When Keith Jarrett and Charlie Haden released ‘Jasmine’ in 2010, it was a cause for celebration. It was the first time these two great musicians had worked together for thirty years. For many listeners, it was also a welcome change from the seemingly endless supply of live recordings by Keith Jarrett’s trio. ‘Jasmine’ was an informal recording, made at Jarrett’s home studio, but it was also music that was pared back to the bare essentials, reduced to its purest form. And it was a delight, from start to finish.
Four years on, the release of ‘Last Dance’ – just one month before Haden passed away – felt tinged with sadness. We knew that the bass player had been suffering from post-polio syndrome, and cancelled tour dates suggested that playing was becoming more difficult. The title of the new album suggested the end was near, and the fact that the album closes with a poignant reading of ‘Goodbye’ by Gordon Jenkins seemed to confirm our worst fears.
‘Last Dance’ was recorded back in 2007, at the same recording session as ‘Jasmine’. The format is similar, the duo keeping to standards, and maintaining the late-night vibe of the previous set. The opening track, ‘My Old Flame’, sets the tone; a slow, stately reading of Sam Coslow’s standard, originally recorded by Mae West with Duke Ellington, but more familiar perhaps from recordings by Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald. Jarrett’s playing captures the feel of the lyric to perfection, and Haden, as always, seems to find the just the right notes.
Monk’s ‘’Round Midnight’ is almost unrecognisable here, courtesy of a long, teasing introduction by Jarrett, whilst Bud Powell’s ‘Dance Of The Infidels’ is the only uptempo number on the record, and finds Jarrett on playful form.
Two tunes here are alternate takes from ‘Jasmine’; ‘Where Can I Go Without You’, which is taken at a similar pace to the original, and the aforementioned ‘Goodbye’, which closes the set. This version is much slower, achingly beautiful, and provides a fitting farewell to one of the finest of jazz bass players.
