Standards 2
TheStandardstitle here doesn't just refer to the familiar repertoire of classic American songs, since the opening "So Tender" is a Keith Jarrett original. The title is also an allusion to high standards, the level to which this group consistently plays on this 1983 continuation ofStandards, Volume 1. Jarrett andJack DeJohnettehad first come to prominence together as members ofCharles Lloyd's quartet in the '60s, and there's a special empathy between them, Jarrett's rhapsodic inventions fueled by DeJohnette's loose yet sparkling playing.Gary Peacock, a veteran of piano trios with Jarrett's principal influencesBill EvansandPaul Bley, is an ideal bassist for this format, anchoring the music with his rich, woody sound while generating detailed countermelody with horn-like fluency. Alec Wilder's "Moon and Sand," more art song than standard, generates emotionally compelling and harmonically adventurous work.--Stuart Broomer