Sunday, July 13, 2003

Monk's misterioso, recorded live at the Five Spot Cafe, NYC, July/August 1958, Riverside 20 bit reissue. Jarrett, Peacock, and DeJohnette's up for it, live in Juan-les-Pins, July 2002. Great musicians know how to travel in time: the newer record sounds "older" (that is not a criticism!) than the older one, with beautifully rendered standards, including an amazing "Autumn Leaves." The flaws in up for it may well reflect Jarrett's liner's note on dealing with adversity when time may be running out. It may not be their most polished effort, but grabbing a fleeting opportunity (how many more will there be?) may be more important than perfection. Reminds me of some backcountry ski trips: messy with uneven skiing, waning energy, nasty weather, equipment problems, but suddenly a perfect slope and a few weightless turns. Or of some papers written in a hurry that in all their imperfection had that insight that made a difference. 11:28:56 AM