Customer Reviews

My Song

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

ECM records has been responsible for making available a wide range of quality music over the years. As a company, they remain a first rate example of people merging commerce with music, while insuring that music of integrity remains their guiding principle.

ECM's early years feature a wide range of jazz and ethnically flavored musical collaborations. The recent years have added strong new music offerings which are influenced by the classical and contemplative worlds.

"My Song" is one of the finest examples of Jazz from the ECM early period. This recording features piano by Keith Jarrett, Saxophones by Jan Garbarek, Bass by Palle Danielsson and Jon Christensen on Drums.

The mood of this recording is one of warm optimism, with a light, free spirited approach that I find to be emotionally open and highly accessible. If you find ECM to be a label whose sonic identity you tend to trust, then you could hardly do better than to purchase and listen to this fine collection of songs.

Difficult as it would be to pick out just one CD from the many I love, if I could only keep one this would definitely be in the running.

The bass and drums form a sympathetic trio with Jarrett, but to my taste the presence of Garbarek is what makes this collection a real winner. His tone and melodic inventions are exquisite.

Years ago I made a top ten list of jazz cds for my friends and this title was number one.

Buy two, one for yourself and one to give to someone you love.

I would not call myself a real fan of the quartet with Garbarek, but I would still rank this as one of my favorite Jarrett albums, and much better than Belonging, which is by the same group. My Song is the most lyrical and melodic of pretty much all his albums in terms of compositions and soloing. Keith Jarrett was playing some beautiful music during this period (1975-77), of which this is a great example, along with the Koln Concert and Kenny Wheeler"s Gnu High. Highly recommended.

It is amazing to me how fresh this music sounds after 23 years. I was pleased when this was released on CD because my old LP copy was worn out from repeated playing. This is, in my opinion, the best non-solo perfomance by Keith Jarrett. Jan Garbarek is featured on most of the songs and plays his best, which is very good indeed. Danielsson & Christensen on bass and drums respectively play extremely well also. The compositions on this CD are very melodic and some of the best and most approachable that Jarrett has written.

Keith Jarrett is one of the best jazz pianists & composers in the world and this is his finest group performances. His supportive playing shows his sensitivity and musicianship. For someone looking for an introduction to this musician there is no better place to start. Highly recommended!

Keith Jarrett and his European Quartet band including Jan Garbarek on Tenor and soprano, Palle Danielsson on Bass and Jon Christensen on drums.
This CD is best known as THE Jarrett-Garbarek album due to the beautiful track called "My song", one, among 6 other great compositions; as a matter of fact it is their most rewarding collaboration on records; loose and relaxed album, very pleasant to the ears.
As a personal opinion, this album ranks as my Jarrett's favorite CD other than "The Koln Concert".
Highly recommended and very much worth buying.

"MY SONG" is Keith's European Quartet's best album, and one of the greatest acoustic jazz albums made in the 1970's. Keith contributes 6 very strong compositions which are launching boards for exciting, sophisticated solos and interplay. Keith and Jan Gabarek are always challenging each other, which more than makes up for the quartet's somewhat dull rhythm section. This album is an relaxed one, and is easily accessible, which makes this one a great introduction to Keith's non solo piano albums. What makes "MY SONG" so accessible are the songs themselves, and solos themselves. "QUESTAR" is a laid back affair, with a swaying chord progression and a beautiful melody. "MY SONG" is as pretty as anything Keith ever wrote. Soulful and complex,it's highlight has to be the little solo by Keith alone near the end. "TABARKA" is a highlight for sure. Hypnotic percussion,a beautiful(i'm getting sick of using this frickin word)melody, and a strange middle eastern feel are a playground for Keith and Jan. "COUNTRY" has that classic funky gospel feel Jarrett plays so well. Suprisingly,the norweigen band can "git it down in their souls" too. "MANDALA" keeps the album from being TOO laid back, with it's jagged melody, and free-jazz improv. The closer "THE JOURNEY HOME," on my top 5 list of Jarrett compositions. After a brief intro from Keith and Jan, the band starts in with a breezy latin feel. The melody is brilliant, and lively. BUY THIS ALBUM! "MY SONG" IS AMAZING!

This is the most unremittingly optimistic album in Jarrett's vast ECM catalogue. No, you won't find very much of the challenging harmonies you will on any of his "American" quartet records, or even on Belonging. But it is thoroughly melodic, energetic, and flat-out "optimistic."

Keith Jarrett's work on "My Song" is by turns lyrical, grating, and exhilarting. Working with Scandanavian musicians gave Jarrett's playing a "cold" rather than "cool" sheen. This is one of the most singular sounds in jazz; Jarrett is as distinctive as his one-time employer Miles Davis. There is a spacey quality to Jan Garabek's sax playing that lends to this atmosphere; he has always been inventive and lyrical, and he compliments Jarrett's soloing with his playing.

I pick up this album because I heard one song in the movie ,the title of which was "Bella martha".
"Country" was used in that movie and when I heard it ,I thought instantly who made this beautiful song?
And it's right here ,I finally found.
It's one of chance meetings for me because I didn't know nothing about Keith Jarrett before.
I love Jazz but it's always difficult for me to buy the right one that is not so boring to listen to.
And so I'm sorry that I don't have knowledge to talk about jazz but I'm certainly glad to know these brilliant songs.
I'm sure that people who love music will like this one!

For those of you who may be only somewhat familiar with the vast canon of Keith Jarrett, and consequently prejudge this recording as another example of his more (typical) free form playing style, I have three words for you: STOP AND LISTEN! This is probably one of the most if not the most accessible of Jarrett's recordings.

This album is, in a word, beautiful. Recorded on the hip and groundbreaking ECM label back in the late 1970's, this album proves that Keith Jarrett does indeed respect good melody and is capable of adhering to it while still providing a solid glimpse of his ability to expound on a theme, and generously share equal improv time with another soloist, in this case Jan Garbarek on alto sax. The quartet plays beautiful melodies, and the way Jan Garbarek's alto sax sings on this album can bring you to tears. The rhythm section of Palle Danielsson on bass and Jon Christensen on percussion provides the perfect canvas for the voices of Jarrett and Garbarek. My personal favorites are the title cut, Country, and The Journey Home. The harmonic piano work on My Song in particular is simply gorgeous.

Mercifully, Mandala is the only free form track, more typical of the direction that Jarrett would continue to take in the majority of his successive recordings. In my opinion, it really does not belong on this album, but certainly should not prevent anyone from enjoying the other 80% of the tunes.

I have been a jazz fan since around the time this album was released (1978). This recording, along with another ECM release that same year - Pat Metheny Group's "White Album" - was responsible for opening my ears and mind to what has turned out to be an amazing journey of musical discovery and much joy.

A must have for a well-rounded jazz collection.