Death And The Flower - Keith Jarrett

Mar

15

Death And The Flower - Keith Jarrett

≡ Category: 1970s, Avant-Guarde, Free Jazz, Highly Recommended, Post Bop, Reviews |
≅ Written by: Michael Kydonieus

JAZZBO NOTES HIGHLY RECOMMENDED RECORDING

Rating:

Usually, I’m usually not too fond of records in which Keith Jarrett insists on playing instruments other than his main axe. Really, the only instrument which he has really mastered is the piano.

Death And The Flower (on the Impulse label) is the exception. It is disciplined in the same way that Facing You is. Instead of the endless digressions and self-indulgent “singing” we’ve grown accustomed to with Keith Jarrett, he and his band achieve a laser-like focus.

On Death and the Flower, Jarrett plays soprano sax and flute in addition to the piano. He’s joined by Dewey Redman on tenor sax, bassist Charlie Haden, drummer Paul Motian and percussionist Guilherme Franco.

The title tune, which is more than 20 minutes long, develops logically from free atmospheric playing and moves through sections, some of which are a mere vamps, others of which are through composed, and still others that are almost entirely free. It’s a testament to Jarrett and the band that the Death And the Flower is mesmerizing all the way through. Jarrett’s playing on piano is crystalline. The group interplay is phenomenal, which is understandable since Death and the Flower was recorded towards the end of the life of what’s come to be known as Jarrett’s American quartet.

The remaining couple of tunes have a similar feel to the title cut and are similarly well played.

If I don’t give Death And The Flower an Essential Rating, it’s because I find that the themes are not at the level of quality he effortlessly spun out on Facing You.