What Jazz are you listening to now?

[AnotherSpin]

Eyes of the Heart is an unusual one in that, if my memory serves me correctly, only contains one piece that is actually played by the group. I remember this particular album was a bit tough to track down initially, because I wasn't looking to buy it new, but used. When I found it, it was an enjoyable listen, but I wasn't completely sold by the music. There's also Mysteries, which is another album I enjoyed (the best I can recall).

Spirits is another one I find rather enchanting, but this is a solo album with Jarrett playing all of the instruments and doing overdubs (in his home studio with post-processing done by ECM). This album (a 2-CD set) has some gorgeous moments on it.

The original double LP album of Eyes of the Heart contained composition Eyes of the Heart on sides A (part 1) and B (part 2) and Encore on the side C. The side D was silent, although the track was cut, and lasted about 18 minutes. The CD edition contains the Eyes of the Heart parts 1 and 2 and Encore. Band plays everywhere.

[SimonNZ]

Another reaquired Jarrett.

This struck me as much more interesting when it came out, being an unexpected direction. Now, I'm sorry to report, it seems merely nice.

Plus, by the end I was thinking "oh, so you can stop yourself from vocalizing for a whole album".

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Ok, my fav Jarrett.

[Le Buisson Ardent]

What mark? Are Evans, Byard or Iyer supposed to be some artistic plateau for piano players? When I said no one will be able to touch him I meant, like any gifted musician who develops their craft to the point of mastery, that his artistry will be unassailable in its particular expression. Cohen will be Cohen. Not Monk-esque or Powell-like or an Evans follow up. For a pianist (or any musician , for that matter) to accomplish that kind of distinctive voice is quite a feat. I hope he gets there.

Okay, well, you didn't make that clear. When you said, "nobody will be able to touch him" implies, to me, that he will somehow be above or better than the afore-mentioned pianists (and not to mention the ones I didn't mention which would be an enormous list!), which I would strongly disagree with. But now that I understand what you actually meant, I would say he should hope to develop his own style in an original and unique way. I haven't heard too many pianists working today that can bridge accessibility with abstraction quite like the past masters. But that's a topic I'm not going to get into here (nor anywhere else), so I'll just leave it there.

[Le Buisson Ardent]

The original double LP album of Eyes of the Heart contained composition Eyes of the Heart on sides A (part 1) and B (part 2) and Encore on the side C. The side D was silent, although the track was cut, and lasted about 18 minutes. The CD edition contains the Eyes of the Heart parts 1 and 2 and Encore. Band plays everywhere.

From start to finish? I'll have to revisit this recording and give my thoughts about it.

[San Antone]

What mark? Are Evans, Byard or Iyer supposed to be some artistic plateau for piano players? When I said no one will be able to touch him I meant, like any gifted musician who develops their craft to the point of mastery, that his artistry will be unassailable in its particular expression. Cohen will be Cohen. Not Monk-esque or Powell-like or an Evans follow up. For a pianist (or any musician , for that matter) to accomplish that kind of distinctive voice is quite a feat. I hope he gets there.

I am impressed from what I've heard.  What I like is his obvious respect and knowledge of the tradition that is in evidence in his series of albums, Masters Legacy. I join you in hoping he stays the course and develops his voice more fully.

[Le Buisson Ardent]

Another reaquired Jarrett.

This struck me as much more interesting when it came out, being an unexpected direction. Now, I'm sorry to report, it seems merely nice.

Plus, by the end I was thinking "oh, so you can stop yourself from vocalizing for a whole album".

The Melody At Night, With You is his first album after dealing with chronic fatigue syndrome. I think it's an 'okay' album, but pales in comparison with his earlier solo piano work like couple of years prior albums: Vienna Concert and Paris Concert, which, for me, were really the last two solo piano albums that caught my ear. This said, the Sun Bear Concerts and Solo Concerts: Bremen/Lausanne are my favorite recordings of his solo piano improvisations. I do like The Köln Concert, too, but less so than the afore-mentioned albums.

Also, Jarrett's vocalizing doesn't bother me. He mentioned before that it's almost like a pressure-release valve in which he's completely in-the-moment and surrenders himself to the music. Some musicians deal with this in different ways. If you may recall Bud Powell was quite vocal during his improvisations, but I've heard Monk many times, too. I'm sure there are others.

[Le Buisson Ardent]

NP:

Keith Jarrett: Rio (Disc 1)



Not my kind of improvisation as this is more knotty, but this album, for me, gets better as it goes along. It's been awhile since I've listened to any of this music.

[SimonNZ]

Also, Jarrett's vocalizing doesn't bother me. He mentioned before that it's almost like a pressure-release valve in which he's completely in-the-moment and surrenders himself to the music. Some musicians deal with this in different ways. If you may recall Bud Powell was quite vocal during his improvisations, but I've heard Monk many times, too. I'm sure there are others.

I'm less bothered by it in solo settings, but in groups it seems very disrespectful of the other musicians, whose work he is hooting over completely unrestrained, in a whole different category of disregard to what some other mumblers do. I always feel like Gary and Jack must be on the verge of throwing stuff at him at times.

And then there's the hypocrisy of stopping the concert if the audience does so much as cough, let alone whoop with delight.

[Le Buisson Ardent]

I'm less bothered by it in solo settings, but in groups it seems very disrespectful of the other musicians, whose work he is hooting over completely unrestrained, in a whole different category of disregard to what some other mumblers do. I always feel like Gary and Jack must be on the verge of throwing stuff at him at times.

And then there's the hypocrisy of stopping the concert if the audience does so much as cough, let alone whoop with delight.

If Peacock or DeJohnette were offended or felt it was disrespectful, I doubt they would've continued their decades long partnership with Jarrett. As I wrote, it doesn't bother me and Jarrett is hardly the only pianist that has vocalized while performing. Jarrett is one of my musical heroes, but like all heroes, he has his flaws and unfortunate quirks, but I'm able to put this by the wayside, because I love his playing and overall approach. I mean if you want get into people who have disrespected their audience, you need to talk about Miles Davis who performed with his back to the audience and this is hugely disrespectful, is it not? This, of course, isn't the only problem with Miles. But all of this doesn't matter, I love the man's playing and music and the same applies to Jarrett.

[SimonNZ]

Playing now:



Itamar Borochov - Arba (2023)

[Le Buisson Ardent]

NP:

Miles Davis: Bitches Brew (Disc 2)





This is the oldest CD issue of Bitches Brew I have in my collection. It's a warmer remastering, but it's a little on the muddy side. My go-to CD issue of this album is the 2018 Japan hybrid SACD, which looks like this:



Anyway, not much needs to be said about the music. It's a groundbreaking album and one of Miles' most successful in terms of lasting influence, but also sales. I think this album sold over a million copies when it was first released in 1970.

[Le Buisson Ardent]

NP:

Miles Davis: Ascenseur pour l'échafaud [Disc 1]

[AnotherSpin]

From start to finish? I'll have to revisit this recording and give my thoughts about it.

That's correct, it is a band recording.

[Le Buisson Ardent]

That's correct, it is a band recording.

I revisited this recording tonight and thought it was 'okay'. I found the music to be directionless (not in a good way) and confused as to what it wants to be. Anyway, bottom-tier Jarrett, IMHO.

[AnotherSpin]

If Peacock or DeJohnette were offended or felt it was disrespectful, I doubt they would've continued their decades long partnership with Jarrett. As I wrote, it doesn't bother me and Jarrett is hardly the only pianist that has vocalized while performing. Jarrett is one of my musical heroes, but like all heroes, he has his flaws and unfortunate quirks, but I'm able to put this by the wayside, because I love his playing and overall approach. I mean if you want get into people who have disrespected their audience, you need to talk about Miles Davis who performed with his back to the audience and this is hugely disrespectful, is it not? This, of course, isn't the only problem with Miles. But all of this doesn't matter, I love the man's playing and music and the same applies to Jarrett.

Agreed. There's nothing complicated about it. Those who don't like Jarrett have been bringing up the topic of his vocalising for decades. Those who like Jarrett don't pay attention.

[AnotherSpin]

I revisited this recording tonight and thought it was 'okay'. Bottom-tier Jarrett for me.

The impression of this double LP was very strong when it first came out. I think I got it in my hands at the same time as Survivors' Suite and I had a solid impression of this period of the American Quartet. The recordings of the line-up on ECM seemed more significant to me than their output on Impulse.

[AnotherSpin]

NP:

Miles Davis: Bitches Brew (Disc 2)





This is the oldest CD issue of Bitches Brew I have in my collection. It's a warmer remastering, but it's a little on the muddy side. My go-to CD issue of this album is the 2018 Japan hybrid SACD, which looks like this:



Anyway, not much needs to be said about the music. It's a groundbreaking album and one of Miles' most successful in terms of lasting influence, but also sales. I think this album sold over a million copies when it was first released in 1970.

It's a very good album. I also always liked Get Up with It - on vinyl, the CD editions had very mediocre sound quality. He Loved Him Madly from this album is probably the best electric Miles composition for me ever.

[AnotherSpin]

I missed Emmet Cohen when the great Ron Carter joined his trio a few weeks back at Birdland. Heard the entire run of shows sold out. I love Cohen's playing, particularly the way he quotes cats from Fats to Oscar Peterson to Monk. Though his mind's a sponge his whimsical style has yet to congeal, imo. If he's still around in about 15 years no one will be able to touch him.  Here he is with an earlier iteration of the trio in May of this year with Philip Norris on bass and Lyle Poole on drums, Victor's Places, Berlin.

That's a pretty outlandish statement.

[SimonNZ]

Agreed. There's nothing complicated about it. Those who don't like Jarrett have been bringing up the topic of his vocalising for decades. Those who like Jarrett don't pay attention.

Well thats clearly untrue, as I'm
currenyly reaquiring his albums having owned them all at one point or another in the past.