Two Masters Revisiting Their Own Ghosts
Last Dance proves that sometimes the best material gets a second life when the moment finally arrives.
Last Dance is an unusual record in Keith Jarrett's catalog—not because it breaks new ground, but because it doesn't try to. Recorded at Jarrett's home studio in March 2007, these sessions produced outtakes and alternate takes that didn't make Jasmine (2010), the album released four years earlier. When ECM finally issued Last Dance in June 2014, seven years after those sessions, you get the sense that producer Manfred Eicher was waiting for the right moment to release material that had already sat in the vault for years. This is strictly for people already familiar with Jarrett and Charlie Haden's partnership.
What you hear here is two musicians completely comfortable with each other—Jarrett's piano inventive and fleet, Haden's bass anchoring everything with that particular warmth he brought to every session. There's nothing flashy about these performances. They're working through standards and originals with the ease of people who've spent decades together. If you've never heard Jarrett play piano duos with bass, this won't blow your mind the way hearing him discover something new might. The material here is solid without being urgent. These are genuine outtakes, which means they didn't quite fit the narrative of another album, even though they're played well.
In Jarrett's discography, Last Dance sits in the periphery—interesting for committed fans, especially those who want the complete picture of his relationship with Haden, but not essential. It's not the album to start with if you're new to either musician. But if you've spent time with their earlier duet work and want more of that conversation, you'll find it here. Think of it as a bonus chapter rather than a new book.
Who's playing
Charlie Hadendouble bass
Keith Jarrettpiano
Where next?
The musicians on this record
Their own records, close in time
