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Share thoughts on Keith Jarrett

Last night, I saw Keith Jarrett performing solo at the Symphony Center. Tremendously emotional concert with four encores. Now, this is why I'm posting: The person who I was supposed to attend the concert with, informed me, on Tuesday night, that she couldn't go. "No problem", I thought: "Who wouldn't jump at the chance to see Keith Jarrett live", a performer who I consider to be right up there with the likes of Davis, Monk, and Coltrane, all jazz elite and all household names. It took me two full days to find someone who even heard of this guy. I'll continue to hold him in place of high esteem regardless of the comments I get here, but I'm curious: Am I incorrect to place him so highly, or are their others who find his relative anonymity amazing?
phaelon
xiekitchen
821 posts
 
To me, Jarrett is a true original. No one plays piano like he does, tries the things he does, and bold about it... now weather you LIKE what he does is another matter. A few recordings stand out for me, "Arbour Zena", "Luminessence" and "Nude Ants"... from the late 70's. In the same category as Miles? hmmm... there were times, for me, when Miles wasn't in the same category of Miles.. :)
waltersalas's avatar
waltersalas
951 posts
 
Well, he's very prolific, and there are different phases of Jarrett's work, just as there were with Miles (and no, I don't put him on the same level with Miles). I do like his recordings on Impulse in the 70s with Dewey Redman and Charlie Haden, and more recently, his long running trio with Gary Peacock and Jack Dejohnette. Some very good stuff there.

Of course, there are lots and lots of solo recordings, and though I do enjoy listening to them from time to time, I also have a hard time focusing enough to tell them apart. But I'd recommend those trio recordings, as well as the Impulse records, to anybody who is interested in jazz.
etbaby
138 posts
 
Keith's improvisation of music is erratic and the substance of his material s very inconsistent . I fell in love with his music after listening to the Koln Concert. It has been down hill since then. Sometimes the material he plays is dead on but mostly he is off. Over the last 30 years I can count only two albums that he has made that are very good and maybe 10 that are less than average at best. The more he plays the less interested I am in his music.
jfrech's avatar
jfrech
1,816 posts
 
I'm spining his new LP "Yesterdays" on ECM. This is a incredible recording and music. While not solo piano, It's up there Koln Concert
jaybo
4,478 posts
 
My favorite Jarrett recordings are the one's he made as a young man with the charles lloyd quartet. his talent is undeniable, but his recordings as bandleader or solo don't 'connect' with me.
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