In an era when most jazz bands were amping up, this improvised solo acoustic piano album was a refreshing return to the basics of jazz. Jarrett's mastery of this idiom is now taken for granted; his solo concerts are near-legendary, and his recorded output with his trio and quartets amply demonstrates his ability to blend his skills with others, most notably saxophonist Jan Garbarek, but with many other fine musicians as well.But this is the album that really started it all for Jarrett, and as such it has s..
For those of you who find the majority of Keith Jarrett's work self-indulgent to the max, this is the cd to get. Not a wasted note--just brilliant songwriting and sustained melodic invention from beginning to end. Beyond stunning. For more indulgence-free Keith Jarrett, check out "Death and the Flower," "Gary Burton & Keith Jarrett," and Airto's "Free" (Keith Jarrett plays electric piano on one or two cuts). If you would like to read more reviews like this, check out JazzboNotes.com.
Recorded in 1971, this album has correctly been called a "blueprint" for the legendary solo concert albums that Jarrett subsequently produced. But "Facing You" certainly should be appreciated in its own right...it deservedly caused an enormous commotion in the jazz world when it was released. While it is a studio recording, it also was essentially improvised (recorded in a period of about five hours on a single day) and all of the fiery energy, seamless blending of wildly different musical genres, in..
