Keith Jarret : My Song

When people talk about Keith Jarrett, they usually think first of the virtuoso pianist and his improvised solo performances. But alongside these, Jarrett’s “European Quartet” was active in the 1970s, leaving a profound mark on European jazz: Norwegian saxophonist Jan Garbarek, Swedish bassist Palle Danielsson, and Norwegian drummer Jon Christensen. My Song, recorded in 1977 and released the following year on ECM, is considered one of the quartet’s creative peaks and its most defining album.

What made My Song a masterpiece was the rare connection between melody and improvisation. Jarrett wrote all six compositions on the album, and instead of displaying complexity for its own sake, he created music with clear, almost songlike melodies alongside vast space for freedom. His piano and Garbarek’s one-of-a-kind sound engage in constant dialogue, while Danielsson and Christensen give the music movement and flexibility. The result can be quiet and contemplative one moment, then stormy and free the next—a sound very different from that of Jarrett’s American quartet, and one that became a hallmark of European jazz and ECM.

There is also something beautiful about the way the album came into being: the recording in Oslo followed a series of nine joint performances, so by the time the quartet entered the studio, the music had already passed through the stage and the connection between the four musicians was at its peak. The quartet itself was active for only a few years, but the sound it created continued to resonate and influence long afterward.

The title track, My Song, became the best-known of Jarrett’s compositions from this period, but the entire album—from Questar and Country to The Journey Home—showcases his rare ability to write music that sounds simple and natural at the same time, yet opens onto a rich world of improvisation.

The tribute will be led by saxophonist and composer Lenny Sendersky, who was born in St. Petersburg, studied and worked in Denmark, and later settled in Israel. Over the years, he has built an international career as a composer and performer, collaborating with musicians including Randy Brecker and Joe Locke. Sendersky, who plays alto and soprano saxophone, steps here into the role so strongly associated with Jan Garbarek—but brings to it his own musical voice.

Alongside him on piano will be Gadi Stern, co-founder of the trio SHALOSH and one of the active Israeli pianists on the international scene. Stern lived in New York for nearly a decade, where he developed within the local jazz scene. His playing, characterized by a strong melodic sense and rhythmic freedom, makes his encounter with Jarrett’s music especially intriguing.

The quartet is completed by David Michaeli on bass and Aviv Bona on drums. The evening will feature compositions from My Song, alongside pieces from Belonging—the first album by the European Quartet, on which the distinctive sound that reached maturity in My Song began to take shape.

Lenny Sendersky – saxophone
Gadi Stern – piano
David Michaeli – bass
Aviv Bona – drums