First posted on Mark Is Cranky:
Some musicians have the ability to transcend their physical talents to put on display their thought processes, a sort of direct conduit between the hands and that mysterious inner pool of music.
Or...in Keith Jarrett's case, the lack of thought:
- How we arrive at profound thoughts has a lot to do with what we aren't thinking beforehand, and I had in mind letting some of the music happen to me without sitting there in deep thought.
This reminds me of the Zen concept of 'watching thoughts form', something only those with very, very "quiet minds" can accomplish.
A few minutes into Jarrett's Radiance and it becomes clear that his idea of "no ideas" has payed off in unexpected ways. The first improvised concert album since 1997's La Scala (part of an unofficial series stretching all the way back to Solo Concerts, Bremen/Lausanne (1973) and including the titanic Sun Bear Concerts and the reference standard: The Koln Concert), Radiance has Jarrett striking chords and phrases, following them with their "natural" complements. At first, it's an almost shocking development as there appears to be no underlying motivic structure. There's also none (well..not none, but much less) of the usual romantic exploration of themes.
Best of all: it works.
Despite the seeming "randomness", Radiance, after a fashion, coalesces into a warm, shimmering whole. Its romanticism becomes clear as you sense Jarrett's loving connection to music as he clings to the moment.
After a few passes through, I came down with a severe case of deja vu and tip-of-the-tongue (or is that "ear"?). What aural memory dust had been displaced? Turns out it was an old bookstore that I used to frequent. The usual thing: brick walls, sleeping cat stretched out in the front window, pine shelving stretching all the way to the ceiling. But it was the classical music playing. Solo piano of undetermined heritage. Since I was more fixated on my book search, the music faded in and out of my attention field. So what I experienced musically was discrete bits of sound, sort of connected, sort of not. By the time I made it to the checkout the chunks of music came together in a subliminal way. This is very similar to my 'digestion' of Radiance. Given a chance, this music does make beautiful sense.
Keith Jarrett provides a counter-example to the idea that artists fade away as they age. This release ranks right up there as one of the finest of Jarrett's career.
This coming Sunday is Keith Jarrett's 60th birthday. Interested listeners can check out Sara Fishko 2003 interview "An Hour With Keith Jarrett, which will be rebroadcast on WNYC (93.0 FM) at 6PM EDT. The interview is also available at WNYC's Web site.
Article comments
1 - Eric Olsen
super job Mark, I just listened to disc 1 last night and had a similar if less articulate reaction. I resisted the rather jarring opening jagged tonality, but it really does come ogether just as you suggest. Thanks!
2 - Temple Stark
I boosted thi review over to Advance Mark.
- temple
3 - Triniman
I'll have to check this one out. I just wish my local jazz festival could bring him to Winnipeg. He's got to be the biggest name in jazz yet to play here.
4 - iMusici
I just wrote a brief review of Keith Jarrett's 'Radiance' for the rateyourmusic.com web-site only to have them refuse my review due to technical difficulties. And so, taking this opportunity just as serious, I offer highlights from that review.
I am a collector. My fascination with Keith Jarrett extends well beyond 30 years. Up until I heard the 'Radiance' concert, I was rating my entire collection based on what I felt was Keith's best work, the Köln Concert [5 stars]. Although I love his ‘Sun Bear Concerts’ with equal passion, I concluded there still was no room for a second five-star performance, which meant ‘Sun Bear’ earned its max [4½ stars]. And even the sum of all his outstanding Trio standards were no match. Frankly, neither is 'Radiance', at least not until I realized exactly what I was hearing. At that point I knew this concert is in a class all by itself. And once my mind passed that plateau I easily rated it [5-stars] as well. Please let me continue.
'Radiance' is a free-improvisational masterpiece saluting Keith's sojourn from the spur of one moment, spontaneously transforming the next. I've heard his style evolve from childhood compositions through maturity, grasping, and performing up to even this moment without restraint. And for Mr. Jarrett, this format is the essence of his creativity. In this performance we are caught within the nobility of his mind, not trapped as it may at first seem, but just as free to hear individual interpretations that we think we hear, the same as he does. He makes that not only possible, but actually enjoys articulating it for us. 'Radiance' is free thought, manifested obliquely as a composition of compositions, unparalleled without precedence in the world of improvisation. Beauty, harmony, and tranquility prevail, as you hear dominant in part.15. Also, you heard it earlier in part.6, and as early as in part.3. I say this as sincerely as is my love for both his hands capable of reverberating as four; Keith Jarrett is truly a musician's musician and ours too. Please assure yourself, this concert represented for me my first master class. Salute again, a simple gesture; he bows his respect for our ardent appreciation, making it truly superlative, as we applaud a thunderous ovation. And I cannot help saying, I loved this concert best of all. "iMusici