Changes (Keith Jarrett album)

Changes is a jazz album recorded by Keith Jarrett, Jack DeJohnette and Gary Peacock in January 1983 during the same sessions that produced the two albums Standards, Vol. 1 and Standards, Vol. 2; the albums together started a long performing and recording career for what became known as the Standards Trio. Changes was released by ECM Records in September 1984.[1]

Changes
Studio album by Keith Jarrett
Released	1984, September [1]
Recorded	1983, January 11–12
Venue	Power Station, New York City (USA)
Genre	Jazz
Length	37:25
Label	ECM Records [ECM 1276]
Producer	Manfred Eicher
Keith Jarrett chronology
Standards, Vol. 1 (1983) Changes (1984) Standards, Vol. 2 (1985)
Jarrett / Peacock / DeJohnette chronology
Standards, Vol. 1 (1983) Changes (1983) Standards, Vol. 2 (1985)

In 2008 the three albums were collected into a boxed set, Setting Standards: New York Sessions.[2]

Background

Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock and Jack DeJohnette had originally worked together on Peacock's 1977 album Tales of Another. In 1983, they came back together after producer Manfred Eicher proposed a trio album to Jarrett.[3] The three joined in a studio in Manhattan, New York for a roughly 2-day session during which they recorded enough material for three albums, the two Standards volumes and Changes, without rehearsing or pre-planning the playlist.

The track "Prism" had been part of the repertoire of Jarrett's "European quartet" in the late 1970s. Two separate recordings of the European quartet playing the song in 1979 were later released: one on the 1989 album Personal Mountains, and one on the 2012 album Sleeper.

Original notes

The austere and minimalist designs of Jarrett albums' layouts on ECM (a label's trademark) are sometimes filled with notes, poems, quotes or even long stories. In the original 1984 ECM LP and CD issues this Rilke poem can be found:[4]

"If I don’t manage to fly, someone else will.
The Spirit wants only that there be flying.
As for who happens to do it,
in that he has only a passing interest."

Reception

The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow awarded the album 4 stars, stating, "Unlike the other two Keith Jarrett trio recordings from January 1983, this collaboration with bassist Gary Peacock and drummer Jack DeJohnette does not feature standards. The trio performs the 30-minute "Flying" and a 6-minute "Prism," both of them Jarrett originals. "Flying," which has several sections, keeps one's interest throughout while the more concise "Prism" has a beautiful melody. It is a nice change to hear Jarrett (who normally plays unaccompanied) interacting with a trio of superb players.".[5]

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[5]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide	[6]

Track listing

All music by Keith Jarrett

1. "Flying Part 1" - 16:06
2. "Flying Part 2" - 13:38
3. "Prism" - 6:31

Personnel

• Keith Jarrett – piano
• Jack DeJohnette – drums
• Gary Peacock – double bass

Technical Personnel (the other "trio")

• Jan Erik Kongshaug - Recording Engineer
• Barbara Wojirsch - Cover Design and Layout
• Manfred Eicher - Production

References

1. ECM Records Keith Jarrett: Changes, accessed May 2020
2. Kelman, John. (January 16, 2008) Setting Standards: New York Sessions All About Jazz. Retrieved September 2008.
3. Gans, Charles J. (2008-01-24). "Keith Jarrett Trio Celebrates 25 Years". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on 2008-10-24. Retrieved 2008-09-12.
4. Zbigniew Granat (September 2003) The Free Spirit: Inside Out DownBeat. Retrieved May 2020.
5. Yanow, S. Allmusic Review accessed July 18, 2011
6. Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 112. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.