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Rating: Jarrett writes: “Here is contained every note we played for three nights. There were no cuts or selections of one take over another. These kinds of things are done after musicians have died or aged, or if they have somehow changed direction. And when that happens, it is often more for the value of the document than for the intrinsic quality of the music”.
This is not the case, of course. The six CDs of the Blue Note, in addition to representing a historic testament, are also a musical miracle. The quintessential trio of the last thirty years reunited for three consecutive evenings in June '94 in a cult venue in New York to bring about a dive into the past; almost like shamans, possessing the experience and wisdom to evoke the ancestors, the three perform a true sacred ritual: the ghosts of the ancient jazz masters resurface, participate in the bacchic orgy, and applaud their descendants, worthy bastions of old values. Not by chance, Ivo Franchi, a well-known Italian critic, considers the Blue Note as "the musical equivalent of "In Search of Lost Time" by Marcel Proust, the greatest and most ingenious literary homage to memory."
In the intimacy of a club, far from the aseptic and cold environment of a concert hall, the process can finally be accomplished with true, tangible concentration; the three lay themselves bare, through a total giving of themselves that brings them into contact with the flame of inspiration. They have never played better, and the audience is incredulous, enthusiastic, stunned. The "pelts" sacrificed to this cause are the Standards, that is, the Old and the New Testament of jazz. The choice of single pieces leads to continuous references...Miles, Bird, Bill, Ella, Billie, Thelonious, Duke, Sonny, Chet, even Frank Sinatra! The surprises to discover are truly infinite... and as the Penguin Guide notes, having enough time and much attention, it is fascinating to hear the pianist import ideas from one piece to another on different nights: phrases, imaginative harmonic resolutions, unlikely interval jumps. It is a precious “insight” that allows us to understand better than ever how Jarrett can be spontaneously creative even within the perfectly oiled mechanism of the trio.
It's impossible to talk about each individual track... there are 38! Some highlights: an extraordinary 26-minute “Autumn Leaves” with a long introduction by the pianist; an “I Fall In Love Too Easily” which quickly blends, transfiguring, with “The Fire Within”, a long modal composition by Jarrett whose charm is difficult to describe; “Things Ain't What They Used To Be”, Duke Ellington's showpiece, presented here in two versions, the second exceptional, with stride piano playing worthy of Fats Waller; “My Romance”, a delicate tribute to Bill Evans; “On Green Dolphin Street”, often performed by Miles, which merges with “Joy Ride” by Jarrett, a playful modal prank, simple and melodic; and a shocking “Desert Sun”, almost half an hour of improvisation on a hypnotic, obsessive pedal with strong flamenco hues... it is ruthless and malicious at times, truly conveying the idea of an implacable and merciless sun.
But how much could this masterpiece cost? 108 Euros, to be precise (ECM is not exactly economical). But it is worth at least twice as much! Why? 1) It is undoubtedly the most beautiful piano trio music of the last thirty years (at least); 2) it is nourishment for the mind and spirit; 3) it has no expiration date! You will listen to it your whole life, guaranteed!
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