Record Reviews

KEITH JARRETT ~ THE OLD COUNTRY ECM 2828 (Barcode: 602465976564) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 1992 Released: 2024 This is an archive live album by American pianist / composer / bandleader Keith JarrettFind albums by this artist, recorded with his trio, which includes bassist Gary PeacockFind albums by this artist and drummer Paul MotianFind albums by this artist. It is the companion album to the “At The Deer Head InnFind albums with this title” live album, recorded in 1992 and released on ECM in 1994, and now, thirty years later, the rest of the material recorded then gets a release, which is hardly a surprise considering the massive ECM exploitation of Jarret’s archives. This is the only recording of this particular piano trio, which of course adds to the importance of the material. The album presents eight tracks, all of which are standards. In the large picture, this album belongs to the “standards” project, which presents Jarret and his trio (with Peacock and Jack DeJohnetteFind albums by this artist) playing Jazz standards, which appears on numerous studio and live releases. Personally, this is the best Jarrett one can find IMHO, and my preferred modus operandi as far as he is concerned, much more interesting than his performances of his original music / classical music / solo piano recordings, which for me are less appealing. Of course the performances captured here are as good as everything recorded under this umbrella, and especially so when performed by this unique lineup. Overall, this is another document of Jarrett’s incredible talent, especially as an interpreter of standards, and a worthy addition to his immense discography. Perhaps it does not offer anything not previously heard, but as a singular album, it is near perfection of a classic Jazz piano trio performance, except possibly without Jarrett’s vocal accompaniment in the background.

Updated: 01/12/2025Posted: 01/12/2025

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