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Keith Jarrett: Somewhere


CJ Shearn

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Well, I received the disc as a birthday present from friends and they absolutely go there on the title track, it's wonderful. Keith has done "Solar" so many times ("Tribute" is on it's way to me) but this version I really like for the implied swing, and between 2001 and 2009, the trio matured to an even more symbiotic relationship on this album. I understand why John Kelman at AAJ considers this his favorite next to "Still Live", in a single album it truly represents what this group has been about, it distills the standards, ballads, wholly improvised approach all into one place.

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The way I hear it Peacock brings a very different solo voice to the music than Jarrett does, less lyrical and rhapsodic and more cerebral and mathematical if you will,* offering a contrasting style to the mix. In tandem with De Johnette he's able to bring differing degrees of swing and groove, and in fact I think Peacock is central to the uniqueness of the trio, adding a distinctness to it.

*I don't know if I'm explaining what I mean well, but I've been playing bass more than anything the last few years and that is how Peacock's soloing seems to be to me as opposed to an outright swinging or very melodic soloing.

Edited by jazzbo
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i often think of peacock in the tradition of scott lafaro. meaning that what i hear is expert independent as well as interdependent improvisation that weaves in and out of what the trio does in real time with a tone and timber all his own. often what he plays serves as either motivation or guidepost. strangely enough, most of his solo recordings (except for the watershed 'voices' and 'eastward') don't do much for me. in the end, however, if you were to ask what he brings to the music, i'm sure the answer would be the all elusive character of spirit and simpatico for this particular trio.

Edited by etherbored
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Right, etherbored. Peacock offers a contrasting voice, and he does come out of the Lafaro tradition, simultaneous laying down a bottom and being one of three equal voices. The trio comes out of both the Jamal and Evans model, but I find that Gary serves as a strong harmonic and rhythmic guide while Keith and Jack are freely interacting. When they lock into the vamps as on "Somewhere" Peacock completely keeps it grooving, and "Deep Space/Solar" represents a growth in the trio's approach because, Jarrett's more recent use of his left hand for counterpoint is playing a big factor, and he can intergrate the "new" Jarrett with his old approach. On that opening tune I love how they are pretty abstract with referencing the tune, you know it's "Solar" but the interplay is completely free flowing, at first you think Gary will solo, but it naturally opens up into a three way dialogue quite different than how Keith's approached the tune in the past. They never reference the head after the beginning and it resolves itself quite beautifully.

I agree completely with you Lon. To my ear, Peacock's soloing in the group is much more harmonic in nature, it's less about melodic lines (though they are there) and exploring the shapes of the tunes harmonically.

Edited by CJ Shearn
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Well, I received the disc as a birthday present from friends and they absolutely go there on the title track, it's wonderful. Keith has done "Solar" so many times ("Tribute" is on it's way to me) but this version I really like for the implied swing, and between 2001 and 2009, the trio matured to an even more symbiotic relationship on this album. I understand why John Kelman at AAJ considers this his favorite next to "Still Live", in a single album it truly represents what this group has been about, it distills the standards, ballads, wholly improvised approach all into one place.

Appreciate the mini-review, as I've been looking for a way into this group without having to buy several CDs, and this might be the one to start with.

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Thanks for the guidance, guys. My copy of "Somewhere" arrived today, so I'll listen with an ear for Peacock's contribution as well. As I've mentioned before on this board, I often find Peacock low in the mix, almost underrecorded, but it's possible it has something to do with the way he plays the bass.

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he *is* often underrecorded - i agree with you. my two cents: listen to 'somwehere' with as little emotional baggage as possible and be in the moment with it. if it doesn't agree with where your head is at when you first listen, give it several more with good intervals of time in between each listen. i wish i had a dollar for every recording i couldn't stand on first listen only to understand it after time and experience.

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This might bother etherbored ;-), but CraigP, if you only want 1 or 2 Standards Trio records, it's this one and "Still Live". In my 10 years of listening/buying the trio records my top picks in addition to those would be "Inside Out", "Whisper Not", "Changeless", "Up For It" and "My Foolish Heart", the "Standards I/II" and "Live in Japan '93/96" (containing the complete Tokyo '96 concert) DVD sets. The much discussed "At the Deer Head Inn" is a much looser, jam session really, better appreciated once you know the other trio dates.

Edited by CJ Shearn
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Thanks for the guidance, guys. My copy of "Somewhere" arrived today, so I'll listen with an ear for Peacock's contribution as well. As I've mentioned before on this board, I often find Peacock low in the mix, almost underrecorded, but it's possible it has something to do with the way he plays the bass.

Yep, there's no question he's often buried in the mix. Which is quite a feat when it's only a trio!

I've not yet heard Somewhere, so please share your impressions of it when you get the chance.

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This might bother etherbored ;-), but CraigP, if you only want 1 or 2 Standards Trio records, it's this one and "Still Live". In my 10 years of listening/buying the trio records my top picks in addition to those would be "Inside Out", "Whisper Not", "Changeless", "Up For It" and "My Foolish Heart", the "Standards I/II" and "Live in Japan '93/96" (containing the complete Tokyo '96 concert) DVD sets. The much discussed "At the Deer Head Inn" is a much looser, jam session really, better appreciated once you know the other trio dates.

Thanks for the advice, there's a lot of options, obviously.

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I would say try to find some of the double albums like "Whisper Not" second hand because ECM doubles are expensive. I paid $40 for Metheny's "80/81" and "Travels" years ago to name a few. Has anyone heard HDTracks 24/96 d/l of "Somewhere" and compared it to the CD? The remarkable thing is although the disc is more compressed than other Jarrett's it retains a fair amount of dynamics, and is rich with detail, in the bass, piano, drums. How they can do all of that w/o peak distortion, IDK.

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Did you finally get "Somewhere" Craig P? I think it ranks among their best.

I did, and I was thinking about posting about it, so thanks for the nudge. I had avoided this group because I was put off by the emphasis on standards. I mean, they've been done to death, haven't they? How many more versions of "All The Things You Are" do we need? Also, I had heard maybe one song a few years back and thought it was snoresville at the time, for some reason.

Well I stand corrected! I am loving this CD. Jarrett finds a way to say something new with his approach to each composition. And perhaps because he has a reputation for being difficult, I'm surprised at how much wit and humanity he puts into his performance. Sometimes he'll play very close to the melody or resolve a phrase in a straight-forward way, if the situation calls for it. I think that actually takes some courage, when a lot of jazz musicians would try to go in a more abstract direction. The interplay between the three musicians is as good as advertised. I love the fire-breathing days of Jack DeJohnette, so it's interesting to hear how he adjusts his approach in this context. "Somewhere" has me thinking about a second Standards Trio purchase. (Sigh)

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Sometimes he'll play very close to the melody or resolve a phrase in a straight-forward way, if the situation calls for it. I think that actually takes some courage, when a lot of jazz musicians would try to go in a more abstract direction.

Agreed -- this is one of my favorite aspects of the Jarrett's playing with DeJohnette and Peacock. Not every chord needs be substituted with a #5 or a sus9 variation. They trust that their interplay, tone, and melodic lines will hold the listener's interest, rather than trying to "cleverly" rework every standard harmonically until it becomes something unrecognizable.

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I've been streaming a lot of this trio's albums because of this thread. Really beautiful stuff. I think my brother received the standards box as a gift when he graduated from high school. I'm going to have to borrow it. He's always on the road in Europe these days anyway!

Thanks for this thread CJ et al.

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