.
- The album was recorded on January 15, 1998, at the Théâtre des Chartrons in Bordeaux, France. Guests on the album include Jean-Jacques Avenel on bass and Kevin Norton on percussion. "Chaos" was released on the Italian Soul Note label, known for its extensive catalog of European jazz.
- The trio features Jean-Jacques Avenel on bass, a frequent Bley collaborator, and Kevin Norton on percussion. This trio configuration was unusual for Bley at the time, who often worked in duos or solo. Bley self-produced the album through Soul Note records.
- The album was recorded in January 1998 and released in October of the same year. It is one of many trio recordings Bley made for the Soul Note label. Bley's work in the late 90s continued his exploration of minimalist and abstract jazz.
Paul Bley was a pioneering modal jazz pianist from Canada, known for his challenging, avant-garde improvisations. In 1998, he was an elder statesman of free jazz, continuing to push boundaries decades into his prolific career.
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