Another underrated album by an underrated group, composed of not-so-underrated players. By this point, Keith Jarrett has become a true legend of jazz piano, especially in his 1970's European Quartet with Jan Garbarek and his ubiquitous Standards Trio with Jack DeJohnette and the late Gary Peacock. However, he also recorded often with his American Quartet with saxophonist Dewey Redman, of which this trio was the rhythm section. Jarrett's work with Charlie Haden and Paul Motian doesn't get nearly as much attention as the rest of his music, but it is often clear why; as seen from the personnel listing above, Jarrett used this group (as a trio or quartet) as a way to try different things. It's not widely known that early in his career, alongside piano, Jarrett also played soprano saxophone. I've heard mixed feelings about his soprano playing, but I personally think it's great. He clearly knows what he's doing, even if it isn't his first instrument. I guess he quit to focus more on piano, and deservedly so.
The unit of Keith Jarrett, Charlie Haden, and Paul Motian is another underrated trio that is fortunately starting to gain more recognition. Bassist Charlie Haden was known for his groundbreaking work with the Ornette Coleman quartet. Since Coleman's music did not rely on prewritten harmonies, Haden listened to the soloist in order to truly accompany in the moment, rather than simply walking a bassline. This made him an ideal choice for Jarrett's early trio, which often not only abandoned chord changes, like Coleman's group, but also abandoned strict time. Jarrett also often utilized Haden's magnificent tone, emphasized by a beautifully understated method of soloing. Jarrett found a similarly understated drummer in Paul Motian; while he is best known for a five-year stint with pianist Bill Evans, he spent eleven years with Jarrett. It was with Jarrett that Motian displayed his full capabilities, from the most delicate balladry to the most powerful free-time thrashing. Behind it all, though, is the true weight in everything he played. Haden and Motian in particular would prove a solid rhythm team for many other musicians, from pianists Paul Bley and Geri Allen to Haden's own Liberation Music Orchestra.
Compared to Jarrett's debut recording (also with Haden and Motian), Life Between the Exit Signs, this record is much more of a sprawling mess (albeit a glorious one), and this is made clear from the first track, Follow the Crooked Path. From the very brief opening theme, all the layers on this track are held together by a very loose thread. Jarrett's piano is cacophonous, dense, and borderline unlistenable, yet it's hard not to be sucked in. His trademark vocalizing is heard in large, loud helpings as he gives the keyboard a thrashing. A unique effect is provided by some banging steel drums (probably by Motian) superimposed over the piano solo. Once Jarrett is through, the last half of the track centers on Haden's bass solo alongside more cacophonous steel drums. The track ends with a nice bit of Jarrett's soprano sax.
As a complete contrast, Interlude No. 3 features some beautiful, quiet solo work from Jarrett. It's a rather astounding look at just how much Jarrett's playing had matured in five years; it's completely serious and full of emotional depth, yet more relaxing than commanding. It also works as a breather from the clustered nature of the opening. Interlude No. 1, on the other hand, starts very amateurishly with Jarrett on recorder and Motian on steel drums. Both sound like they have no idea what they're doing, until Haden glues them together with some bowed bass in the upper register. The proceedings reach a quick climax when Jarrett holds a note and sings through the recorder simultaneously, creating a powerful, almost spiritual effect. Interlude No. 2 is honestly hilarious to me in a very playful way. We hear more of Jarrett's recorder, albeit experimenting more with noise than anything else. While Jarrett's lines are rising, Haden provides the icing on the cake with some crazy sliding sounds in the opposite direction.
Despite Jarrett's early love of more avant-garde playing, he also shines on pieces with a bright gospel flavor; here, it's Standing Outside, a joyful romp featuring Motian on congas. This piece shows without a doubt that happiness and joy is not below an artist as Keith Jarrett; this piece is full of depth and emotion, but not in a pretentious or "academic" way. To me, the piece evokes earth-tone watercolor paintings, like the ones used as backgrounds in Peanuts specials. In that way, it is very nostalgic for me. Like the last album I reviewed, Sing Me Softly of the Blues, this was recorded at Atlantic, so I get to enjoy more nostalgically recorded piano that evokes Vince Guaraldi. Here, however, the similarity to Guaraldi's actual music is more upfront, with a simplicity and driving energy that evokes a playground on a cloudy autumn afternoon.The same can be said for the only cover of the set, Joni Mitchell's All I Want. The Guaraldi-esque vibe is given a unique effect with bits of overdubbed recorder, furthering the emotional drive of the song. It's brief, but it does a good job at introducing Side 2 of the record. It's also worth mentioning that Joni Mitchell's music is a perfect match for someone like Jarrett, who often reveals part of his playing akin to a folk musician such as Mitchell. It's his work on pieces like Standing Outside, All I Want and others that heavily influenced modern musicians such as Jacob Collier. Both songs are enhanced for me by listening on vinyl, and both are highlights.
Trust combines a gospel-esque melody next to more open avant-garde tendencies, with fluid transitions between the two. The title fittingly describes the tremendous rapport and friendship between the three men after playing together for five years. Jarrett's flights of fancy are accompanied beautifully by Haden and Motian, which is often hard to notice behind the mad plights of piano (and often just Jarrett screaming). The accompaniment does become more present when Jarrett switches from long single-note runs to more powerful block chords. On the whole, though, this is one of the weaker tracks because it didn't really keep my attention the whole time.
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| They took their each other's photos! (except Paul's for whatever reason) |
The closing track, Sympathy, works as a foil to Trust, which closes Side 1. The track features a lengthy solo introduction by Jarrett, which despite its brevity and energy, is ultimately more beautiful than anything else. A perfect showcase of a master pianist. When Haden and Motian enter, the mood is enhanced by the two rather than sacrificed; in particular, Motian's beautiful brush and cymbal work is heavily featured. The whole thing captures the vibe of ballads played by Bill Evans when Motian was in the band, but adds a layer of mystery rather than simply imitating the sound. The only curiosity is the abrupt ending, which actually works considerably well; the track as a whole works better than its companion, Trust.
Everything That Lives Laments is another piece of astounding depth. The theme, brief and beautiful, is played by Jarrett on piano, but the real feature is Haden's heart-wrenching bass solo. Haden always had a gift of stark simplicity, and here his playing is crystalized in terms of content, but much darker in timbre. I resent that on my vinyl copy, the record skips right as Jarrett plays the last chord of the theme, which kind of ruins it, but that's only a minor complaint. An absolutely beautiful and emotional gem.
Ornette Coleman, mentioned earlier, generated controversy by incorporating the trumpet and violin into his performances; he was not trained in either instrument, and his violin playing especially is very difficult to listen to. However, that's not the issue with Jarrett's soprano sax playing. As unconventional as he might sound, he at least knows his way all around the instrument and has a very sinewy, piercingly beautiful tone. His soprano is showcased here on Traces of You, in which Motian supplies some of his best, spaciest playing on the album. Jarrett is no slouch; above all else, he shows true intention and thought with every note he plays. Not to mention, we get to hear Haden in his element as a true accompanist, much like his role in the Ornette Coleman group. His solo is also very thoughtful, with tons of weight coming from the simplest of melodic material. Overall, this track is a highlight for me.
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| Jarrett playing soprano sax. |
Probably the biggest highlight is the title track; it's the longest at over nine minutes, but for almost that long it sustains the bright gospel feel of the other two such tracks. As another Jarrett composition, it reflects the rhythms and harmonic palate of artists like Joni Mitchell and the Beatles. While a perfect showcase for Jarrett the gospel player, it also works quite well in showcasing Haden's rock-solid accompaniment and Motian's brilliant drum landscapes. Around the three-minute mark, Jarrett momentarily drops out to cue a vamp for the rest of the track. From that point on, it's just a lot of fun to hear the band go from creating suspense to letting Jarrett fly loose on a more abstract improvised path. No matter how far Jarrett or anyone else goes, however, the groove always neatly glues everything together beautifully. What's particularly special about this track is that, being the title track, it perfectly sums up what the album is about: having a good time and mixing things up a little bit.
Track listing:
Further reading:
Sam Newsome on Keith Jarrett's soprano playing
An extensive history on Keith Jarrett's trio with Charlie Haden and Paul Motian
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