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Woodshed
SOLO
by Norman Meehan
Keith Jarrett’s
Personal Piano Solo
on ‘Golden Earrings’
Over the past quarter century, pianist Keith
Jarrett’s Standards Trio with bassist Gary
Peacock and drummer Jack DeJohnette has
offered listeners consistently fresh insights
into what some might consider a hackneyed
repertoire. More importantly, their recordings
provide a detailed view of their collective
artistic imagination.
The group has offered some sublime performances
along the way—the live recordings
from the mid-1980s are particularly
fine—but there is magic around the trio’s
1990 concert at New York’s Town Hall (The
Cure, ECM). Nestled among tunes by
Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington, Dizzy
Gillespie and an exquisite reading of “Body
And Soul” is Victor Young’s 1947 song
“Golden Earrings.” On the elegant AABA composition,
the A sections basically elaborate C
minor, while the bridge cycles through a couple
of tonal centers before returning to the home
key for the final stretch.
Jarrett’s affection for this tune is evident in
his personal yet respectful reading of the
melody. During the first chorus of the piano solo
he deconstructs the melody little by little,
cleansing the palette for the remaining four choruses
of his improvisation. The next two of
those choruses are shown here, and they reveal
the clarity and strength of Jarrett’s melodic conception.
Every idea played is related to those
that precede and follow, yet the solo unfolds in
surprising ways, despite the apparent inevitability
of the line. These chains of ideas are particularly
apparent between measures 21–29, 47–50
and 65–70 (all bracketed).
The frequent use of the blues scale also
works well here (particularly in measures 6–12,
15–19, 31–33, 36–51). The tune seems to invite
it. It may also be a nod to Ray Bryant’s bluesy
1957 version of the song (from Ray Bryant
Trio, OJC).
Jarrett keeps things interesting by subtly
pushing ahead or pulling back the time. This
nuanced playing is too subtle to document in
the transcription—you will need to listen to the
recording to get the idea—but it invests the performance
with the breathing quality that gives
good jazz so much of its character. It also constitutes
part of the “sonic fingerprint” that all
the finest players possess; everybody worth
their salt provides this individuality in their
phrasing. It’s not about the notes; it’s about
how they are played. Jarrett does that in his
own distinctive way.
DeJohnette and Peacock are remarkably
inventive players, but on this tune they are largely
content to swing beautifully and provide a
stable platform for Jarrett. This allows the subtlety
of what the pianist does to shine.
Collectively, their playing may not be flashy on
this number, but it is deep and leaves a rich taste
that lingers long after the tune has ended.
Lovely stuff.
DB
Norman Meehan is a jazz pianist and composer in
Wellington, New Zealand. His albums are available
from Ode Records and he teaches for the
New Zealand School of Music.
HYOU VIELZ
60 DOWNBEAT September 2008