Keith Jarrett Trio
Standards In Norway

Keith Jarrett piano
Gary Peacock bass
Jack DeJohnette drums
Recorded October 7, 1989, Konserthus, Oslo
Engineer: Jan Erik Kongshaug
Produced by Manfred Eicher

One is hard-pressed to find fault in any Keith Jarrett Trio live album, and Standards In Norway is no exception. “All Of You” starts this exquisite set on a delightful note, filling the space with the palpitations of a joyful heart. Peacock jumps right in with the first solo of the night, as nimble as always, as he is also in “Little Girl Blue.” Tender and dulcet, this softly brushed ballad reaches an organic level of storytelling that finds each musician totally committed. That being said, one can single out certain displays over others. We are astonished by DeJohnette in “Just In Time” and in “Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing” (or is it a many-splendored swing, the trio seems to ask). Again by Peacock, who gleams both sides of the cube, now fragile in “Dedicated To You,” now livening up the joint in “I Hear A Rhapsody.” And of course by Jarrett, who draws the timelessness of “Old Folks” in his subtlest rendition yet, wrapping our awe in sonic pastry and baking it to the consistency of perfect filo. “How About You?” ends the set with inescapable optimism and tumultuous applause.

Mesmerizing, the only word.

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