My review of Keith Jarrett's Ritual, performed by Dennis Russell Davies, today at All About Jazz.

In pianist Keith Jarrett's vast ECM catalogue, albums on which he does not play aren't exactly common, but nor are they completely uncommon; his 1974 double-disc set In the Light features a handful of tracks on which he performs, but its primary focus is on Jarrett the composer. Ditto Luminessence (1975), a trilogy of compositions for string orchestra and improviser Jan Garbarek—a precursor to Arbour Zena (1976), also featuring the Norwegian saxophonist and string orchestra, but also including Jarrett and bassist Charlie Haden as featured performers. That album is part of ECM's Re:solutions series of reissues—seven albums in all so far, five on CD for the first time and all also available in vinyl and high resolution digital formats. Another Re:solutions entry, Ritual remains a complete anomaly in Jarrett's discography: a composition written for solo piano in which he is not the featured performer.

A two-piece suite broken up more, most likely, to suit the needs of its original vinyl release than anything else, Ritual is unmistakably Jarrett, but it's a whole different experience to hear another pianist perform it—especially one like Davies, who comes largely from the classical world and is perhaps better known as a conductor whose whose work, beyond a 40-year relationship with Jarrett, includes ECM New Series classics like Arvo Pärt's Tabula Rasa (1984) (on which Jarrett performs, coincidentally), as well as the more recent Melodic Warrior (2013), from guitarist/composer Terje Rypdal.


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