Recorded on February 2, 1977
This band is of course the trio that would eventually come to be known as Keith Jarrett's "Standards Trio," since their performances -- after their first couple records -- focused on standards. However, this LP was released under Gary Peacock's name, and all of the compositions are by the bassist.
I've never quite gained a foothold on the "Standards Trio," despite the fact that the musicians are all giants. For this listener, Jarrett's "American Quartet" has always been a much more compelling group.
That said, I think this LP is exceptional.
I get the point about Jarrett's standards trio. The deconstruction and reconstruction of standards is a high art form in jazz, but it's good that Jarrett works original compositions into most of his dozens of records and live performances. I get swept up in the endless re-imaginings of simple songs, but it can get tiring. I have the same issue with Brad Mehldau playing standards.
ReplyDeleteThe "Tales of Another" LP is actually quite different from the usual Jarrett fare. One of the compositions, "Vignette", has been covered by many other pianists, and it is one of my favorite jazz compositions - ever. A great example of a jazz tune that seems so simple yet always reaches the listener on multiple levels. How this works remains a mystery to me and makes the album all the more enjoyable for the mystery.