Few albums capture the delicate balance between lyricism and improvisational fire as perfectly as Keith Jarrett’s My Song. Originally released in 1978 on ECM Records, this record stands as a pinnacle of the so-called “European Quartet” era—featuring the legendary saxophonist Jan Garbarek, bassist Palle Danielsson, and drummer Jon Christensen. In 2015, ECM and producer Manfred Eicher revisited the master tapes to produce a high-resolution digital edition: FLAC 24-bit/192kHz.
The title track, "My Song," is arguably one of Jarrett’s most famous melodies—a simple, 12-bar folk song structure that feels like a lullaby for the soul. Tracks like "Tabarka" (named for a Tunisian town) and "The Journey Home" showcase Garbarek’s ethereal, long-toned saxophone floating over Christensen’s shimmering cymbals and Danielsson’s walking, woody bass. Historically, this album has suffered from a common problem: the original vinyl and early CD pressings, while beautiful, masked some of the low-level detail and instrumental separation. Keith Jarrett - My Song -2015- -FLAC 24-192-
While Keith Jarrett was concurrently leading his "American Quartet" (featuring Dewey Redman and Charlie Haden), he formed a contrasting ensemble with three Scandinavian masters that would become known as the European Quartet: Keith Jarrett: Piano and percussion. Jan Garbarek: Tenor and soprano saxophones. Palle Danielsson: Double bass. Jon Christensen: Drums. Keith Jarrett – My Song (2015 Remaster) –
On the track “My Song,” Garbarek’s soprano saxophone floats over Jarrett’s chordal vamps. In the 16-bit version, the sax’s overtone series sounds smooth but slightly homogenized. In 24-192, you hear the actual grain of the reed. The breath articulation before a note, the metallic ring of the key pads—these are not distracting details; they are the vocabulary of the performance. Format: FLAC 24-192 Duration: 71:04 Label: ECM Records