Treasure Island cover

Treasure Island

Released

One of the most gloriously ’70s jazz albums ever made, this was the studio debut of Keith Jarrett’s quartet with saxophonist Dewey Redman, bassist Charlie Haden, and drummer Paul Motian (it also features guitarist Sam Brown and percussionists Danny Johnson and Guilherme Franco). The opener, “The Rich (And The Poor),” is a bluesy ballad that could have played over the closing credits of a Norman Lear sitcom, while Blue Streak has the feel of Vince Guaraldi’s music for the animated Peanuts cartoons, and the interplay between piano and guitar on the title track hits that magic sweet spot between Chuck Mangione and Steely Dan. There are some free/out moments, but mostly this is extremely smooth stuff, in a good way.

Phil Freeman

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