A man and his piano...for this latest live archival release from ECM Records, we go back to 2006, for Keith Jarrett's solo performance at the Gran Teatro La Fenice in Venice, presented here in all its glory over the course of two CDs and over 90 minutes worth of music. With a blending of a eight, newly created pieces (that come close to on the spot improvisations) surrounding a few interpretations of a couple of standards, La Fenice shows off the full arsenal of Jarrett's talents, the pianist gliding through a cascade of intricate chords and dissonant notes on the lengthy "Part I" of the suite, before finally settling into an irresistible, almost bluesy tone for the engaging "Part III". He keeps you on your toes throughout, charming the Italian audience on the lovely "Part IV", but then raising the stakes on the raucous and quite complex "Part V". By the time you get to Jarrett's magnificent take on the legendary "Stella By Starlight", you've experienced a wealth of colors, shades, and textures, the full arsenal of his talents on display at every juncture, the pianist's occasional vocalizations allowing the listener to tap into just how much this masterful musician was also obviously enjoying himself on this evening.
Solo piano performances don't get much better than this folks. La Fenice is a stunning recording of one of the worlds true jazz treasures.
Track Listing
CD 1
1 PART I
(Keith Jarrett)
17:44
2 PART II
(Keith Jarrett)
03:26
3 PART III
(Keith Jarrett)
09:53
4 PART IV
(Keith Jarrett)
07:22
5 PART V
(Keith Jarrett)
06:41
CD 2
1 PART VI
(Keith Jarrett)
13:32
2 THE SUN WHOSE RAYS
(Arthur Gilbert , A.S. Sullivan)
04:26
3 PART VII
(Keith Jarrett)
05:30
4 PART VIII
(Keith Jarrett)
09:15
5 MY WILD IRISH ROSE
(Traditional)
08:36
6 STELLA BY STARLIGHT
(Victor Young, Ned Washington)
07:52
7 BLOSSOM
(Keith Jarrett)
09:11
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