Keith Jarrett - Standards Live (ECM, 1985)

This post is by Dan

Keith Jarrett (p); Gary Peacock (b); Jack DeJohnette (d)

Recorded July 2, 1985

This is when it all began. Well, not exactly. Keith Jarrett's so-called "Standards Trio" assembled in February 1977 to record Tales of Another, which was credited to Gary Peacock. I am still mesmerized by that album, especially Peacock's "Vignettes," which has since been covered by numerous artists. Six years after Tales was recorded, the group gathered in the studio to record Standards, Vol. 1 and Standards Vol. 2. 

The follow up, Standards Live, was the first release of a long sequence of live performances by Jarrett and his trio. It was recorded in Paris and followed by Still Live, which was recorded in Germany two weeks later. Numerous albums followed, including The Complete Blue Note Recordings (ECM, 1994), which documented six full sets over three days at the New York club. 

I'm not sure what motivated Jarrett to emphasize the standard songbook on so many live recordings. As a solo artist, he had already established a formidable body of work, and his quartet groups (one based in the U.S. and another in Europe) were commercially and artistically successful. Whatever his motive, playing standards live was a great idea at the right time. 

So, what's so great about the same guys playing familiar songs over a 30-year period? Is it their virtuosity? Creativity? Accessibility?

My answer is "all of the above, and more." The trio have an amazing chemistry. They don't merely play standards; they reinvent them, over and over. The rhythm is fairly elastic. Songs are allowed to develop deliberately and disregard conventional time limitations. Solo space is allotted generously, although solos tend to feature all three players.

Plus, they don't just play standards; Jarrett has written numerous compositions for the trio. I personally never get tired of listening to either standards or originals played by this group. I always hear something new every time I revisit recordings that I've played dozens of times. 

The "ECM sound" works to perfection, capturing the deep resonance of Peacock's bass, all of the complex percussion work by DeJohnette, and Jarrett's magnificent touch on the keyboard. It's remarkable that live performances can match, or even surpass, studio recordings in sonic quality,

Clearly, Standards Live deserves its place as a favorite, especially in view of the enormous series of recordings that followed.