McCoy Tyner [Remembering John] 

After delving fairly deeply into Keith Jarrett, i wondered 'what other Pianist would be good to explore in the Piano Trio idiom?', and i came up with McCoy Tyner, unlike Jarrett, he can be a fairly complex and thick textured Pianist, he can play lots of notes fast, sometimes he smothers his ideas with too many notes, but once you get used to him you can see the overall structure of what he's trying to do, of course he was the main Pianist for John Coltrane, and that's where the title comes from, in essence this is a Coltrane-less Trio, stuff that Tyner played with Coltrane, and two thirds of the tracks are written by Coltrane, i bought this disc way back in 1998, and in August of that year it was my 'Disc of the Month', it helped me see that there was life beyond Jarrett, into a world of many different Pianists, i still need to explore the Piano Trio idiom a lot more.

McCoy Tyner is American, he's now an old man of Jazz at age 73, one of the greatest Jazz Pianists ever, and extremely influential, he recorded this disc in 1991, the front cover [by Gene Martin] is a portrait of Tyner, looking down from above, and onto the keyboard, though a better background would have worked, i like the way the lettering is sideways on a red / brown background, the Artist / title in different colours, the whole thing works well.

Out of all these tracks, it track 3 'In Walked Bud' that i so much like, it's a Thelonius Monk tune, and what a great tune it is, here it lasts for nearly 7 minutes, .

Here's McCoy Tyner's album on the All Music website, you can play the first 30 seconds of each track.

Keith Jarrett [Standards - Volume One] 

Early in my Blog, i played this disc and reported on my experiences [1st February 2010], and what i wrote there i echo here, this disc had now come around for some nice re-listening, my disc collection is such that it takes nearly 18 months for an album to be played again!, but boy when i do play a treasured album again, it's a treasured experience, and hearing these three guys playing 'telepathic' Jazz is so exciting.

Keith Jarrett was born in 1945 in America, making him now 66, he recorded this disc in 1983, the front cover is very sparse, no picture, as is fairly usual with ECM issues, they don't do a lot for me, but the music on the inside is fantastic.

However much i enjoy tracks 1-4, and i certainly was wowed by them, it's the final track 5 closer 'God Bless The Child' that is just stunning, it's fifteen and a half minutes of pure Jazz heaven, it's just perfection, and remains my very favourite Jazz track of all time, just a little way in, and the piano changes tack, there's a superb refrain [1:24+], and a track that was already full of inspiration, now reaches into the heights of the sublime, Jarrett really gets into the piece with his vocalise [2:26+], and the notes of the piano with Jack DeJohnette's rhythmic drumming, is so mesmerising, and when the chorus comes in, Jarrett uses some very nice treble notes [3:49+], and the refrain that Jarrett brings in towards the end of Gary Peacock's Bass solo [6:03+], where he changes the key, is so gut wrenching, later after Jack DeJohnette's Drum solo, Jarrett creates a trance like stabbings in readiness to bring in the main theme again [9:26-9:52], and when that main theme returns [9:52+], it's like a million knots being untied, it's so loaded with resolution, towards the end Jarrett brings in the verse again [11:23+], and embellishes the tune with some lovely bass warblings [11:26 & 11:29], Gary Peacock is excellent at this point too, the piece develops a sort of outro / coda feeling, but it goes on and on, and the three musicians just seem to like to jam, it develops quite an intensity, Gary Peacock's outro is really nice, and Jack DeJohnette's closing down of the piece is superb, a genius of a creation.

Here's Keith Jarrett playing this piece on YouTube.

Bob Berg [Another Standard] 

It's the sixth month of the year, and this is the sixth Jazz disc finding its way onto my Blog this year, i need to get into Jazz even more, i've had this disc for roughly five years, it doesn't get extensive play, and it's certainly not one of my favourites, but gradually i'm warming to it, basically it's a Quartet, [Saxophone, Piano, Bass, & Drums], with tracks 5 & 9 including Trumpet, and track 7 with Guitar, making Quintets, it's er... fairly standard stuff, but i really enjoyed it.

Bob Berg was an American Jazz Saxophonist, born in 1951, he was tragically killed in a car accident in 2002, he was 51 years old, this disc was recorded in 1997, the visuals for this disc are very good [photography by Armen Kachaturian], so many Jazz discs really lack in this department.

Well the tracks that hit me were 1 & 8, Berg plays both Tenor and Soprano Saxophones, and i think i like his Soprano work the best, i certainly find this with Branford Marsalis, i wish he would do a Soprano Saxophone record, on this listen, and for this reason, it's track 8 'It Was A Very Good Year', that i find the better of the two, starting of with a Bass solo [Ed Howard], the first part is not particularly inspired, but the Pianist [David Kikoski] gets things going well, when bob Berg comes in [1:08-2:06], his tone is excellent, i just love that Soprano Sax, and the Drummer [Gary Novak] is very inventive, he has these certain chops [wood blocks or something?], playing behind the Saxophone, and he continues into the beginning of the Pianist solo [2:05-4:06], and i must admit the Drummer is really busy, he's certainly not an accompanist, building up a fervent heat, especially when Bob Berg returns again [4:04-5:39], a real Hard Bebop lather is created, it's nice to hear Berg do the reprise of the theme [5:39+], a nice moment of resolution, and it's recorded great too.

Here's Bob Berg playing track 3 'Michelle' on YouTube.

Keith Jarrett [Standards Volume 2]

Here's the second volume in Jarrett's early Jazz Piano Trio, i reviewed the first album earlier this month, this is very much in the same vein as the first disc, except there are six tracks instead of five, and no really long tracks, i admit that this session is inferior to the first, but still immensely enjoyable.

Well Jarrett is a Piano god, and these three musicians have developed such an incredible understanding, almost telepathic, they have been a Trio for 27 years, but this recording is from their early days, but they still work like a unit.

I so much enjoyed track 2, 'Moon And Sand', it's a really intense track, not necessarily a phenomenal tune, but the three musicians get under the skin of the composition, DeJohnette uses brushes, a wonderful effect, early on Jarrett uses some high ringing notes [1:04 onwards], it really makes an impression as the track takes off, he uses some great runs up and down the keyboard [3:13 onwards], after a Bass solo, Jarrett comes in again, and plays some of his best playing [5:51-6:38], then the most magical part, the whole thing goes into a coda, it starts with DeJohnette's brushes [7:06], and then Jarrett comes in with this incredible vibe [7:19-7:53], it's the highlight of the whole thing for me, DeJohnette's brushes are highlighted as he slows down, like a steam train coming to a stop!, magic happens as you intensely concentrate.

Here's Jarrett playing solo on YouTube, now this is fun and groovy!.

Keith Jarrett [Standards Volume 1]

This is the first Jazz disc i ever bought, i bought it blind, just picking it off the shelf without knowing a damn thing what it contained [never even heard of Keith Jarrett!], it's like winning the lottery on your first ticket you ever bought, this has remained my most favourite Jazz disc of all time, i don't know how i managed that one!.

Jarrett is considered a Jazz Piano God by so many Jazzaholics, he must be a billionaire by now with sales of his albums, he's great to listen to, and great to watch as well, so animated at the piano, so much 'into' whatever he's playing, if anyone can be accused of 'making love with his piano' it must be Keith Jarrett!.

My favourite Jazz track of all time is track 5, God Bless The Child, fifteen and a half minutes of pure Jazz heaven, i never tire of hearing these three guys working together with telepathic senses, there's so much magic in this track, it's hard to know where to begin to point out the juicy bits, it's all juicy!, i must admit i like the new refrain Jarrett plays at [1:24-1:51], the whole thing just goes up another level, it swings backwards and forwards from verse to chorus, adding wave upon wave, Jarrett teases and vocalises, his audible cries just add to the piece, another magic moment is at the end of the Jack DeJohnette drum solo, Jarrett morse codes the bass notes [9:26], and then quietens them down [9:46], in anticipation for the tune to come back in [9:52], what a tease!, and then what a release!, magic stuff.

You can hear this piece on YouTube here.