What is your motive?!

This rendition of Charlie Parker's bebop head "Perhaps" by the Aaron Goldberg trio is great for a lot of reasons, but the reason I want to highlight is for it's clear cut example of motific playing on the piano.  Listen carefully to the the first couple of phrases at the very beginning of Aaron's solo (I'm calling him Aaron like I know him, although I am a blog, whatever that is, and I do not).  There...good, did you catch that first phrase?  Now listen to how he moves that little phrase snippet all around over the piano.  He is elaborating on that first phrase, and at the same time reinforcing the weight and the meaning of it.  He stretches it sometimes, he messes with it's rhythm, he changes it's pitch and it's shape. This is how a solo can happen...it's not the only way, but it is a nice way.  He is telling a story with that first phrase and he does it beautifully.