State of Grace

Driving home this evening I was listening to the Keith Jarrett Trio (yet again). This time it was Live at the Blue Note, June 4th, 1994, 1st set.

The music is powerful and mesmerizing. My wife, after a trio performance we attended years ago, called the music sensual. It certainly drew me in then and now.

This recording has some wonderful minimalist sections especially during 'Autumn Leaves' where Jarrett jams on a nice blues motif but keeps it simple and clean. As 'You Don't Know What Love Is / Muezzin' starts off, Jarrett begins his (infamous) cries of ecstasy a few seconds into the track and the trio maintins an amazing, almost hypnotic feel throughout. Jarrett and Peacock play this standard fairly straight but DeJohnette keeps trying to pull them into a middle-eastern feel. Piano and bass resist for a few minutes, keeping to the tune, but eventually join the drums and turn the song into a sacred call, hence the title. Beautiful.

Jarrett has often been criticized for his ecstatic cries during sections of tunes. He has commented that these verbal outpourings are indicative of a "state of grace" that he attains during live performances.

I have noticed two types of singing-along.

The first is when after a particulary tasty run he lets out a gasp that punctuates the moment.

The second occurs while he is playing with his right hand and generally corresponds to the notes he is playing. I believe that during these moments he is listening to a whole orchestra in his head.

The power in the performance is that these excellent musicians, masters of their respective instruments, are able to drag me right into the music.

For a moment I'm right there with them at the Blue Note...