Home

Miles Davis and Keith Jarrett: An Electric Connection

by saxo12 de February de 20240187

In 1970, pianist Keith Jarrett, fresh from a four year run with Charles Lloyd’s Quartet, joined the Miles Davis Group. Although he’d already made quite a reputation as an acoustic pianist, Keith began playing electric piano and the organ with Miles. And playing the sort of funky Jazz fusion that was breaking musical barriers and opening the music to an entirely new audience.

Although he stayed with Miles for nearly eighteen months, once he left the group, he never played electric instruments again. Shortly thereafter, his concerts became lengthy solo piano improvisations, and then music from the Great American Songbook with his Standards Trio.

What remains of his tenure with Miles are a handful of live recorings (they never went into the studio), and video of their performances at Tanglewood, the Isle of Wigt Festival, and a lengthly European tour. This video features a montage of Keith’s electric playing with Miles, from concerts in Berlin and Oslo.

For more on this remarkable creative amalgam, check out the Podcast series Miles 70, which features saxophonist Gary Bartz, also in that Miles group with Keith, and more performance footage.

Please check out the Podcast Miles 70 an eight part series with comprehensive Gary Bartz interviews, and more performances from this group.