Changeless is a live album by the Keith Jarrett Trio recorded at various venues over a week in October 1987 and released on ECM two years later. The trio—Jarrett's "Standards Trio"—features rhythm section Gary Peacock and Jack DeJohnette.
October 1987 tour Changeless is a compilation of tracks recorded during the "Standards trio" October 1987 North American tour in which, according to www.keithjarrett.org, offered 14 recitals in 28 days:Keith Jarrett 1987 live concerts accessed May 13, 2020
October 3 – Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, FL, USA October 8 – Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA October 9 – Lexington, KY, USA "Lifeline" October 11 – Convention Center, Dallas, TX, USA "Endless" October 12 – Wortham Center, Houston, TX, USA "Ecstasy" October 14 – Paramount Theater, Denver, CO, USA "Dancing" October 16 – Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA October 19 – Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA October 21 – Flynn Theater, Burlington, VT, USA October 23 – Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center, New York, NY, USA October 25 – Roy Thomson Hall, Toronto, OT, Canada October 27 – Orchestra Hall, Minneapolis, MN, USA October 29 – Eastman Theater, Rochester, NY, USA October 31 – Hill Auditorium, Ann Arbor, MI, USA November 1 – Ann Arbor, MI, USA
Reception
The AllMusic review by Richard S. Ginell awarded the album 4 stars and states, "This is a triumph, for Jarrett has successfully brought the organically evolving patterns of his solo concerts into the group format ... a genuine collective musical experience."Ginell, R. S. [ Allmusic Review] accessed March 23, 2010
The authors of The Penguin Guide to Jazz wrote that Changeless contains "original material which is deeply subversive (though also respectfully aware) of the whole tradition of jazz as a system of improvisation on 'the changes'... On Changeless, there are no chord progressions at all; the trio improvises each section in a single key, somewhat in the manner of an Indian raga. The results are impressive and thought-provoking, like everything Jarrett has attempted."
Jarrett biographer Wolfgang Sandner comment of Changeless: "Jarrett had, at last, combined his free-playing techniques with his trio style."
Track listing All music by Keith Jarrett "Dancing" (Denver) – 9:01 "Endless" (Dallas) – 15:32 "Lifeline" (Lexington) – 11:32 "Ecstacy" (Houston) – 12:59
Personnel
Keith Jarrett Trio Keith Jarrett – piano Gary Peacock – bass Jack DeJohnette – drums
Technical personnel Manfred Eicher – producer Jan Erik Kongshaug – remixing engineer Tom McKenney – recording engineer Dieter Rehm – design Gyokusei Jikihara – painting
References