Got a copy of Keith Jarrett Trio's "Whisper Not", which caused me to go back and listen to another recent purchase more closely, Brad Mehldau's "Places". If piano trio is your thing, you owe it to yourself to give these a listen.

I am new to the piano trio format and its easy to be daunted by the Keith Jarrett back catalogue. He has over 50 recordings to his name, including a 20-LP collection of improvised recordings called "The Sun Bear Concerts", which doesn't sound like beginner's territory! So, where to begin? I don't know, but dove in with last years "The Melody at Night with You", expressive laid-back improvisions of familiar standards, Beautiful music - the soundrack to watching the sun go down over the ocean with someone you love.

"Whisper Not", a live double CD recorded last year in Paris, is quite different, again the repertoire is standards recorded with long time associates Gary Peacock and Jack DeJohnette. The energy levels are cranked way up here, great to hear as KJ was laid low with CFS for a long time. The trio rocks, the jam on "What is This Thing Called Love" is edge of the seat stuff. Other standards covered include "Round midnight" and "Prelude to a Kiss". During the latter you forget you are listening to a live recording and your jaw drops when you hear applause.

Technically this a GREAT recording, I have had a chance to listen to it in its entirety on two systems, Naim and Non-Naim, and pace, dynamism, timbre and range of the trio is captured with true fidelity. Quality not far off Patricia Barber's "Companion" which for my taste is a benchmark live recording.

One note of caution, Keith Jarrett had a tendency to vocalise while playing which some people could find annoying. Frankly I found it unobtrusive and if anything it adds to the atmosphere and dynamism of the live recording.

While I have less to say about it, Brad Mehldau's "Places" is no less impressive a recording. Mehldau, still in his twenties I believe, is on his sixth CD, this being the second of all original compositions, 12 songs inspired by cities, or more accurately places. One track called "Airport Sadness" captures that unique emotion well. LA, Paris, Amsterdam, Madrid and West Hartford (?) all get the piano portrait. Mehldau is not shy about drawing classical and popular influences into his work (he covers Nick Drake's "River Man" and Radiohead's "Exit Music for a Film" in his live show - Ref. "The Art of The Trio Volume Three) and he is at his very best here.

I hope some of you enjoy these as much as I do. I'd be grateful also to hear of other new music in this format as I am new to it, apart from the names above and Bill Evans.

Cheers - Dave.

Dave, I have both these albums and they're fantastic. In fact, I have almost every record by both Jarrett and Mehldau, two of my most favorite pianists.

The Jarrett really delights me because although I have every album of his trio, I don't recall one so saturated with be-bop and Ellington, a refreshing perspective. He's recorded be-bop and Ellington before, but usually one or three selections among mostly American Songbook standards. This album nearly reverses the ratio.

By the way, not to presume to put myself in the same class as Jarrett or Mehldau, but if you like their work I think you might really enjoy my new piano trio release on Naim Audio, Dreamhouse, which features my own compositions and one standard.

I am a very big Jarrett fan. Try his Solo-Concerts Bremen & Lausanne, Expectations and The Impulse Years 1973-74. The first is solo piano which I have heard over a thousand times which is very interesting, the more I listened the more I understood it. The other CD's he plays in the group format.

I also purchased his whisper not and immdediately loved it.

John

I love all of Jarrett's work. I think the Live at the Blue Note set is the high point of his trio recordings. Every track on each of the 6 discs is sublime.

In the solo recordings, the Sun Bear concerts is not as daunting as it may first appear. About a year ago I picked up this set on LP in mint condition, and I'm still hearing new things in it every time I play it. For the solo concerts, however, the Koln Concert has got to be the place to start. La Scala is also one of the great performances.

Ross

i bought sun bear on cd, played it, now only play Sapporo. SUn BEar has 6 or so cds, and each is named after a japanese city(concert?).

the set is worth it just for the 3 monochrome photos of an old man sweeping the street. 3 ZEN strokes.

i must also second the blue note sessions, my favourite is track #1 of cd 5(?), 'on green dolphin street'....wonderful, about 10 minutes thru the trio reaches boiling point and simmers into a calypso like thing....WAAAAH! this track actually is a strange one, it sounded much better on a CDX and lost some of its sublimeness with an XPS added.

enjoy

shahreza

It is exciting when one finds music that is so special. Like many other Forum contributors, I am a huge fan. Live in Tokyo hasn't yet been mentioned. As Ross mentions, of the solo recordings, the Koln concert and La Scala are essential.

Two years ago I attended their concert at the Masonic Hall in San Francisco. Absolutely amazing.

Stewart

i havnet yet picked up the new paris recording, but hmv didnt have it today.

the new cd was reviewed in the current stereophile, and given two thumbs up. they actually go on so far as to say this trio, having been together for (20? years) is the best, surpassing the (mostly shorter lived) trios of bill evans, oscar peterson, art tatum,etc. there were platitudes aplenty, gary peacock's minimalist zen lines, saying most with least and the only major solo he has, he had the least to say. ie. constistency always, rather than flashes. dejohnette "never solos, but always solos", ie. again consistency. just like the band, sticking together

the most amazing thing about this trio for me, is how their sound is recognizable. just like coltrane, miles etc., you know without having to hear an entire track, this is the Keith JArett standards trio.

did buy david murray octet play's trane today. but just played the first track this afternoon and had to turn it off, it was too hot jazz for nursing a hangover!

but the liner notes mentioned how murray thinks when a musician is 35 years old or so, he should get his own sound. so jarett and co. at 50, have arrived!

cheers
shahreza

David:

If you wish to continue to explore the piano trio idiom you MUST explore the work of Bill Evans. Bill Evans was one of the piano players on some of the tracks on the wonderful Kind of Blue album by Miles Davis . He was top of his craft and influenced an entire generation of piano players including Keith Jarrett.

His best recordings are some of the finest examples of this genre and in the history of jazz. I would highly recommend his Village Vanguard sessions (my favorite). The music is simply sublime.

Regarding Keith Jarrett, I too have had the pleasure and privilage of hearing him live - twice in a trio setting and once as a solo performance. In the solo performance he seemed to cast a spell on the audience - it was as though he carried us away to another place and time. He finally received about six standing ovations and landed up playing for over four hours as I recall. The concert seemed short!

Nice to see someone discovering this great music!

Mark

Mark Russell

...also Bill Evans At the Montreux Jazz Festival 1968, with Eddie Gomez on bass and Jack DeJohnette on drums is pretty darned good. Nicely remastered on Verve Master Edition series.