COMPOSERS: Keith Jarret
LABELS: ECM
PERFORMER: Keith Jarrett (piano), Gary Peacock (bass), Jack DeJohnette (drums)
CATALOGUE NO: ECM 173 7344
ECM is embarking on a reissue programme, re-presenting notable albums from its back catalogue; this is the first and it’s an ideal choice.
These recordings first appeared on the cusp of the vinyl-to-CD transition, so at an attractive price for an elegant boxed set this could prove to be the final incentive for anyone who has resisted replacing old vinyls, although it’s arguable that any fan who had missed these discs must have been living under a rock for the past 25 years.
The approach of this trio (interpreting standards as a ‘tribal language’ within jazz, as the booklet describes it) has almost become a sub-genre of the music in its own right, yet the sheer musical ingenuity of these interpretations has never been equalled. The discs have been remastered to excellent effect, too. Unmissable.