Treasure Island, released in early 1974, was the second of two albums pianist and composer
Keith Jarrett recorded for Impulse Records -- the first was
Fort Yawuh, issued a year earlier. Cut at Generation Sound Studios in New York City, the band consisted of
Jarrett on piano and soprano saxophone,
Dewey Redman on tenor, bassist
Charlie Haden, and drummer
Paul Motian. And though he would more than likely disagree, this was the best band he ever led. In addition to the quartet, guitarist Sam Brown contributes to a pair of cuts here as
Guilherme Franco and
Danny Johnson add percussion to the mix. The set kicks off with the beautiful "The Rich (And the Poor)," a folkish melody of the type
Jarrett was exploring on ECM at the time, with some stellar African undertones -- it's easy to hear the majesty of
Abdullah Ibrahim's South African musical sphere in this mix, and earthy deep, sparer work by
Redman and
Haden. The brief "Blue Streak," by contrast, is full-on and busy with melody and interplay between
Redman and
Motian. More speculative group improvisation occurs on "Fullsuvollivus," which travels decidedly outside, and the title cut with
Sam Jones on electric guitar in place of
Redman is a lithe, elegant, midtempo ballad that showcases
Jarrett's truly magnificent melodic work in front of this enlarged rhythm section. The hardest groover on this set is their killer "Le Mistral," with some gorgeous interplay between
Haden and
Motian, and some extended solo work by
Redman. "Angles (Without Edges)" is a dense construction that involves some taut counterpoint between
Redman and
Jarrett, even as the rhythm section tries to push them both inside toward one another --
Redman slips out of the frame a few times to excellent effect.
Haden's solo is also particularly noteworthy. Brown returns on the closer "Sister Fortune," a track with almost rockist overtones.
Jarrett had perhaps heard some records in his day, particularly from the Atlantic catalog, and he put that spin on this melody, which incorporates groove, repetitive and circular rhythm, and a songlike melodic structure with minimal improvisation -- though his own fills are quite stunning and deep in the pulse pocket. This is a terrific sendoff to a very fertile, creative period and begs the question as to what else may have happened had this band been able to explore their unique, fully communal sound together for more than a pair of albums. ~ Thom Jurek