Keith Jarrett with Jan Garbarek - Belonging

When Keith Jarrett debuted this largely Nordic quartet, he was in the midst of developing a U.S.-based group of the same size with heavy leanings toward the approaches of Ornette Coleman and Paul Bley (even using veterans of Coleman bands). With the Nordic band, Jarrett was better suited to play wistful, melodic vamps that got great mileage out of Jan Garbarek's wavering but mostly vibrato-free tone and the ethereal rhythmic floats supplied by drummer Jon Christensen and bassist Palle Danielsson. "Blossom" is a lengthy, smoldering ballad, as tender as it gets in Jarrett's canon and worth every minor move the group makes. And while things are fairly icy throughout the slower spots, the band slinks into a couple gospel-touched gems, "'Long as You Know You're Living Yours" and the harmonically piled, funky "Windup." All in all, this is not only one of the Jarrett high marks, it's a pinnacle for 1970s jazz overall. --Andrew Bartlett Amazon.com essential recording

just get it

I have actually told people that in a nutshell Jan Garbarek's solo on Solstice is why I play tenor saxophone and the vamp at the end is why I play music. December 4, 2008

lamdmark jarrett the best!

This one of the best keith jarrett groups from the mid seventies
Great album it has every groove and style within a jazz setting.
You have to hear all the 4 players play this stuff this is one of his best groups
he had then. October 8, 2008

Quite brilliant

This is my favourite 70's Jazz album.
A marvellous quartet of musicians, featuring Keith Jarrett on Piano and Jan Garbarek on Sax. A wide range of styles from the Gospel influenced "Long as Your..." to frankly undefineable (but brilliant) pieces like "The Windup". Spiral Dance is another stand-out track. The key thing about this album, is that it is an entirely accoustic album, made in an era when the trend in Jazz was for more electric fusion based bands.
The musicianship is of the highest order, and the compositions are mostly written by Jarrett.
Have a listen to the samples on Amazon - unless you're a die-hard dixieland/trad fan there will be something here for you.
May 17, 2007

Belonging

I am a jazz fan and own a large collection. This album is my favorite with a wonderful mix of piano and saxaphone. March 21, 2007

A peak moment in jazz

Funky, ethereal, free, melodic, romantic, edgy...and classic. Jarrett, sharing the spotlight with Garbarek, offers a program of such variety and sheer finger-snapping lyricism that any jazz lover would be silly not to give it a listen.

The recording clarity and richness is one of ECM's finest - head and ears above most of what has come out in the last 35 years.

Garbarek, for those of you who know his more ethereal and folky work, is at his Coleman/Coltrane/Rahsaan peak here - sailing, moaning, tossing tart, lopsided and twisty rhythmic nuggets into the mix one moment, going deeply gospel or romantic the next. A tone like deep-fried ice cream.

Christenson, too - groove, experiment, agility, shading and tone, poly-rhythms - will appeal to fans of touches of DeJohnette, Erskine, Motian, Haynes and even Murray and Cyrille, but really a singular drummer. George Russell, who featured Jan and Jon in the late sixties, commented that for some reason, Norwegians seemed to swing like they came from 125th Street, but with their own kind of blues. Danielsson is a lyrical, fat-toned bassist who digs deep, anchoring driving and inspiring the soloists. An under-appreciated bassist who has a real showcase here.

Jarrett is contained, in the best sense - sensitive as ever to the songs, grooving deeply and flying - especially on The Windup, a real showcase piece alternating between the funky labyrinth of the head and the free-blow of the solos.

There is no reason not to have this album. It is a jazz watershed. February 17, 2007

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