Joe Lovano who had performed with Motian since 1981, calls him a "true natural and one of the most expressive musicians in jazz."
Motian had an uncanny sense of time that influenced a generation of musicians.
He came to prominence as a member of Bill Evans' trio in the late 1950s, playing on landmark recordings such as "Waltz for Debby" and "Sunday at the Village Vanguard." He also had longtime partnerships with pianist Keith Jarrett, bassist Charlie Hayden and guitarist Bill Frisell.
As a leader, he recorded nearly three dozen albums for the ECM, Winter & Winter and JMT labels.