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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
duanegoosen
355 posts
 
A lot of the stuff he put out in the early 70's w/ Charlie Haden, Paul Motian and Dewey Redman and the Miles Davis work put him light years away from being new age. I'm nowhere near liking everything he does, but he's been on some great records.
sonicbeauty
324 posts
 
Phaelon
"not unlike Kenny G. Highly subjective of course."

Subjective or not, that's a lousy thing to say! Take it back!
Phaelon

Why should I take it back?

1. Comparing anyone to Kenny G. is no insult.
2. You seem to be a Kenny G fan, nothing wrong with that.
3. Music preferences is a matter of personal taste.
4. Who are you to judge what is proper and what is not?

Audiogon usually does a pretty good thing of removing negative posts - this isn't one of them.

Stay positive, this is only a forum !
stewie
187 posts
 
There are two Jarretts--the solo improvisor, and the standards trio player, and the latter, to my mind, is incomparable. I've got everything the trio recorded since Standards 1 came out, and while it's not all my cup of tea, there is something about the Jarrett/Peacock/DeJohnette combination that I've yet to find anywhere else. For me, the greatest of Jarrett's playing is on the slower tunes--the ballads in particular. Pick up the 6 cd set, "Live at the Blue Note," and listen to "Skylark," "My Romance," "In the Wee Small Hours," "For Heaven's Sake." My only test is the test of time: they always sound as fresh to me on the fortieth hearing as they do on the first. Someone recommended the Brad Mehldau Trio as a successor to the standards trio. Listened, but it's not there for me. Jarrett's solo stuff leaves me indifferent, except when it moves toward the lyrical, as it does for example, on the Carnegie Hall Concert's "The Good America." As for the original question about Jarrett's relative obscurity: America is a great country, about which I can muster considerable patriotism. But difficult pleasures is not its strong suit. Mos Def, Taylor Swift, Taco Bell, Olive Garden.
cmalak
681 posts
 
As for the original question about Jarrett's relative obscurity: America is a great country, about which I can muster considerable patriotism. But difficult pleasures is not its strong suit. Mos Def, Taylor Swift, Taco Bell, Olive Garden.

Sad but true and well put.
rpeluso
1,049 posts
 
I find it boring, tried to like it but could not-
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