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Various
- As Long As your Living Yours - The Music Of Keith Jarrett -
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BMG Classics - I've
often thought of Keith Jarrett as a mood maker for the lonely. The way he gently
flirts with melody on his solo piano albums with his magical sense of introspection
gives me this wish to be left alone. To not need more than from the outside world
other than privacy to just listen. His is not the music for a cocktail party,
it's too good for that, it's simply takes you away from conversation and makes
you stare at your speakers in awe ! His biggest success 1975's 'Koln Concert'
was a masterpiece beyond anything before it, the album featured a tired road weary
Jarrett who was playing a piano he didn't' like and yet the result was arguable
the best improvised piano album of all time. I know friends who hate Jazz yet
would consider 'Koln' a 'desert island' CD. I once played the album to impress
a date in high school only to have her pay more attention to Keith than to me!
He first tackled the piano when he was 3 and hisparents
easily noticed he was not the normal kid stumbling on the keys, he had perfect
pitch and was writing original pieces within a year. In his teens he segued from
playing classical to Jazz and not only on piano, this kid could play drums, guitar
and sax. Miles Davis who was well know for discovering the young Jazz hot shots
insisted that his band study Jarrett by checking out as many of his shows as possible.
Jarrett eventually joined the band. Interestingly the Jazz-God praise he receives
is usually reserved for the Dead guys in the genre. Though suffering from chronic
fatigue syndrome Keith Jarrett is very much alive. He's dedicated a lot of his
life playing the standards in both Jazz and classical music this album is an ode
to his original compositions done by the current crop of jazz greats. Bruce
Hornsby another great piano improvisation master opens this set with a bouncy
joyful version of 'Backhand' featuring a little scat from Theodore "Bo"
Dollis. John Scofield serves up a dreamy landscape on "Coral' an effortlessly
lazy little ditty. The albums best moment comes from Violinist Nadja Saerno-Sonnenberg
with Bob James on piano representing Jarrett's Classical persona with 'Book Of
Way # 9' a gentle hopeful piece filled with wonder. If you really want to get
acquainted with Keith Jarrett buy Koln Concert if you have them all and want more
this superb tribute is well worth a listen. - By John Beaudin Oct 2000
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parents
easily noticed he was not the normal kid stumbling on the keys, he had perfect
pitch and was writing original pieces within a year. In his teens he segued from
playing classical to Jazz and not only on piano, this kid could play drums, guitar
and sax. Miles Davis who was well know for discovering the young Jazz hot shots
insisted that his band study Jarrett by checking out as many of his shows as possible.
Jarrett eventually joined the band. Interestingly the Jazz-God praise he receives
is usually reserved for the Dead guys in the genre. Though suffering from chronic
fatigue syndrome Keith Jarrett is very much alive. He's dedicated a lot of his
life playing the standards in both Jazz and classical music this album is an ode
to his original compositions done by the current crop of jazz greats. 
