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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
rockadanny
1,226 posts
 
one of the basic tenets ... but can one still folllow the tune
I respectfully disagree with this statement. I think it is perfectly acceptable to stretch out far beyond the tune, even to completely obliterate it, as long as one does come back to it either on occasion or at the end. Otherwise, I'd hate to listen to My Favorite Things or Surrey With the Fringe on Top - two silly, sappy songs otherwise IMO. It is the stretch beyond the tune which often defines jazz for me. It gets me excited and grips my interest, hearing how inventive players can be with ANY old tune. In no other genre does this occur. That, to me, is what makes jazz so special and transcends all other music genres.
rockadanny
1,226 posts
 
Addendum - In place of following the "tune", I do prefer jazz which at least follows a groove. I do not enjoy "free jazz", music with no structure at all, when there is nothing to follow.
frogman
7,494 posts
 
As I wrote that comment, there was a voice in my head saying "someone will take you to task for that".

***I respectfully disagree with this statement. I think it is perfectly acceptable to stretch out far beyond the tune, even to completely obliterate it, as long as one does come back to it either on occasion or at the end. Otherwise, I'd hate to listen to My Favorite Things or Surrey With the Fringe on Top - two silly, sappy songs otherwise IMO. It is the stretch beyond the tune which often defines jazz for me. It gets me excited and grips my interest, hearing how inventive players can be with ANY old tune. In no other genre does this occur. That, to me, is what makes jazz so special and transcends all other music genres***

I can't disagree with your comment. And, I admit, my comment was overly simplistic. To clarify: When I said "can one still follow the tune", I don't mean the actual melody, but the rhythmic and/or harmonic shape of it.

A great improviser has the abiity to, in the context of an improvised solo, keep making subtle, and not so subtle references to the original tune/harmony so that the listener's ear/brain can clearly "follow" the tune. Even Coltrane's "My Favorite Things", or better yet, in a tune with more difficult harmonic progression like the classic "Giant Steps", there is always a sense that the imrovisation is grounded to a foundation (the original). Some players lose this focus when they stretch out, and it gets dangerously close to simple musical meandering. Sonny Rollins is another great example. Not too many players have the courage to play without a piano to provide the harmonic underpinnings. Their innate sense of harmony and structure is so strong that they can do without it. I guess what I am saying is that, for me, Jarrett loses that focus sometimes. Obviously, he is a great talent, and is being compared to the very best; but...
rockadanny
1,226 posts
 
Frogman, after clarification I agree with your comments completely. For me also it is not good when a musician loses focus. Once they wander into naval gazing noodlery or simply just get lost, they lose my attention completely and I'll avoid that track from then on. I've heard it from other musicians but have not yet noticed it from KJ. Though I've not heard as much of his catalogue as I'd like.
edorr
714 posts
 
Let me offer a different perspective. Over 10 years ago I was reading the CD liner notes of a recording of one my favorite musical discoveries of the last decade (Anouar Brahem). Brahem mentions his discovery of Keith Jarrett and hearing a distinct "Andalusian" quality in his modal improvisational music. Note that Anouar Brahem is a Tunesian Oud player, with arabic musical roots.

This struck a cord with me - the similaries between Jarrett and Brahem to me is this melancholic quality (call is "andalusian" if you like), expressed not some much by the notes themselves but by the space between the notes, always leaving you yearning for the climax, that never quite arrives, but keeps you on edge (musical Tantra?). To me the Koln Concert is the epitomy of this emotion, but the last 7 minutes of the title track on "personal mountains" is also a prime example.

Interestingly, I recently discovered an obscure Japanese piano player (Masabumi Kikuchi), that conveys much the same emotion. Try his "Tethered Moon: First Meeting". Brilliant stuff.
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