Keith Jarrett, Piano Gary Peacock, Bass Jack Dejohnette, Drums
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CAL PERFORMANCES PRESENTS ABOUT THE ARTISTS Friday, October 4, 2013, 8pm jarrett-peacock-dejohnette: wo thousand thirteen marks the 30th Zellerbach Hall 30th anniversary Tanniversary of the trio of Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock, and Jack DeJohnette. 30th anniversary tour When Jack, Gary, and I recorded our first “stan- Keith Jarrett and Jack DeJohnette first dards” album back in 1983, I had no idea we played together in 1966–1968 as members of the were being enlisted (by some force-field around Charles Lloyd Quartet, then for one year in 1970 Keith Jarrett, piano us?) to embark on a 30-year excursion into the with Miles Davis. Then, in 1977, Mr. Jarrett and heart of jazz and its many environments: stan- Mr. DeJohnette played on Gary Peacock’s first Gary Peacock, bass dard song-form, abstract free music, vamps of ECM Records recording, Tales of Another. many colors, etc. And since we started on the The trio came together as a permanent group Jack DeJohnette, drums basis of not pre-arranging anything, we have in January 1983, when Mr. Jarrett invited the remained free of the closed-in concept of “our two men to join him in New York for a record- music.” There is no way to explain the depth ing session dedicated to playing “standards”— that we’ve found together over the years in the the rich body of American popular songs from “traditional” jazz rhythm-section format, but we the 1930s, ’40s, and ’50s. At the time it was have built a library of releases and played hun- considered passé for top players to be playing dreds of concerts that represent the result better “standards” instead of original material, but than anything I can say. But what I appreciate Mr. Jarrett thought it was important to show about the trio most is the ease and grace with that “music wasn’t about material, but what the which we have accomplished this. I don’t mean player brings to the material.” that it was easy; but if you remember that every The January 1983 sessions produced time we played we were doing our absolute best, the trio’s first three ECM Records releases our reward was compatible with the effort we Standards, Vols. 1 and 2, and Changes. These re- made. And from the first note in 1983, our guid- cordings from the original New York trio session ing principles have never changed. In this sense, were re-released in 2008 by ECM as a special I don’t think we have any competition. Thank three-CD box set in celebration of the trio’s 25th you, Jack and Gary, for living it with me. anniversary. Sixteen “live” concert recordings Keith Jarrett have followed on ECM, each recorded in a dif- ferent international city: Standards Live (Paris, A consistent and ever deepening journey into 1985), Still Live (Munich, 1986), Changeless the heart of jazz...truly authentic, inspiring. A (U.S. tour, 1987), Tribute (Cologne, 1989), genuine opportunity to surrender to the music Standards in Norway (Oslo, 1989), The Cure at hand with boundless joy and enthusiasm. (New York, 1990), Keith Jarrett at the Blue Note: This continues to be my experience with the trio. The Complete Recordings (New York, 1994; a six- Left to right: Gary Peacock, Keith Jarrett, Jack DeJohnette CD box set), Tokyo ’96 (Tokyo, 1996), Whisper Gary Peacock Not (Paris, 1999), Inside Out (London, 2000), Always Let Me Go (Tokyo, 2001), The Out-of- Tonight’s performance will comprise two sets with one intermission. When Keith, Gary, and I came together as a Towners (Munich, 2001), Up for It (Juan-les- trio, we never imagined we would still be play- Pins, France, 2002), My Foolish Heart: Live in No photography, video or audio recording is permitted in the hall at any time during the evening. ing this great music for 30 years. Every time we Montreux (Montreux, 2001), Yesterdays (Tokyo, Please turn off all cellphones, pagers, and other electronic devices. get together, we learn something new about how 2001), and Somewhere (Lucerne, 2009), re- to play standards, ballads, and open improvisa- leased in May 2013 in celebration of the trio’s tions. There have been some truly amazing and 30th anniversary, featuring extended ver- magical moments over the years. Playing with sions of Leonard Bernstein’s “Somewhere” and Jazz at Cal Performances is sponsored by Nadine Tang and Bruce Smith. Keith and Gary has been one of the highlights “Tonight” from West Side Story. And in 1991, of my life, and I am very grateful for this. Thank two weeks after the death of Miles Davis, the Cal Performances’ 2013–2014 season is sponsored by Wells Fargo. you, Keith and Gary, for this wonderful gift. trio went into New York’s Power Station studio Jack DeJohnette and recorded Bye Bye Blackbird, their deeply felt 4 CAL PERFORMANCES CAL PERFORMANCES 5 ABOUT THE ARTISTS ABOUT THE ARTISTS tribute to the jazz giant that all three had played has become one of the bestselling jazz CDs of worked with Sarah Vaughan, Chick Corea, Joe and bassist John Patitucci; Music from the Hearts with in their early years. the past 14 years. Henderson, Helen Merrill, Michel Petrucciani, of the Masters, a duo recording with kora player The trio’s video releases include Standards I In the mid- to late ’70s, Mr. Jarrett also toured Don Pullen, Bill Frisell, and Ralph Towner, to Foday Musa Suso; Music in the Key of Om, a re- (1985), Standards II (1986), Live at Open Theatre and recorded with his acclaimed Scandinavian name a few. In recent years, Mr. Peacock’s other cording for relaxation and meditation; Hybrids, East 1993 (1993), and Tokyo Concert ’96 (1996)— quartet Belonging, featuring saxophonist Jan collaborations include a trio with pianist Marc a remix album by the Ripple Effect; The Elephant all featuring full-concert performances. In fall Garbarek, bassist Palle Danielson, and drum- Copland and drummer Joey Baron, a duo with Sleeps but Still Remembers with Bill Frisell; and 2008, ECM re-released all four concert videos mer Jon Christensen. ECM released five CDs of pianist Marilyn Crispell, and a quartet with Peace Time, an hourlong continuous piece of on two special two-DVD sets. the group, including Sleeper, which was record- Lee Konitz, Mr. Frisell, and Mr. Baron, which meditative music which won the Grammy ed live in concert in 1979 in Tokyo and released resulted in a CD entitled Live at the Blue Note, Award for Best New Age Album in 2009. Over the past 50 years, Keith Jarrett has come in fall 2012 to universal critical acclaim. released in July 2012 on Half Note Records. His most recent CD release, Sound Travels, to be recognized as one of the most creative and Mr. Jarrett’s many international honors features Bruce Hornsby, Bobby McFerrin, and uncompromising musicians of our times, uni- include: a Guggenheim Fellowship and eight Jack DeJohnette is one of the greatest drum- Esperanza Spalding, as well as pianist Jason versally acclaimed as an improviser of unsur- Grammy Award nominations; election as a mers in jazz. His approach to the drums is that Moran, trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, gui- passed genius; a master of jazz piano; a classical member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music of a complete musician, exploring the varied col- tarist Lionel Loueke, saxophonist Tim Ries, and pianist of great depth; and as a composer who (1996), then as both an Officier (1998) and a ors and timbres of his varied percussion instru- percussionist Luisito Quintero. has written hundreds of pieces for his various Commandeur (2007) de L’Ordre des Arts et des ments, rather than simple timekeeping. Mr. DeJohnette has garnered many awards, jazz groups, plus extended works for orchestra, Lettres (two of the highest honors of the French Born in 1942 in Chicago, Mr. DeJohnette including France’s prestigious Grand Prix du soloist, and chamber ensemble. Ministry of Culture), and in 2002 as a Fellow studied classical music and piano for ten years Disque (1979) and “Album of the Year” awards in Born in May 1945 in Allentown, of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences as a youth. In the mid-1960s he joined Muhal DownBeat’s 1984 Readers and 1989 Critics polls, Pennsylvania, Mr. Jarrett began playing piano (America’s oldest honorary society, founded in Richard Abrams and Roscoe Mitchell as a mem- and in Japan’s Swing Journal. He has the distinc- at age three and classical studies at age seven, 1780). He was awarded the 2003 Polar Music ber of the AACM, Chicago’s pioneering avant- tion of having been voted “Best Drummer” in undertaking formal composition studies at age Prize (one of the world’s most prestigious music garde collective musical ensemble. He then the DownBeat Readers Poll for an unprecedent- 15. In the mid-1960s, he began playing jazz, awards, presented by the King of Sweden) and moved to New York, playing first with Jackie ed 13 straight years, from 1980 to 1992, as well touring with Art Blakey, Charles Lloyd, and fi- the 2004 Léonie Sonning Prize in Copenhagen McLean, Betty Carter, and Abbey Lincoln be- as several more times in recent years, including nally with Miles Davis. By the late ’60s, he was (another of the world’s major music awards). In fore joining the Charles Lloyd Quartet alongside the 2013 Critics Poll. In 1991 Boston’s Berklee leading his own trio with bassist Charlie Haden 2008, he was inducted into the DownBeat Hall Mr. Jarrett. By 1967, he was playing with many College of Music awarded him an Honorary and drummer Paul Motian (soon to be a quartet of Fame; in January 2014, he will be honored of the period’s greatest improvisers, including Doctorate of Music, and in January 2012 he was with saxophonist Dewey Redman) and record- as an NEA Jazz Master at a special ceremony at Bill Evans, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, honored as a recipient of an NEA Jazz Master ing as a leader for the Atlantic, Columbia, and Jazz at Lincoln Center.