Keith Jarrett > My Wild Irish Rose
Composed by Chauncey Olcott

Never in a hundred years (OK, maybe 40) would it have occurred to me that I’d build our first artist week around Keith Jarrett. Hank Jones, Cecil Taylor, maybe Herbie Hancock? Them, I might have predicted. But year after year I keep pulling Keith albums out.

Particularly this one. (In fact, I featured it a year ago.) Not jazz in any traditional sense (no soloing), but I can’t imagine anyone but a jazzman interpreting melodies this way.

To me, this song was just an international cliche until I couldn’t dislodge Keith’s version from my head. He nails the melody so deeply…

Keith Jarrett Week #1
Legends of the Piano #2
Ballad #40 
Standards #8

Ballads #2 
Legends of the Piano #2
Standards #2

Keith Jarrett > Someone to Watch Over Me

Written by George & Ira Gershwin

Keith has become so overknown for his lengthy, free, improvisations one can forget his dedication to music of all kinds. Here’s a track from an album devoted solely to ballad melody, and it highlights the breathtaking beauty of the great American popular music of the 20th century.