Somewhere Before
Live album by
Keith Jarrett
ReleasedMay 1969[1]
RecordedAugust 30–31, 1968
VenueShelly's Manne-Hole in Hollywood, California (USA)
GenreJazz
Length38:30
LabelVortex Records
ProducerGeorge Avakian
Keith Jarrett chronology
Restoration Ruin
(1968) 		Somewhere Before
(1969) 		Gary Burton & Keith Jarrett
(1971)
Keith Jarrett American Group (first trio) chronology
Life Between the Exit Signs
(1967) 		Somewhere Before
(1969) 		The Mourning of a Star
(1971)

Somewhere Before is a live album by pianist Keith Jarrett recorded on August 30 and 31, 1968, at Shelly's Manne-Hole in Hollywood, California with his first trio, composed of Charlie Haden (bass) and Paul Motian (drums).

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz[3]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide[4]

The AllMusic review by Richard S. Ginell awarded the album 4 stars, stating, "As an example of early, unfocused Jarrett, this is fascinating material.".[2] The authors of the Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings commented: "Heavily rock-influenced and reminiscent of the methodology of the Charles Lloyd Quartet and the Miles Davis group, of which Jarrett was still a member... it has a freshness of approach that Jarrett quickly lost and was slow to regain."[5] Pianist / composer Ethan Iverson singled out "My Back Pages" for praise, stating: "Dylan recorded it as a waltz, but this backbeat 4/4 rendition emulates the hit version by The Byrds. Jarrett's control of light and shade, both in the melody and the accompaniment, gives his pianism a kind of glamour that can reach out and touch listeners from any background."[6]

Track listing

All compositions by Keith Jarrett except as indicated
  1. "My Back Pages" (Bob Dylan) - 5:24
  2. "Pretty Ballad" - 3:30
  3. "Moving Soon" - 4:24
  4. "Somewhere Before" - 6:50
  5. "New Rag" - 5:40
  6. "A Moment for Tears" - 3:07
  7. "Pouts' Over" (And the Day's Not Through) - 4:35
  8. "Dedicated to You" (Sammy Cahn, Saul Chaplin, Hy Zaret) - 5:00
  9. "Old Rag" - 2:37

Personnel

References

  1. ^ Billboard May 3, 1969
  2. ^ a b Ginell, R. Allmusic Review accessed September 17, 2011
  3. ^ Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 768. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
  4. ^ Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 112. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
  5. ^ Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2006). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings. Penguin Books. p. 696.
  6. ^ Iverson, Ethan. "Shades of Jazz (Keith Jarrett, Charlie Haden, Paul Motian, Dewey Redman)". Ethaniverson.com. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
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