Top Ten Keith Jarrett

Gordon B · June-17th-2003, 08:02 PM

1. Survivors' Suite
2. Personal Mountains
3. My Song
4. Vienna Concert
5. Belonging
6. Facing You
7. Mysteries
8. Changeless
9. Deer Head Inn
10. Bop Be

Brian Olewnick · June-18th-2003, 10:45 AM

Hmmm...I only own 14 Jarrett albums and, aside from someone giving me Deer Head Inn a few years ago, the most recently recorded one is the Gurdjieff solo recording, but of what I have, these are my "top ten" (bear in mind these are as originally issued, not repackaged):

Death and the Flower
Survivor's Suite
Mysteries
Facing You
Fort Yawuh
Expectations (though 'Common Mama' may be my single fave KJ work)
Backhand
Ruta + Daitya (with DeJohnette)
Treasure Island
Arbour Zena

*should also mention that, aside from Facing You, I've long since tossed those other "classic" solo records, Bremen/Lausanne and Koln....

walto · June-18th-2003, 11:33 AM

FWIW, my favorite recorded Jarrett performance is on Miles's "Live at the Fillmore East." But I've only heard about 10 recordings.

Pete C · June-18th-2003, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Brian Olewnick
*should also mention that, aside from Facing You, I've long since tossed those other "classic" solo records, Bremen/Lausanne and Koln....

Wise move. Vienna Concert, however, is a whole nother animal.

I'm very find of Always Let Me Go (and unimpressed by Inside Out). Deer Head is great, but the vocals are too well recorded. The latest one ranks with the best of the trio, and the box from the Blue Note is damn good.

Tanager · June-18th-2003, 04:46 PM

I don't have enough of pre-Trio Jarrett, but I eye Expectations every time I pass it in the store.

I liked Inside Out a lot, but there are certainly other Jarrett disks which might be a little ahead of it for me. Having said that, I don't think I know his catalog nearly well enough to pick out more than three of four disks that "stand above" the others.

Brian Olewnick · June-18th-2003, 06:31 PM

T-Bird, Expectations, while maybe a little uneven, has some super pieces on it. In addition to the above-mentioned "Common Mama" (which has one of the most infectious Latin grooves I've ever heard) there are a couple of Jarrett's really nice, Ornette-style compositions. Plus it has Redman, Haden and Motian. I'm only annoyed that Columbia issued it on two, full-priced discs instead of putting its 77 minutes into a single one.

Tanager · June-18th-2003, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Brian Olewnick
I'm only annoyed that Columbia issued it on two, full-priced discs instead of putting its 77 minutes into a single one.

Yeah, that blows bigass chunks. But I'm really thinking of buying it soon. Maybe as soon as I get back from my biz trip (leave tomorrow).

What's your opinion of the Impulse! sides?

T-bird...I like that.

Brian Olewnick · June-18th-2003, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Tanager

What's your opinion of the Impulse! sides?

Well, I think that band, with Redman, Haden and Motian, was the best Jarrett ever had, so yeah, I think they're pretty excellent. I've never gotten around to getting the discafied versions (no need to, really) so I'm not sure how they're bunched together these days, but whatever sets have the tracks from 'Death and the Flower' and 'Mysteries' are well worth it.

I remember, btw, when these things were originally issued--it was weird, they kept releasing albums recorded at the exact same sessions for a couple of years.

frankpop1 · June-21st-2003, 09:31 AM

i am rarely at total odds with ole on jarrett. and i am rite and ole's wrong. the jarrett's 4tets with redman miss. problem really is jarrett's playing here. ole hates the solos, but i suggest

by some great pre-trio jarret

Solo Concerts: Bremen and Lausanne [live]

Pete C · June-21st-2003, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by frankpop1
i am rarely at total odds with ole on jarrett.

In other words you usually agree with Brian regarding Jarrett?

Tanager · June-21st-2003, 11:04 AM

Well, FWIW, I haven't liked that much of Jarrett's solo playing - just not my cup of tea, I suppose, especially next to his trio sides. I fully intend to pick up some of the 5tet work as soon as I get back stateside.

Brian Olewnick · June-21st-2003, 11:36 AM

I was big into the solo things when they first appeared. Somewhere around the mid 80s, I became increasingly tired of them though, except for 'Facing You' which, as I hear it today, hits a genuine romantic note without descending into bathos. It's also much more focussed than the first two live solo recordings. I can understand the appeal of the searching nature of the latter but there's something about them that makes it hard for me to "hear" in recent years, probably some combination of preciousness and pomposity.

Pete C · June-21st-2003, 11:49 AM

I can understand how the pomposity of some of the solo concerts can have a certain appeal for certain people.

lazarus · July-6th-2003, 01:59 PM

At The Blue Note
Expectations
Facing You
Belonging
Survivors' Suite
Always Let Me Go
Fort Yawuh
Shades
Changes
Mysteries

and of course his Fender Rhodes on Miles Live-Evil

Tanager · July-16th-2003, 01:30 PM

Thanks Ollie for the Expectations rec. Listening now and digging it.