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Music CD - Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock, Jack DeJohnette: My Foolish Heart
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Music CD: My Foolish Heart
Artist: Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock, Jack DeJohnette
List Price: $29.98
Our Price: $17.32
Your Save: $ 12.66 ( 42% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Ecm Records
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Tracks:
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1. Four
2. My Foolish Heart
3. Oleo
4. What's New
5. The Song Is You
6. Ain't Misbehavin'
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Binding: Audio CD
EAN: 0602517373266
Format: Live
Label: Ecm Records
Manufacturer: Ecm Records
Number Of Discs: 2
Publisher: Ecm Records
Release Date: 2007-10-16
Studio: Ecm Records
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: KJ meets jazz roots, classic jazz trio music results
Comment: This stuff must really come easy for Keith. The pianist known for his improvisations and thematic interludes of solo piano virtuosity in the jazz mode hooks up again with two of the most solid jazz musicians in the business today, and some wonderful takes on classic jazz tunes are digitized for the enjoyment of present and future jazz enthusiasts for years to come. Jarrett fans probably can't live without this recording, as it features some really wonderful playing and the usual complex and exciting solo work that Jarrett has become known for over the years. But having to work within the rhythm box created by DeJohnette and Peacock, KJ is kept more focused than when he plays by himself, and personally, I find the result much more satisfying. I'm also a sucker for standards and show tunes, so I really appreciate their cleverly stylistic renditions of songs like Ain't Misbehavin', You Took Advantage of Me, and Honeysuckle Rose. I can only give this four stars because, as good as Jarrett is, he will always be Keith Jarrett, which means, he will always be making those irritating "chicken-being-stepped-on" noises during his performance. When he's close to the rhythm and melody, it isn't so bad, but sometimes he just screeches, and I find that annoying. That is, however, a minor quibble. I find it hard to believe this didn't even merit a listing in The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings: Eighth Edition (Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings), as I think it is at least as good as the CD in their core collection, The Köln Concert. I would say anybody who is thinking about buying this CD shouldn't hesitate any more. I think the familiar tunes also make this a good choice for non-jazz enthusiasts looking to broaden their music collection.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Pure Jarrett in every way
Comment: The music is unsurprisingly glorious, as most of what this trio has played over the past 25 or so years.
For Jarrett critics, probably the best quote in the history of Jarrett's self-indulgence, from the liner notes "I want to thank Gary and Jack for sharing the struggle for artistic survival in a world of fakery, thoughtlessness, mimicry, diffidence, apathy, unconsciousness, laziness, empty virtuosity, ignorance and self-deceit." Amen.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Jarrett does it all
Comment: Well thats another Standards Trio album I've had to buy. I've already got at least a dozen CD's of this Trio, including the monumental Live at the Blue Note boxed set. Why did I have to buy this? Because Jarrett plays three stride style pieces on this double album. He's hinted at this style before with the standards trio on 'Wrap your Troubles in Dreams' (from Whisper Not) and completely pulverised the style on 'Old Rag' (from Somewhere Before).
Not surprisingly his performances of the stride style here are very good. The pick of the bunch is Ain't Misbehavin' which has some inspired solos, using harmonies that Fats Waller certainly wouldn't have played, and exchanging short solos with JJ near the end. Unlike the previous reviewers I did not find these tracks reminding me of Woody Allen films or find Jack DeJohnette's drumming at all out of place. I suppose it depends on what you are used to. I was brought up listening to stride Piano, and although it isn't the style I listen to most of the time, its great to hear it played by a modern Jazz great like Keith Jarrett.
So what about if you hate stride Piano? Well the remaining ten tracks are up to the usual impeccable standard. A great mixture of ballads and standards that the Trio play with great panache.
The only problem with this Trio is the huge volume of material that has been released over the last 20+ years. However when I heard 'On Green Dolphin Street' from this album I knew I had to give it five stars. I already have a previous version of this by the standards trio (in the Blue Note boxed set) which I have played and played so I thought I might find this new version a bit to samey. Not a chance; Jarrett genuinely tries to improvise on every performance. So yes a few patterns are the same but apart from the tune this is another completely unique performance of the same tune!
Overall 9/10
Customer Rating:
Summary: He set TOO HIGH of a "Standard"
Comment: What in the world happened to Keith Jarrett? I am shocked that he released this! His work back in the 70's (My Song, Belonging, Personal Mountains) represents the very highest level of jazz piano for me. Go back and listen to those albums before continuing this review.....................
Did you do it? Do you agree that the level of expression on those dates is as fine and intense and firey as anything you've ever heard in ANY genre of music ANYWHERE? Now listen to "Ain't Misbehavin'" on this disk, or either of the next two tracks. Feel like you're at a wedding?
I know that some of the other reviewers just adore this man who can do no wrong, but I think if you are honest, you will have to agree that this is just NOT any great artistic achievment. There is certainly great musical skill at work, but the "Standard" he set is SOOOOO high that he is failing miserably!
What made him think that he should play standards for 2.5 decades? It was interesting for the first few albums. 25 years later? This sounds like a gig. I play gigs and go to gigs. This sounds average. I expect more than average from one of the greatest musicians in the world. He needs to seriously rethink some things. The younger generation of guys, like Mehldau, Rosenwinkel, et al, are completely leaving him in the dust in terms of releasing creative music in the spirit of Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, Herbie Hancock, etc.
Even the other tracks where he doesn't play 2-beat stride piano are pretty lame. He rushes the solo breaks like crazy. The level of invention is WAY down. I think Still Live is a great standard album by Keith. Compare "The Song is You" on both that album and this one. I mean, you just HAVE to agree that there is NO COMPARISON. If you don't agree, have your head examined.
My Mom would even agree with that.
I'm sure someone is going to get all upset and rip me to shreds now, and click on the button that says this wasn't a helpful review. Go ahead. Just make sure you are honest in how you are looking at the history of jazz. This is supposed to be about the highest level of creativity, and the individual voice, and moving forward, and saying something new.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Inspired to write another review
Comment: It's unfortunate but sometimes I am inspired to write a review for the wrong reason. The right reason would be the product in question (in this the case, "Keith Jarrett/ Live at Montreux"). But as has been the case before, I am driven to write a review because of someone's else's review(s). Some reviewers have flippantly criticized stride piano playing and Jarrett's choice to include the Fats Waller tribute of sorts on this CD, someone actually went as far as to call it wedding music!?? (this is got to be the most absurd comment of them all, unless you include when he mentions his mother). Firstly, the fact that stride piano isn't in style anymore is irrelevant. I love stride piano and always have (Fats Waller in particular). As a professional pianist, I can attest to the extreme technical difficulties involved in playing good stride piano. It requires strength, endurance, and impeccable time. Not to mention, when it's done well, it swings like mad. Jarrett does an admirable job made all the more interesting by the fact that this is a real departure for him. I am mostly familiar with his trio things and I haven't heard him ever approach a standard like this (with the exception of "Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams" from the "Whisper Not" disc which isn't on a level with the three stride like numbers from this disc). Of course stride piano is usually performed solo but there are a fair amount of Tatum and Waller tracks that were recorded with a group. Jarrett's trio really does put their own spin on this and it swings. Just ignore the aforementioned reviewers. They are doing anyone that might purchase this cd a disservice.
The rest of the CD is also excellent. Only complaint from me would be the sound. A little boomy at times, and occasionally the bass gets lost. In addition, the drums sound a little unbalanced. One drum (can't tell which one) sounds particularly loud in comparison to everything else. The "Still Live" CD (also by Jarrett) is plagued by similar recording issues, so much so that it is at times unlistenable (not to mention musically inferior). "My Foolish Heart" shares the same problem in regards to the sound although it's not nearly as much as an issue here. Aside from that, this CD is still highly recommended. I don't think I've ever heard these guys swing harder than they do on "Oleo", "The Song is You" and "Four" in particular (although the version of "I love You" from the "Out of Towners" CD is also just as amazing). Also, "Only the Lonely" is gorgeous. On a level with Sinatra's version.
Again, try to ignore the negative reviews here. They are written by people who are either deaf, or just ignorant (and that includes their mothers). It's like Ive always said,- "that's the problem with an opinion, anyone can have one"
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Editorial Reviews:
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The 25th Anniversary Jazz's greatest piano trio. This is the best way to describe the 25-year partnership between Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock and Jack DeJohnette. They are an institution of jazz and My Foolish Heart is their 18th recording, all on ECM. The double album was recorded live at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 2001 and is an exhilarating and playful performance which romps through the history of jazz as the trio plays pieces by Fats Waller, Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, Gerry Mulligan and more, as well as a scattering of show tunes and standards from the Great American Songbook. This album is - in terms of the musical range addressed - one of the most comprehensive in the discography of Jarrett, Peacock and DeJohnette. This fall, ECM is also releasing a speciallypriced 3-CD box set of the first recording session that the Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock and Jack DeJohnette ever made together. Setting Standards is a combined reissue of Standards Vol. I, Standards Vol. II and Changes, the three albums recorded in one session at New York's Power Station in 1983. The albums have been remastered in 24bit/192kHz and the box set will include new liner notes and archival photos.
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