Keith Jarrett, American group -- 1st Gig?

[Guy Berger]

Alas, Olivier Bruchez's list of Keith Jarrett setlists seems to have disappeared (or evaded my google attempts), so I was wondering: does anyone know when Dewey Redman first appeared in concert with the Jarrett/Haden/Motian trio? I know they recorded together in the studio as early as 1971, but I have a trio-only live recording from late 1972 (Munich). Did Dewey only start gigging with them in early 1973 (c. Fort Yawuh)?

Guy

[Guy Berger]

The Way Back Machine bails me out. Here's the final known (to me) recorded gig of the trio. The first known recorded gig of the group with Dewey is the Village Vanguard appearance on Fort Yawuh.

Guy

[Michael Fitzgerald]

Isn't this www.keithjarrett.org ?

January 16-21, 1973 at the Village Vanguard is the earliest documented show I have for Redman in the quartet, but I haven't seriously researched this. Fort Yawuh was late February. The Ian Carr book does say Redman joined in 1972, but it's not perfect (nor am I). Redman was working with Ornette Coleman quite a bit in 1972 as a sideman with others, and as a leader at places like Studio Rivbea. He continued to do so in 1973.

Mike

[Guy Berger]

  Michael Fitzgerald said:

Isn't this www.keithjarrett.org ?

Yeah, but Olivier took his trade list (which is, AFAIK, the best "unofficial" discography out there) offline a while back.

  Quote

January 16-21, 1973 at the Village Vanguard is the earliest documented show I have for Redman in the quartet, but I haven't seriously researched this. Fort Yawuh was late February. The Ian Carr book does say Redman joined in 1972, but it's not perfect (nor am I). Redman was working with Ornette Coleman quite a bit in 1972 as a sideman with others, and as a leader at places like Studio Rivbea. He continued to do so in 1973.

I vaguely recall an interview with Redman (maybe on the recent KJ DVD -- can someone who owns this check?) where he said that initially he played half the year with Keith and half with Ornette. Maybe he mentioned a starting year?

Thanks for the info, Mike.

Guy

[marcello]

You know, I've been tranfering some old tapes that I made off the radio to cd recently and I have been planing to do that to a couple that I have of this group.

The information for those would be nice, if I can ferret it out of the air.

I liked this band much better than the European band.

Just one man's opinion.

[fkimbrough]

I saw Paul Motian tonight and after seeing this thread, asked him if he remembered Dewey's first gig with Keith's band, and he replied that it was a Tuesday night sometime in 1972. They played a week at Slug's in the East Village, beginning the night after Lee Morgan was shot there. Haven't had time to check the dates, but he seemed sure about it, and said the vibe in the club that week was pretty deep.

[Michael Fitzgerald]

Quite right!

"At Slug's, Keith Jarrett headed a very interesting group for a week in February, with Dewey Redman, reeds; Charlie Haden, bass; Paul Motian, drums. It was good to hear Jarrett on acoustic piano once again, and he seemed much improved on soprano saxophone. Elvin Jones followed and McCoy Tyner was next."

db 4/13/72 p.40

So that's Dewey nearly a whole year earlier than previously documented.

The Tuesday following Morgan's killing (Feb. 19) would have been Feb. 22. If the gig ran Tuesday-Sunday, the end would have been Feb. 27. New York Times of this period gives minimal coverage of Slugs', but Village Voice would be a possibility for further info.

Mike

[Guy Berger]

Frank, thanks a lot for the info (and thank Paul as well) -- it looks like we got a real lead!

Guy

p.s. I guess it's too much to hope that Paul has a tape of that gig?

Edited August 8, 2005 by Guy

[Guy Berger]

Someone on the Keith Jarrett list posted the following about something Keith said at his recent solo concert in LA:

  Quote

He lost me with one of his comments. He was talking about being asked if he was going to play

with his American quartet in the same club where Lee Morgan had been shot by his wife the night before. He

then linked this to why we don't need drugs in America.

Guy

[andybleaden]

Good grief that is alot of live recordings

I thought my 5 or 6 bootlegs was a big collection

I wonder if there is one for Lee Morgan or John Patton like that

[bertrand]

In the Lee Morgan folder at IJS, there is a copy of the flyer for Slug's showing that Keith Jarrett was scheduled to play there right after the infamous week that Lee never got to finish. It must have said quartet, because I remember thinking 'wow - Dewey Redman was scheduled to be at the club right after Lee was killed'. I always assumed the gig did not take place. I stand corrected.

Bertrand.

[mailman]

  Michael Fitzgerald said:

Isn't this www.keithjarrett.org ?

January 16-21, 1973 at the Village Vanguard is the earliest documented show I have for Redman in the quartet, but I haven't seriously researched this. Fort Yawuh was late February. The Ian Carr book does say Redman joined in 1972, but it's not perfect (nor am I). Redman was working with Ornette Coleman quite a bit in 1972 as a sideman with others, and as a leader at places like Studio Rivbea. He continued to do so in 1973.

Mike

I recall seeing Redman with Coleman at the Prince Street loft somewhere between 1972 and 1974. An unforgetable evening. I wish I could remember who was on Bass and Drums but I seem to have developed CRS.

[Adam]

  Guy said:

Someone on the Keith Jarrett list posted the following about something Keith said at his recent solo concert in LA:

  Quote

He lost me with one of his comments. He was talking about being asked if he was going to play

with his American quartet in the same club where Lee Morgan had been shot by his wife the night before. He

then linked this to why we don't need drugs in America.

Guy

That was a really bizarre and funny note. I meant to ask the board if he was really meant to play Slug's the week after Morgan was shot, because that's what he said. I noted the story as this:

"Back when I had the American quartet in the 1970s, we were going to play at the place where Lee Morgan's wife shot him on the following night. I was asked if I was going to play, and I said sure I'm going to play. (beat beat) We don't need drugs in America, if only we all knew what we have here."

I interpreted it as saying that life in the USA is so wacky & strange & rich that we don't need drugs; we can get high on life here.