Shades (Keith Jarrett album)

1976 studio album by Keith Jarrett

Shades

Studio album by

Keith Jarrett

Released| 1976[1]
Recorded| December 10–12, 1975
Studio| Generation Sound Studios, New York City (USA)
Genre| Jazz
Length| 33:46
Label| Impulse!
Producer| Esmond Edwards
Keith Jarrett chronology
| Mysteries
(1976)  | Shades
(1976)  | Hymns/Spheres
(1976)

|
|

Keith Jarrett American Quartet chronology
| Mysteries
(1976)  | Shades
(1976)  | The Survivors' Suite
(1977)

|
|

Shades is the fifth album on the Impulse label by jazz pianist Keith Jarrett. Originally released in 1976, it features performances by Jarrett's 'American Quartet', which included Dewey Redman, Charlie Haden and Paul Motian with Guilherme Franco added on percussion.

Aside from appearing in the Mysteries: The Impulse Years 1975-1976 boxset, Shades was only issued on compact disc in Japan, packaged in a miniature replica of the original vinyl LP sleeve. In October 2011, it was reissued internationally as part of the Impulse! 2-on-1 series, packaged with Mysteries in a single disc format titled Mysteries / Shades.

## Music

[edit]

Jarrett biographer Wolfgang Sandner stated that, with Shades, "we are dealing with... the be-bop tradition plus some widenings of range toward free jazz," noting that, although the pieces on the album tend to use the standard theme/solo/theme format, in "Diatribe," "musical parameters like structure and formal construction lose significance in sections with those unbelievable tremolo bass strokes by Charlie Haden, waterfalls of sound wildly swept over the keyboard by Keith Jarrett, and Dewey Redman growling, biting, and snarling with his mouthpiece, squelching musical phrases in orgiastic screams."[2]

In his book Free Jazz, Harmolodics, and Ornette Coleman, author Stephen Rush noted Coleman's influence on Jarrett, calling "Shades of Jazz" "a foray by Keith Jarrett deep into the land of Harmolodics."[3] Regarding Jarrett's solo on the piece, Rush commented: "Jarrett keeps his left hand 'out of the way.' For the most part he plays the piano the way Ornette plays the horn - weaving in and out of harmonic areas or implications."[4] While Jarrett stays close to the key of F, and uses phrasing to generate a sense of swing, the solo is "almost James Joycean in its free flow, it often starts with short snippets followed by longer and longer phrases... Jarrett changes the rules of the game by playing an instrument that does not imply harmony in a linear way, but of course can play the chords themselves."[5]

## Reception

[edit]

Professional ratingsReview scores

Source| Rating
Allmusic| [6]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide| [7]

The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow awarded the album 4½ stars, stating, "Throughout, bassist Charlie Haden, drummer Paul Motian and percussionist Guilherme Franco keep the band's juices flowing.".[6]

Pianist / composer Ethan Iverson declared that "every piece on Shades... is exceptional." He described "Shades of Jazz" as "a goddamn classic," and called "Southern Smiles" "one of the Jarrett's best folk-rock-gospel numbers, joyous and unrestrained," praising Redman's solo as "'wrong' but oh so right." Regarding "Rose Petals," he wrote "the opening melody is perfect, a blend of stately and crunchy. Oh baby, what are you doing to me?" Concerning "Diatribe," Iverson commented: "The masterworks continue with the band at their most deconstructed. Haden goes all in with the bow, and the expanded percussion section is hilarious. Jarrett bangs around: he is so much better at this now than he was at the beginning, the pitches are more controlled, the phrases connect. And Dewey Redman is there, screaming through his horn. Everything Redman plays links the deepest blues to the most esoteric avant-garde."[8]

In an article for Burning Ambulance, Phil Freeman stated: "This is an excellent record. It's definitely the farthest out I've heard the group go so far." He called "Shades of Jazz" "a red-hot track, and a great start to the album," and remarked: "Charlie Haden and Paul Motian set up a powerful groove that swings so hard it's almost dance music. Redman reappears just after the halfway mark, and tears into a solo that sends the whole thing rocketing skyward." Concerning "Diatribe," Freeman wrote: "Jarrett... is really pounding away, heading almost into Cecil Taylor territory. Redman's solo is a festival of growl and skronk, basically prefiguring Charles Gayle, and there's both drumming and other percussion behind him, making for a ferocious overall attack that reminds me of the title track from Archie Shepp's The Magic Of Ju-Ju."[9]

## Tributes

[edit]

A version of "Shades of Jazz" was recorded by a group featuring saxophonist Joe Lovano, trumpeter Tom Harrell, bassist Dennis Irwin, and drummer Adam Nussbaum for a 2000 album titled As Long as You're Living Yours: The Music of Keith Jarrett.[10] A reviewer for The Washington Post praised this rendition as "a joyous tennis game of volleyed phrases, pointing out Jarrett's great debt to the free-jazz aesthetic of Ornette Coleman."[11]

Saxophonist Branford Marsalis recorded a version of "Rose Petals" for his 1990 album Crazy People Music.[12]

On June 29, 2014, a group featuring saxophonist Greg Osby, keyboard players Dan Tepfer and James Weidman, bassist Ben Allison, and drummer Matt Wilson honored Jarrett with a concert titled "Shades of Jazz: Keith Jarrett's Music" at the Iridium Jazz Club in New York City.[13][14]

## Track listing

[edit]

All compositions by Keith Jarrett

1. "Shades of Jazz" - 9:54
2. "Southern Smiles" - 7:52
3. "Rose Petals" - 8:56
4. "Diatribe" - 7:04

## Personnel

[edit]

* Keith Jarrett – piano, wood drums, percussion
* Dewey Redman – tenor saxophone, maracas, tambourine
* Charlie Haden – bass
* Paul Motian – drums, percussion
* Guilherme Franco – percussion

Production

* Esmond Edwards – producer
* Tony May – engineer (recording)
* Tom Wilkes – art director
* Harry Mittman – photography

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Discogs Keith Jarrett: Shades accessed June 2020
2. ^ Sandner, Wolfgang (2020). Keith Jarrett: A Biography. Translated by Jarrett, Chris. Equinox. p. 76.
3. ^ Rush, Stephen (2016). Free Jazz, Harmolodics, and Ornette Coleman. Taylor & Francis. p. 190.
4. ^ Rush, Stephen (2016). Free Jazz, Harmolodics, and Ornette Coleman. Taylor & Francis. p. 191.
5. ^ Rush, Stephen (2016). Free Jazz, Harmolodics, and Ornette Coleman. Taylor & Francis. p. 192.
6. ^ a b Yanow, S. Allmusic Review accessed September 15, 2011
7. ^ Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 112\. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
8. ^ Iverson, Ethan (21 October 2020). "Shades of Jazz (Keith Jarrett, Charlie Haden, Paul Motian, Dewey Redman)". Ethaniverson.com. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
9. ^ Freeman, Phil (August 4, 2017). "Keith Jarrett in the 70s". Burning Ambulance. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
10. ^ Ginell, Richard S. "Various Artists: As Long as You're Living Yours: The Music of Keith Jarrett". AllMusic. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
11. ^ Futterman, Steve (April 16, 2000). "An Unamplified Salute to Keith Jarrett". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
12. ^ Yanow, Scott. "Branford Marsalis: Crazy People Music". AllMusic. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
13. ^ "June Calendar" (PDF). The New York City Jazz Record. June 2014. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
14. ^ "Shades of Jazz: Keith Jarrett's Music". The New Yorker. March 20, 2014. Retrieved January 15, 2022.

* v
* t
* e

Keith Jarrett

Discography

Studio albums|

* Life Between the Exit Signs (1968)
* Restoration Ruin (1968)
* Gary Burton & Keith Jarrett (1971)
* The Mourning of a Star (1971)
* Facing You (1972)
* Birth (1972)
* Expectations (1972)
* Ruta and Daitya (1973)
* Belonging (1974)
* Treasure Island (1974)
* In the Light (1974)
* El Juicio (The Judgement) (1975)
* Back Hand (1975)
* Death and the Flower (1975)
* Mysteries (1976)
* Shades (1976)
* Arbour Zena (1976)
* Hymns/Spheres (1976)
* Staircase (1977)
* Byablue (1977)
* The Survivors' Suite (1977)
* My Song (1978)
* Bop-Be (1978)
* The Celestial Hawk (1980)
* G.I. Gurdjieff: Sacred Hymns (1980)
* Invocations/The Moth and the Flame (1981)
* Standards, Vol. 1 (1983)
* Changes (1984)
* Standards, Vol. 2 (1985)
* Spirits (1986)
* Book of Ways (1987)
* Bridge of Light (1994)
* The Melody at Night, with You (1999)
* Jasmine (2010)
* No End (2013)
* Last Dance (2014)

Live albums|

* Somewhere Before (1969)
* Solo Concerts: Bremen/Lausanne (1973)
* Fort Yawuh (1973)
* The Köln Concert (1975)
* Sun Bear Concerts (1978)
* Eyes of the Heart (1979)
* Nude Ants (1980)
* Concerts (1982)
* Standards Live (1986)
* Still Live (1988)
* Dark Intervals (1988)
* Personal Mountains (1989)
* Changeless (1989)
* Paris Concert (1990)
* Tribute (1990)
* The Cure (1991)
* Vienna Concert (1992)
* At the Deer Head Inn (1994)
* Standards in Norway (1995)
* Keith Jarrett at the Blue Note (1995)
* La Scala (1997)
* Tokyo '96 (1998)
* Whisper Not (2000)
* Inside Out (2001)
* Always Let Me Go (2002)
* Up for It (2003)
* The Out-of-Towners (2004)
* Radiance (2005)
* The Carnegie Hall Concert (2006)
* My Foolish Heart (2007)
* Yesterdays (2009)
* Paris / London: Testament (2009)
* Rio (2011)
* Sleeper (2012)
* Somewhere (2013)
* Hamburg '72 (2014)
* Creation (2015)
* A Multitude of Angels (2016)
* After the Fall (2018)
* La Fenice (2018)
* Munich 2016 (2019)
* Budapest Concert (2020)
* Bordeaux Concert (2022)

Compilation albums|

* Mysteries: The Impulse Years 1975–1976 (1996)
* The Impulse Years: 1973–1974 (1997)

* v
* t
* e

Paul Motian

Albums|

* Conception Vessel (1972)
* Tribute (1974)
* Dance (1977)
* Le Voyage (1979)
* Psalm (1981)
* The Story of Maryam (1983)
* It Should've Happened a Long Time Ago (1984)
* Jack of Clubs (1984)
* Misterioso (1986)
* One Time Out (1987)
* Monk in Motian (1988)
* On Broadway Volume 1 (1988)
* On Broadway Volume 2 (1989)
* Bill Evans (1990)
* Motian in Tokyo (1991)
* On Broadway Volume 3 (1991)
* Paul Motian and the Electric Bebop Band (1992)
* Trioism (1993)
* Reincarnation of a Love Bird (1994)
* At the Village Vanguard (1995)
* Sound of Love (1995)
* Flight of the Blue Jay (1996)
* Trio 2000 + One (1997)
* Play Monk and Powell (1998)
* Europe (2000)
* Holiday for Strings (2001)
* Garden of Eden (2004)
* I Have the Room Above Her (2004)
* On Broadway Vol. 4 or The Paradox of Continuity (2005)
* Live at the Village Vanguard (2006)
* Live at the Village Vanguard Vol. II (2006)
* Live at the Village Vanguard Vol. III (2006)
* Time and Time Again (2006)
* On Broadway Volume 5 (2008)
* Lost in a Dream (2009)
* The Windmills of Your Mind (2010)

Tethered
Moon|

(Masabumi Kikuchi, Paul Motian and Gary Peacock)

* First Meeting (1990–91)
* Tethered Moon Play Kurt Weill (1994)
* Chansons d'Édith Piaf (1999)
* Experiencing Tosca (2002)

Trio|

(Geri Allen, Charlie Haden and Paul Motian)

* Etudes (1987)
* In the Year of the Dragon (1989)
* Segments (1989)
* The Montreal Tapes: with Geri Allen and Paul Motian (Haden, 1989)
* Live at the Village Vanguard (1990)

Discography

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

|

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