Ritual has been long out of the catalogue and is now released on CD for the first time, simultaneously with the 180g vinyl reissue. To listen to Ritual is akin to experiencing the core of a Jarrett solo concert. The interpreter may be different, but the lyrical expression is remarkably consistent. As Dennis Russell Davies says: "Those who know Keith will hear him in this music. It couldn't have been written by anyone else."
Keith Jarrett and conductor-pianist Dennis Russell Davies have been friends and musical comrades for forty years. In the mid-70s the St Paul Chamber Orchestra, under Davies' direction presented Jarrett's chamber music. In the 90s Jarrett recorded four Mozart piano concertos with Davies conducting the Stuttgarter Kammerorchester. Near the beginning of their association, Jarrett invited Davies to play this beautiful composition he had written for solo piano.
At the beginning of 2014, ECM issues seven important recordings from its back catalogue, all on 180g vinyl and CD, most of which have been out of stock for many years. For both CD and LP versions, the original analog recordings are issued in deluxe cardboard sleeves.
Personnel: Dennis Russell Davies (piano)