MORE DEER HEAD HIGHLIGHTS
The Deer Head Inn is an historic jazz club in Pennsylvania’s Delaware Water Gap region, and it played a significant role in Jarrett’s early career. In the 1950s, pianist Keith Jarrett performed at Allentown, PA’s Deer Head Inn as a teenager, a venue pivotal to his musical growth. In 1961, it hosted his first gig as a trio leader. In 1992, Jarrett returned to honor its legacy, playing to a packed house in a spontaneous performance that marked the only collaboration of this trio configuration.Decades later, in 1992, Jarrett returned there with bassist Gary Peacock and drummer Paul Motian for a one-off trio performance. The recordings from that evening produced the beloved 1994 album At the Deer Head Inn. Now, 30 years later, Jarrett and ECM Records’ Manfred Eicher have revisited the material, releasing The Old Country: More From the Deer Head Inn.
The recordings, originally intended as a personal reference, captured what Jarrett called “what jazz is all about.” Critics echoed this sentiment when At the Deer Head Inn was released in 1994, praising its lyricism and spellbinding quality. Now, The Old Country offers eight more pieces from that evening.
Like the original album, The Old Country features standards, including Cole Porter’s “All of You,” Thelonious Monk’s “Straight, No Chaser,” Jule Styne’s “I Fall in Love Too Easily,” and perennial favorite, Frank Churchill’s “Someday My Prince Will Come.” Jarrett’s ability to breathe fresh life into these familiar tunes, coupled with the unique dynamic of this trio, makes the performances exceptional. Motian plays with restraint, Peacock shines as a soloist, and Jarrett delivers stunning interpretations, such as his virtuosity on “All of Me” and the beautifully unified take on “Prince.” Other songs are Gershwin’s “How Long Has This Been Going On,” Victor Young’s “Golden Earrings,” and Nat Adderley’s “The Old Country.”
In the liner notes, Jarrett writes that the September 16, 1992, recording was made
on a "warm, humid, rainy, foggy autumn night in the Pocono Mountains."
For newcomers to Jarrett, his impassioned vocalizations—akin to Glenn Gould’s with Bach—add a raw, spontaneous layer to the music. For some, it may sound like a buzzing fly got sucked up into the recording machinery. While divisive, these sounds reflect the essence of Free Jazz: the expression of ideals only possible in the artist’s mind.
This release further cements Jarrett’s Deer Head Inn performances as a vital chapter in his exploration of jazz standards and the American songbook, making The Old Country not just a compelling listen but a document of historical significance.
