Hamburg ’72 cover
Recorded
Released

Keith Jarrett’s so-called American Quartet of the 1970s was a true shapeshifter, adept at tightly reined-in pop-jazz hybrids, freeform ritualistic soundscapes and everything in between. The same went for the trio that preceded it — an early showing for the hall-of-fame rhythm team of bassist Charlie Haden and drummer Paul Motian — heard at peak strength on this fascinating 1972 live set. Anyone who knows Jarrett mainly for his famed solo piano work might be shocked to hear him picking up soprano saxophone here, as on the scampering, exuberant and ultimately explosive free-jazz ramble “Piece for Ornette,” or contributing placid flute to the lengthy soundscape that opens “Everything That Lives Laments.” At the keys, meanwhile, he’s typically brilliant, especially on the rollicking gospel-fusion groove vehicle “Take Me Back” and “Rainbow,” a tender waltz written by his then-wife, Margot. On Haden’s “Song for Che,” he moves from percussion to soprano to piano, as the trio brings the piece from a fervent abstract boil to a stirring melodic climax.

Hank Shteamer

Suggestions
Useful Music cover

Useful Music

Jeff Baumeister
The Episodes cover

The Episodes

Chris Connelly
A Time to Remember cover

A Time to Remember

Elina Duni, Rob Luft, Matthieu Michel, Fred Thomas
Fort Yawuh cover

Fort Yawuh

Keith Jarrett
Trios Live cover

Trios Live

Joshua Redman
In Maggiore cover

In Maggiore

Paolo Fresu, Daniele Di Bonaventura
Shadow Puppeteer cover

Shadow Puppeteer

Julie Tippetts
Heels Over Head cover

Heels Over Head

Billy Martin's Wicked Knee
The Bad Plus cover

The Bad Plus

The Bad Plus
Førage cover

Førage

Matt Mitchell, Tim Berne
Braggtown cover

Braggtown

Branford Marsalis