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I was sent this movie yesterday by a friend – it’s a video of images taken by the NASA Messenger probe as it flew by Earth in August, on its gravity-assisted path to Mercury.

Seeing Earth as viewed by a passing spacecraft put me in a strange mood. It was almost like stepping out of ourselves, and getting a glimpse what a visitor from elsewhere might see. Our planet is so small… we are so insignificant. This thought has struck me previously in a different form.

My initial thoughts for a soundtrack to this short movie was Sting’s Fragile, but in the end I selected a song by Beck. Charlie Haden plays bass on this track, in case anyone cares…

Beck – Ramshackle
From Odelay: Geffen 24926 [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]