Keith Jarrett: The Man and His Music

[Guy Berger]

I just started reading this biography of Jarrett, and it's even more disappointing than Carr's biography of Miles. The book isn't worthless -- the anecdotes from Keith's early life and career are interesting. (For example, Keith's disappointment at not being able to do a gig with Wayne Shorter.) And as far as I can tell, there's information here that isn't available in many other places. Given that, it's a real shame that Carr botched it. My chief complaints thus far:

1) Carr's gushiness, which makes this book more of a hagiography than a biography. I expect any writer to have their biases -- it's inevitable -- but I expect a certain critical objectivity and detachment, as well as a willing to step back and admit, "I'll be honest with you -- these are my biases." Instead, Carr's over-the-top praise of certain recordings makes for poor jazz writing. At one point, he suggests that Keith's playing on Facing You surpasses Art Tatum; when discussing Luminessence, he calls it "virtually without precedent".

2) Numerous factual errors.

3) Carr's choice of primary sources. Now, I don't know whether he was unable to get interviews with Paul Motian, Dewey Redman or Charlie Haden, but I imagine that at the very least he could have gotten Charlie. I'm also disappointed that he didn't get anybody from the Blakey band to talk about Keith's brief tenure with the group, and that the only sources about Keith's tenure with Miles are Keith and Jack. Also, given how much Charles Lloyd is trashed in the book (perhaps fairly, I don't know), it would have been nice to give him a chance to respond.

4) Carr's inability to understand the American band. Given how much he gushes about the solo concerts, European Quartet and orchestral recordings, he seems awfully ambivalent about this group. He spends more time on the anecdote behind Eyes of the Heart than on the group's other music combined. He briefly discusses "Everything that Lives Laments" (from Mysteries), but aside from that doesn't substantively mention any of the other Impulse recordings. (Has he even heard them?)

5) Excessive privileging of Jarrett's relationship with ECM. This ties into (1) and (4).

I guess I recommend this due to the lack of any serious competition. But it seems like a gaping hole and I imagine that some jazz scholar could easily step in and create a far better work.

I'll update this review if anything else comes up to change my mind.

Also, not a complaint about the author, but Keith really missed the boat on Miles's 1969 working band. His loss.

[Dave James]

I think I've said all I have to say about Keith Jarrett. A monumental talent completely wasted by a momumental ego.

Up over and out.

[JohnS]

I'm happy with Jarrett and it's been a while since I read Carr's book but I remember it being a dead loss, everything is "golly it's so great". I don't recall one word of criticism.

[MartyJazz]

I picked it up quite some time ago very cheaply in a used book store, but have never read it. After reading these "sterling" reviews, I'll most probably never pick it up.