Keith Jarrett, Munich 2016 (ECM)
Among pianist Keith Jarrett’s succession of solo concert albums going back more than four decades, Munich 2016 is remarkable even by his standards. The depth and variety of his improvisations make it so. Except for three standard songs here, he invented all of the music that he made three years ago in performance at Philharmonic Hall in Munich, Germany. It is heard as seven parts under the overall title “Munich.”
Into those spontaneous compositions Jarrett integrates layer upon layer of melodic invention using the harmonic ingenuity and rhythmic power that he has continually refined since his early days with groups led by Roland Kirk,Tony Scott, Art Blakey and Charles Lloyd. This is part III from Munich 2016.
YouTube has a limited selection of pieces from the Jarrett Munich album and only one of the standard songs that he evidently included as encores. This is “It’s A Lonesome Old Town.”
That was from Keith Jarrett’s most recent album, Munich 2016, an invaluable addition to his discography.
Coincidentally, the TCB label has reissued one of Jarrett’s albums with tenor saxophonist Charles Lloyd in one of Lloyd’s most significant quartets. Jarrett’s band mates were Lloyd, tenor saxophone; Ron McClure, bass; and Jack DeJohnette, drums. From the original issue of that collection, which was called Dream Weaver, here is Lloyd’s composition “Love Ship.”
All of us at Rifftides hope that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.