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Somewhere Before
Live album by Keith Jarrett
Released	May 1969
Recorded	August 30–31, 1968
Venue	Shelly's Manne-Hole in Hollywood, California (USA)
Genre	Jazz
Length	38:30
Label	Vortex Records
Producer	George Avakian
Keith Jarrett chronology
Restoration Ruin (1968) Somewhere Before (1969) Gary Burton & Keith Jarrett (1971)
Keith Jarrett American Group (first trio) chronology
Life Between the Exit Signs (1967) Somewhere Before (1969) The Mourning of a Star (1971)

Somewhere Before is a live album by pianist Keith Jarrett recorded on August 30 and 31, 1968, at Shelly's Manne-Hole in Hollywood, California with his first trio, composed of Charlie Haden (bass) and Paul Motian (drums).

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
The Penguin Guide to Jazz
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide

The AllMusic review by Richard S. Ginell awarded the album 4 stars, stating, "As an example of early, unfocused Jarrett, this is fascinating material.". The authors of the Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings commented: "Heavily rock-influenced and reminiscent of the methodology of the Charles Lloyd Quartet and the Miles Davis group, of which Jarrett was still a member... it has a freshness of approach that Jarrett quickly lost and was slow to regain." Pianist / composer Ethan Iverson singled out "My Back Pages" for praise, stating: "Dylan recorded it as a waltz, but this backbeat 4/4 rendition emulates the hit version by The Byrds. Jarrett's control of light and shade, both in the melody and the accompaniment, gives his pianism a kind of glamour that can reach out and touch listeners from any background."

Track listing

All compositions by Keith Jarrett except as indicated

1. "My Back Pages" (Bob Dylan) - 5:24
2. "Pretty Ballad" - 3:30
3. "Moving Soon" - 4:24
4. "Somewhere Before" - 6:50
5. "New Rag" - 5:40
6. "A Moment for Tears" - 3:07
7. "Pouts' Over" (And the Day's Not Through) - 4:35
8. "Dedicated to You" (Sammy Cahn, Saul Chaplin, Hy Zaret) - 5:00
9. "Old Rag" - 2:37

Personnel

• Keith Jarrett - piano
• Charlie Haden - double-bass
• Paul Motian - drums

References

1. Billboard May 3, 1969
2. ^ Ginell, R. Allmusic Review accessed September 17, 2011
3. Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 768. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
4. Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 112. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
5. Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2006). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings. Penguin Books. p. 696.
6. Iverson, Ethan. "Shades of Jazz (Keith Jarrett, Charlie Haden, Paul Motian, Dewey Redman)". Ethaniverson.com. Retrieved January 15, 2022.

• Keith Jarrett live albums
• 1969 live albums
• Atlantic Records live albums
• Albums produced by George Avakian
• Albums recorded at Shelly's Manne-Hole
• Vortex Records live albums