Keith Jarrett – The Melody At Night, With You – ECM Records (1989/2019) ECM 1675 7742659 180-gram stereo vinyl, 54:24 ****1/2:
(Keith Jarrett – piano)
The Melody At Night, With You adds another fabled chapter to the solo career of Keith Jarrett. Originally recorded in 1999, the pianists had been battling Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Rather than attempt a more restrained version of his ferocious improvisations, he changed his approach. Eight covers of of Great American songs, two traditional pieces and one improvisation are meticulously crafted with delicate intimacy. ECM has released a 180-gram vinyl update of this session. At the core of Jarrett’s music is a deep awareness of melodic structure and harmony. On this album, it is completely front and center. There may be no greater amalgam of popular music and jazz than George Gershwin. “I Loves You Porgy” was a crucial part of the “jazz opera” Porgy And Bess. Nina Simone and Bill Evans did memorable covers of this tune. In a restrained, but highly artistic treatment, Jarrett envelops the composition in a simplified arrangement with a lyrical, achingly beautiful resonance. Jarrett distills the plaintive context in subdued tones. Of course there is nuanced gospel shading and rhythmic right hand notation. On “I Got It Bad And That Ain’t Good” the magical jazz chords of Duke Ellington are rendered in ethereal motifs. This may contain the most improvisational dynamics with bluesy flourishes. His technique of operating left and right hand progressions independently is adroit. Rather than a torch song, it has a hymnal resonance that differentiates it from most other versions. Reaching into the eclectic past, Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein’s 1929 ditty, “Don’t Ever Leave Me” is captured in a rare, concise 2:42. Airy and ruminative, the pianist manages to infuse masterful harmony in a limited time frame.
Keith Jarrett
Returning To Gershwin, “Someone To Watch Over Me” is an institution of The Great American Songbook. Jarrett’s eloquent interpretation remains close to the familiar verses and chorus. He emphasizes the haunting melancholy, but still offers some instrumental flourish. In a stunning, meditative take, this classic Irish tenor, late 19th century slow waltz (“My Wild Irish Rose”) gently washes over the listener. There is a key change that sets off some inspired chord segues. This is a staple of Keith’s live performances and he has recorded it 3 times. His depth of mood transforms the material. Side 2 opens with a “double” track (although they are listed as separate). “Blame It On My Youth” has been covered by a significant number of pop singers, but Jarrett has reinvented this 1934 Oscar Levant tune. As it is the style of The Melody At Night, With You, Jarrett explores the melody in a hushed, refined manner. At the end, there is a slight emotional uptick that transitions into the sole improvisation, “Meditation”. Some of the trademark Jarrett techniques are audible. There is a lower-register one-note pulse that is expanded. With the slightest pedal adjustment or dramatic pause, the organic magnetism brings a glow to the music. Another obscure pop selection, “Something To Remember You By” is widely associated with Hollywood comedies of the 30’s and 40’s. Jarrett maneuvers the ballad with chord modulations and some deft right hand notation and trilling. The bridge is tinted with a more forceful, aspirational hue before returning to its wistful roots. Perhaps the most peculiar selection of material is “Be My Love”. Forever associated with Mario Lanza in rakish New Orleans fishing couture, it had more than its share of over-the-top melodramatics. Jarrett’s volume adjustments and keen ear for melody elevates the song above its banality.
Anyone hoping for a purely stunning moment, look no further than “Shennandoah”. Jarrett’s gorgeous, moving Americana folk- gospel is brilliant. He builds an erudite tapestry of a wistful prayer that is dazzling. Jarrett’s imagery reflects the heartfelt integrity of the traditional composition. He brings additional emotional gravitas with judicious agility on mildly reverberation, muscular lower-register accents. As a finale, “I’m Through With Love”is more sophisticated and jazzier with classic Jarrett inflections.
ECM has done a superior job in re-mastering The Melody At Night, With You to 180-gram vinyl. Engineered by Jarrett himself in his home studio in 1999, he had declared his enthusiasm for the improved action on the restored Hamburg Steinway and beneficial mic placement. He and Manfred Eicher succeeded in creating a solo piano mood album that is worthy of a piano icon.
TrackList:
Side 1:
I Loves You Porgy
I Got It Bad And That Ain’t Good
Don’t Ever Leave Me
Someone To Watch Over Me
My Wild Irish Rose
Side 2:
Blame It On My Youth
Meditation
Something To Remember You By
Be My Love
Shenandoah
I’m Through With Love
—Robbie Gerson
