1977 · Album
Tales of Another
Recorded February 2, 1977 · ECM · Produced by Not specified in provided sources
Three Equals in Conversation
Peacock, Jarrett, and DeJohnette move through these improvisations as true collaborators, each voice heard clearly.
From the first notes, this sounds like three musicians in a room together, listening hard. The bass doesn't sit underneath—it moves through the center of things. Keith Jarrett's piano arrives in response, never dominating, often sparse. Jack DeJohnette's drums breathe rather than drive. The tempos shift. Some stretches drift into near-stillness. Others find a gentle momentum. There's air between the notes. It's the sound of equals talking, which is exactly what the title promises.
This was the first recording by what would later become known as Jarrett's Standards Trio, though calling it that here misses the point—Gary Peacock is the composer and the reason we're listening. AllMusic reviewer Scott Yanow noted the genuine support running through these sessions, the ease with which these three communicate during moments of real harmonic complexity. The Penguin Guide to Jazz's reviewers heard something similar: a "wonderful coherence" to Peacock's conception, and they went out of their way to say this wasn't Jarrett's album with a guest bassist. The pianist was clearly home in this material, intuitive and responsive.
If you know Peacock's other work, this lands differently than his solo piano records or his earlier modal experiments. The trio format suits him—it lets his composing breathe without needing orchestration or overdubs. It's straightforward music, not flashy, and that's precisely what makes it last.
Who's playing
Where next?
More by Gary Peacock
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Paul Bley with Gary Peacock 1970
Guamba 1987
Voices 1971
The musicians on this record
The Köln Concert 1975
Keith Jarrett
plays piano here
plays piano here
Parallel Realities 1978
Jack DeJohnette
plays drums (drum set) here
plays drums (drum set) here
