In the spring of 1976, the quartet toured Europe, and recorded the extraordinary The Survivors’ Suite in Ludwigsburg in April. (Believe me, you need this disc in your life.)

Travelling south to Austria in May, the quartet’s gig at the Theater am Kornmarkt in Bregenz was recorded and released in 1979 as Eyes of the Heart. The 3-part encore from that show sums up many different facets of the band, and serves as a fitting coda to this series.

Keith Jarrett described what it was like to play in this band in the liner notes to the record:

“Music is at its best when it carries you along at a level deeper than the music itself and forces you to live in its spaces as well as its notes.

“Improvisation is at its best when everyone involved in the music is aware of an intect greater then his own; therefore more his own.”

Keith Jarrett – Encore (a-b-c) – 18mins
From Eyes of the Heart: ECM 1150 [Buy]

Despite the strength of the music, it was clear by 1976 that differences in lifestyle and philosophy were driving the band apart. Following a final 3 day recording session New York in October of the same year, Keith Jarrett’s American Quartet ceased to be.

Keith Jarrett

One of the most remarkable aspects of Jarrett’s American Quartet was the obvious breadth of their influences and capabilities. And while free jazz was a strong suit in their arsenal, there were other moments when this band was downright FUNKY.

Rhythm and blues, rock and gospel run wild across many of the Quartet’s recordings, as exemplified by this pair of tunes. Guitarist Sam Brown plays on Take Me Back, as part of the quartet’s only release on Columbia.

Keith Jarrett – Take Me Back*
From Expectations: Columbia KG 31580 [Buy]

Keith Jarrett – Le Mistral
From The Impulse Years 1973-1974: Impulse! IMPD5-237 [Buy]

Paul Motian

FREEDOM ! Or something close to it. Here are a couple of examples of the American Quartet heading towards their most liberal interpretations of melody and rhythm.

Piece for Ornette is an overt appropriation of Ornette Coleman’s compositional style from the early 1960s. It is surely no coincidence that this band contains former Coleman sidemen Dewey Redman and Charlie Haden. We hear Keith Jarrett on soprano saxophone, with nary a piano within earshot.

Beaming in from somewhere else entirely is Redman’s composition Pyramids Moving. It was recorded on the final day that the quartet worked together – October 16th, 1976, and released on the Impulse! album Bop-Be. Mr Redman plays chinese musette (illustrated below) instead of saxophone.

Keith Jarrett – Piece for Ornette (Long Version)
From El Juicio (The Judgement): Collectables COL-CD 6254 [Buy]

Keith Jarrett – Pyramids Moving
From Mysteries: The Impulse Years 1975-76: Impulse IMPD-4-189 [Buy]

A new series starts today, highlighting the work of Keith Jarrett’s American Quartet.

“From 1971 to 1976, Jarrett led the American “Quartet”, along with drummer Paul Motian, reedman Dewey Redman and bass player Charlie Haden. The group was often supplemented by one or two percussionists and recorded about a dozen albums for Atlantic Records, Columbia Records, Impulse! and ECM…. Jarrett’s compositions and the strong musical identities of the group members gave this group a very distinct sound. The group’s music was an interesting and exciting amalgam of free jazz, straight-ahead post-bop, gospel music, and exotic Middle-Eastern-sounding improvisations.”
- from Wikipedia

And here are two tunes to accompany the small warmth provided by the winter sun over Auckland today. Birth dates from 1972, Everything that Lives Laments is from 1975: both tunes were recorded in New York.

Keith Jarrett Quartet – Birth
From Birth: Wounded Bird Records WOU 1612 [Buy]

Keith Jarrett Quartet – Everything that Lives Laments (Take 6) – 15mins
From Mysteries: The Impulse Years 1975-76: Impulse IMPD-4-189 [Buy]

Charlie Haden