|  | | | Customer Reviews: | | | Average Customer Review:
Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.
0 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 A Remarkable Document Nov 17, 2009
Simply put, this is a remarkable record. I was struck by the courage of the story told in the liner notes, and the reflection of that story in the music presented here. I've been a Keith Jarrett fan for 40 years now, and this solo recording is at the front of the pack. Simply remarkable.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 Intimate, but exhausting. Nov 11, 2009
For the past twenty or so years, pianist Keith Jarrett has alternated between extemporaneous solo performances and trio recordings with his longtime bandmates Gary Peacock and Jack JeJohnette. This three disc collection is a recording of two long solo performances recorded live in Europe. It is a fascinating, if exhausting listening experience with Jarrett moving from gentle melodic improvisations to abstract, at times dissonant sections. He has stated in the past the he is merely the conduit for the music and that sense is continued here with the music flowing onward like a river, broken only by lengthy stretches of buoyant applause. It must be said that Jarrett never takes the easy way out as a solo performer, he demands a lot from himself and the audience. Using the length and breadth of the keyboard he crafts elaborate stories with the piano. If you are a fan of the Jarrett solo canon, you will most certainly like this album, but newcomers are probably better served with The Koln Concert album as a starting point.
2 of 3 found the following review helpful:
"Testament" is a testament to Keith Jarrett's skills. Oct 30, 2009
The audiences in Paris and London were indeed fortunate to have been with Jarrett during these performances. The alteration between ballads and 'rocky road' intepretations is well-planned and executed. To understand the personal issues and anguish that Jarrett was experiencing serves to heighten the importance of "Testament". This is a standout in the oeuvre of Keith Jarrett.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Minimal grunting! Oct 28, 2009
While I've been a big Jarrett fan for two decades, I have been reluctant to buy Jarrett albums over the past few years because of his grunting and "singing," which, one day for no apparent reason, started to bother me. I mean, yes, he's a genius, but there are myriad gifted musicians out there who don't feel the need to get in their own way. I almost did not get this one, but in the samples, I didn't detect any of his noises. Whether he is trying to control himself or they were brought down in the mix, they are virtually inaudible, making this recording, in my estimation, a very pretty, tranquil (though not groundbreaking) listen.
4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
Evidence of his great artistry Oct 27, 2009
"Testament" means, at the least, evidence, and Mr Jarrett's provides quite a chunk in this 3CD set that he is one of the great artists. We may remember a first encounter as I do in the Chinese Girl's School in Penang, Malaysia, in the 1960's when he performed as part of the Charles Lloyd Quartet on a USIS tour of the Far East. Then there is the first ECM encounter with FACING YOU and its startling black and white cover. Or we get stoned with KOLN in the background. Or twitch with disbelief at the SUN BEAR CONCERTS release. But as they say, that was then, this is now. Performing artists, and especially, improvising musicians, are at the creating cutting edge and what they do is in the moment. Mr Jarrett has been fortunate in having ECM whose owner Manfred Eicher accompanied him on this tour, as freedom to create and not marketing has always been the priority.
In the end, it's not about what has been, how potent the technique now is, how long or fast the pieces are, it;s about the music. And the music contained in these documents is a major musical statement which traverses in some ways Mr Jarrett's approach to the instrument of the years. The Paris concert is darker than the London but all the music is magnificent.
A bargain price too.
|
| |
|
![Up (4 Disc Combo Pack with Digital Copy and DVD) [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51V%2Beipy8-L._SL75_.jpg "Up (4 Disc Combo Pack with Digital Copy and DVD) [Blu-ray]")
![Across the Universe [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51T24FuHPEL._SL75_.jpg "Across the Universe [Blu-ray]")
![Underworld Trilogy (Underworld / Underworld: Evolution / Underworld: Rise of the Lycans) [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51F27VzUl%2BL._SL75_.jpg "Underworld Trilogy (Underworld / Underworld: Evolution / Underworld: Rise of the Lycans) [Blu-ray]")
![Shakira: Oral Fixation Tour [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51RQUEopdlL._SL75_.jpg "Shakira: Oral Fixation Tour [Blu-ray]")
