![]() ![]() On top of that is a thinner recording quality, and it’s the one European quartet album where Jarrett’s piano vocalizations are noticeable and distracting.Īll that being said, the brave listener will still find some strong parts, like the funky groove of “Chant of the Soil” – the way Danielsson and Christensen twist that beat around is sick. It’s like Fort Yawuh in that a lot of chances are taken with mixed results. If these new tunes were intended to place the quartet in new pastures, Jarrett does the most running around, while his bandmates trot behind, or in Garbarek’s case, mostly watch from a distance. He leaps from the piano to add percussion, prompts at least ten unnecessary minutes of the endless “Oasis”, and goes completely overboard with a melodramatic piano vamp in “Processional”. Here, Jarrett instigates a lot of indulgence. This rather messy two-disc live set from the Village Vanguard takes a step backward from the refined studio records, where not a note was wasted. Not counting “Mandala”, I think it lacks tension, but you don’t have to go far into Jarrett’s past or future to get a fix of that. My Song is a lyrical album, occasionally profound, and very consistent. “Mandala” attempts to mimic the free-form style of the American quartet it’s a little forced, perhaps, but the snaky melody is great and the album needed a shake-up of this sort.Īll comes together in “The Journey Home”, which pines, dances, and muses in three parts. Garbarek plays gracefully on this tune as well. “Questar” contains an exceptional piano solo, whose frictionless lines preview Keith’s future standards trio. Belonging is good, too, it just feels a little boxed in.) You can’t really blame Jarrett for setting smooth jazz in motion with such consonant ditties as “My Song” and “Country”, even though they have a sweet face value.īetter are the mysterious auras of “Questar” and “Tabarka”, the latter nodding to third world folk. But generally speaking, the ECM honchos do pay more attention to ambience and detail than the norm. I have no idea what the engineers were trying to do to Dave Holland’s drummers in the 1980s, for example. Some of the label’s records sound much better than others. (By the way, even though I’ve probably used the phrase elsewhere, I don’t hold “the ECM sound” as a constant. From the hip comping in “Spiral Dance” to the joyousness of “The Windup”, Jarrett’s enthusiasm is irresistible.Įven though I prefer Belonging, I’d say My Song has certain superiorities: the band is more unified, the solos are generous and superb, and the recording exemplifies ECM at its best. In the end, along with the compositions, the piano really makes the record as enjoyable as it is. His sound is steely cold, but he can come down to earth in his tougher phrases. I find Garbarek intriguing and bit puzzling, even after years of exposure. He’s very supportive of Jan Garbarek, whose icy sax tones, in turn, sound like a spiritual extension of Jarrett. Jarrett sounds completely at home with this group. The only improv in “Spiral Dance” is Palle Danielsson’s bass solo, but the track is more about groove than soloing. “The Windup” is an ebullient hoedown with partly unaccompanied solos, and the taut “Spiral Dance” features what might be my favorite Jarrett melody ever. ![]() “Solstice” is geared to the players’ pensive romanticism and develops a heavenly vamp at the end. The six compositions feature Jarrett’s knack for gospelized grooves (“Long as You Know You’re Living Yours”) along with a new lyrical realm (“Blossom”, “Belonging”). ![]() This is one of the most accessible and just plain fun albums in the KJ catalog. ![]() Not that the history books or politicians make much mention of it. Considering all the compositions Jarrett wrote for both groups, it cements him as one of the most creative jazz artists of the 1970s, all without playing a lick of fusion. Their first album Belonging was recorded in the heyday of the American quartet, but they only became a working unit after the Americans had dissembled. Common to both groups was Jarrett’s brilliant writing and a few free and ethnic tangents. Also known as the Scandinavian quartet, Jarrett’s alliance with Jan Garbarek (tenor and soprano sax), Palle Danielsson (bass), and Jon Christensen (drums) stood in smooth contrast to the American quartet’s restlessness. ![]()
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