Music Monday: Keith Jarrett

Yesterday was Keith Jarrett’s birthday and so it felt like a good day to revisit one of the most iconic sounds in late 20th century music. The challenge with a guy like Jarrett is that he simply recorded so much music from the late 1960s to the early decades of the 21st century. 

To celebrate his distinctive sound, I decided to (digitally) spin recordings done with his classic trio of Gary Peacock and Jack DeJohnette and released by ECM. First, I enjoyed the single release compilation of his live albums recorded in 1983 at the Blue Note in New York. These were originally released as Standards Vol. 1, Standards Vol. 2, and Changes. They embody a sound and sensibility that feels to me like it established the crucial territory for late 20th century jazz: virtuosic in its execution, but perhaps a bit traditional in his horizons?

I then spun this trios 2001 recording from the Montreux Jazz Festival which is splendid in the balance between its immediacy and refinement. Jarrett’s trio had played together for over 20 years at this point and their deeply sympathetic playing was visible throughout. His performance of “My Foolish Heart,” after which the album is named, evokes Bill Evans and his famous trios in the 1970s and by doing so he feels like he’s marking out similar territory through this trio’s commitment to standards. 

Finally, I listened to the six volume release of his trio’s 1996 performance at the Blue Note in New York. The album is 7 hours of music and I’m not sure I have it in me to listen to it straight through, but it begs to be put on shuffle and to power me through the rest of my grading and into the summer.