Customer Reviews

The Out-of-Towners

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The best way to appreciate "The Out-of-Towners" is to sit down with a nice glass of Merlot & turn the volumn up. Jarrett, DeJohnette and Peacock are seasoned friends who can shift between the blues, swinging Jazz and free improvisation and throw in a little gospel for fun. Their gumbo of Trio music is well documented across twenty plus years of playing together.

This live recording captures the group between last years "Up For It" (Recorded July 2002)and the magical May 2001 performance "Always Let Me Go". The Out-of-Towners" (Recorded July 2001) is the transitional recording and it is clear that the group was moving back to simpler & safer waters of playing Standards. This recording lacks the creative fire & free improvisation of "Always Let Me Go", but is equally strong in swing, feel and overall musicanship.

The disc opens and closes with beautiful solo piano pieces from Jarrett. Reflective & beautiful are good word choices here. In between is a gorgeous Ballad "You've Changed" and three head bobbing swinging numbers that leave you smiling. My favorite moment occurs on "I Love You" when Dejohnettes taunt and teases his cymbals while fading in and out during his solo. The magic of this recording for me is on the title track. Here the group starts out with a simple blues structure that morphs into a free flowing romp that spins and weaves for nineteen minutes of pure listening pleasure.

I love the creative ability of these musicians. They have grown to be one of my favorite listening experiences. It will be interesting to see where they go next. For now, the magic continues. Enjoy!!!!

I have been following Kieth Jarrett sine the early 70's and watched his music mature. After experimenting with many musical forms he has settled into mastering and reinventing classic introspective jazz.

It is like a man who left his home to travel the world only to return to his roots, yet bringing with him new ideas and freedom of expression.

It still amazes me that these recordings are live. Jarrett's unlimited capacity to improvise and create spontaineous musical moods makes each recording an experience. No other artist in any musical genre has developed this always present yet never fully captured aspect of jazz.

Clearly, these are landmark recordings that will have historical significance yet are accessable.

I was listening to this CD and my 8 year-old daughter came in and improvised a dance that captured the music in her own way.

Fine music communicates emotions and moods that cannot be expressed in words. Such was the joy my daughter experienced.

Many people find difficulty with Jarrett's intricate detail that on the surface seems minimalistic. To fully experience the music the listener must empty him/herself and allow the music to play you.

After 30+ years I still struggle to find the words. Perhaps there are none.

While much of the same can be said about this timeless trio's previous outings, the set is not only perfectly balanced in the choice of material but Jarrett's sometimes overly-audible vocalizing is absent as well. Although, those who complain the loudest about Keith's tendencies in that direction remind me of those tightly wired types who drive their spouses or partners crazy by screaming hysterically in the middle of the night, "I hear a faucet dripping!" They seem to intentionally listen for the slightest suggestion of Jarrett's vocal exuberance. Perhaps the sound of cactus growing in the middle of the Mojave Desert would drive them to distraction.

For me, it's all about the music and I enjoy listening for the Bud Powell flavored phrasing I hear on some of the tunes rather than wasting time obsessing over minor vocalisms. The selections range from songs penned by Cole Porter and Jimmy McHugh to Gerry Mulligan and one Jarrett original. The concert closes with the Tommy Edwards `50s pop hit "It's All In The Game." Trivia: the lyrics, "Many a tear has to fall...," were written by Charles Dawes, U.S. Vice-President under President Calvin Coolidge (1925-29). While Keith performs the ballad without excessive sentimentality, it still may strike some deep chords of remembered romances in some listeners.

Jarrett leaves ample room for Peacock and DeJohnette to shine, and the group plays energetically and elegantly throughout without ever degenerating into stereotypic "smooth jazz." This is one of those rare performances that is strong enough to warrant your complete attention in the foreground or can be equally enjoyable at low volume in the background. Highly recommended.

...that Keith Jarrett is the greatest living jazz pianist, this album should help to dispel it. And, it's amazing how much more sensitive and natural his playing sounds since his comeback. All of the daring and improvisational brilliance is there, with none of the self-indulgence. At nearly 60, Jarrett just keeps getting better and better!
The opening tune "I Can't Believe You're in Love With Me," is just about the greatest thing I've ever heard. I know that jazz pianists all over the world will be scratching their heads trying to transcribe the opening and closing sections of this one. It's really a high-water mark in jazz pianism.
The second cut "You've Changed" is the perfect ballad. There isn't a single false note in this beauty. While not really a display of virtuosity like the first cut, this is just really tasteful jazz. Again, nobody handles a ballad like Jarrett.
The third cut "I Love You" and the fifth "Five Brothers" are playful romps very familiar to Jarrett fans. The former allows a bit of space for some solo DeJohnette which is pretty gratifying.
The fourth cut "The Out-of-Towners" is a bluesy group improvisation that will also be familiar territory to Jarrett fans, and is my least favorite part of the album (although I do enjoy it).
Finally, "It's All in the Game" is solo Jarrett, just playing the song, and as you'd expect, it's perfect and beautiful.

Taken as a whole, it's amazing just how "on" these guys were for this entire gig. Comparing this with some earlier work (the big Blue Note box set comes to mind), it's obvious that these guys have really matured, like a really fine wine. Everything extraneous has been pared away, and what's left is crystalline and sublime.

If you enjoyed Up For It, get The Out-of-Towners! You won't be disappointed! It just may be the best Standards Trio album yet!

The soundtrack to a perfect evening out... that's the best way I can describe this CD. I am amazed at how perfect these recordings are... I am caught off guard each time I hear the applause that reminds me that they are indeed live performances.

The novice reviewer who complained about the "dibi dobi doo phenomena", should be ignored. Aka 'scat' for anyone with a clue, it's barely audible, and the subtlety of the voice adds texture to the recording, again gently reminding us that the performance is live.


The title track is indeed a tour de force, Jack DeJohnette's performance, especially on "I Love You" is worthy of special note, and "It's all in the game", while a little out of character for the album, still may make you misty.

I highly recommend this recording.

Along with the trio live in Paris from 1999, this may very well be the best Jarrett has done. It can be said that he's been doing the same thing for some years now, but he always manages to bring something new and exciting to this format. Absolutley recommended. Unfortunately, since Amazon permits any IDIOT to write a review, fools like B. Mohebbi "Bamo007 and his doobi doo review are printed here. What a shame.

This Live CD is excellent. Like another Jarret CD- UP for It, I play it over and over and over. The openning song "I Can't Believe That You're in Love with Me" to "It's All in the Game." and "You've Changed," ,"I Love You," , "Five Brothers." are all wonderful. You can't go wrong with this one.

It would be truly tragic to ignore Keith Jarrett's genius because of his vocalizations. Two of the world's greatest pianists, Glenn Gould & Oscar Peterson, often 'sing along' with what they are playing (most impressive w/ Oscar, since he is singing his own improvisations as he plays them). But Jarrett actually does something a little different. He often punctuates his solos with grunts, groans, and other expressions of emotion. Anyone who has SEEN him play, knows that these come straight from the heart, and are part of the performance. Perhaps some won't understand, because they do not FEEL the music with the same passion Keith Jarrett does. And btw, if you listen to the PIANO, it's easy to hear that Jarrett is miles beyond Herbie Hancock as a musician. (No knock on Herbie, but he's just not in the same class.)

This is a nice recording for jazz heads and also those not so familiar with this art form. The trio is always exciting to listen to with great interplay between all three voices. Also, this group over the years seems to be focused more and more on establishing a strong sense of time, a groove that is really deep. This recording as well as the previous "Up For It" swings hard. The solo rendition of "It's All in the Game" shows clearly why Mr. Jarett is one of the most unique and gifted artists behind a piano in the history of jazz.

The Out-of Towners is the umpteenth album by the jazz pianist Keith Jarrett, working here as he has many times before with bassist Gary Peacock and drummer Jack DeJohnette. The three are the closest that jazz has to the Grateful Dead, in that all their memorable recordings are live and nothing's ever quite the same each night, there's a wonderful sense of improvisation and play in their work.

I wish I had the musicology to really talk about Jarrett and his work, but I will say this disc is a fine place to start if you're not familar. The title piece, written by Jarrett, is a long blues number that at first seems to meander but then settles into a remarkable groove. As always, the trio works out crisply on standards, here the highlights are "Five Brothers" and "I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me"...the final track is a Romantic, but not sentimental, solo version of "It's All in the Game".

What i respond to most in Jarrett's work is the spark of inspiration and creative energy that always seems alive between these three musicians. I highly recommend this disc to newcomers and longtime fans.