On a total of four labels has published altogether 13 albums Keith Jarrett's American Quartet from 1971 to 1976.. Eight of them are on Impulse! Records appeared, a company specializing in more free oriented jazz subsidiary of ABC Group. In addition to countless compilations of these eight panels, two beautifully designed and provided with attractive, thick booklets boxes have been launched in the 1990s, precisely document the various recording sessions of the American Quartet and contain some alternative takes of pieces. And these two boxes, now hardly available at a reasonable price, which discussed herein Box summarizes together again, so that you get about nine hours of music on nine CDs. The price for this is amazing, especially as the original booklet texts are included, albeit in slightly less elaborate quality, as was the case in the first editions of boxes. The price makes the end of the fifth star, because the music, which is sometimes a little arg free (especially the Fort Yawuh-, Mysteries- and Shades sessions), finds access to my ears not always. Daring saxophone parts of Dewey Redman and (on soprano saxophone) Keith Jarrett and too wild, free, avant-garde game that is not only on the aforementioned sessions, but also to the other single discs, however, offset by a number of ballads that this quartet formidable jazz musicians (next to Keith Jarrett and Charlie Haden, Dewey Redman even on bass and Paul Motian on drums, partly supplemented by the guitarist Sam Brown and other percussionists) has just written well. To mention a great 15-minute version of Everything That Lives Laments, to Death and the Flower, Prayer, Victoria, Rainbow and others. But, as I said, the listener has to adjust itself on harder Bebop, very free, sometimes atonal saxophone, percussions wild experiments, oriental-inspired musettes sound and dissonant sounding piano lines. All this was part of the mix of styles of American Quartet of the first half of the 1970s and made ultimately its peculiarities and quality. 62 pieces of music in an acceptable presentation for boxing (currently!) Under 30 euros, as one makes a wrong purchase.
