Jasmine

Keith Jarrett and Charlie Haden record Jasmine for ECM. I purchased my copy from HD Tracks, a website that specializes in high-definition recordings, and my copy of these album comes in a 24-bit version. It was purportedly recorded in Jarrett's own home recording studio, just piano and bass, a collection of 8 tracks that the jazz greats chose to record together. Most tracks are of the genre I'd say are "melody heavy, feel good ballads." This is superb dinner music for a great meal, or perhaps as Jarrett suggests, it's an album for cozying up to a roaring fire with. Haden has a more casual, simple style than usual Jarrett bassist Gary Peacock; he too has a softer attack. The duo together seems to just be playing for the fun of it... you can hear enough noise in the room (with close miking) that it sounds personal and casual. And while that might take points away for some, it's a quite honest thing, I think, and something you won't necessarily hear unless you're listening with headphones. This reminds me nothing of the night blooming jasmine I experienced in Maui earlier this year, but it's an almost equally-enjoyable experience. This album doesn't have the range of emotion usually found in Jarrett's trio recordings, but it's so well done, and for those who care, is light on Jarrett's vocalizations.