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Jarrett’s Trio Happily Surrenders to Music

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SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

Pianist Keith Jarrett’s extraordinary “standards” trio, with bassist Gary Peacock and drummer Jack DeJohnette, is, for the jazz world, a long-standing operation. The band, which plays Sunday at the Wiltern Theatre, has been together for 12 years and has made numerous CDs, including the just-out six-CD set “Keith Jarrett at the Blue Note: The Complete Recordings,” recorded last year at the New York nightspot.

It’s interesting, then, that when Peacock gathered Jarrett and DeJohnette together for his “Tales of Another” recording in 1977, he foresaw no history. “The music was great, there was empathy, but there was nothing that indicated that this was going to be a doing-something unit,” Peacock said from his home in Woodstock, N.Y.

So the bassist was surprised to hear from Jarrett six years later, and even more startled at his desire to make a record of classic pop and jazz standards. But that recording “went beyond ‘standards’ and just rolled. We made enough for three albums in a day and a half,” Peacock said. “Then there was definite interest that this could go further.”

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Peacock said he feels the strength of the group, and why it’s lasted, is the three players all allow themselves to surrender to the music. “We all have a very deep trust that something we don’t know can happen,” he said. “It’s like we give ourselves up to the music, give up our ideas of what we know and see what happens.”

Information: (213) 380-5005.

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New Clubs: Three new rooms--all in the general vicinity of the San Fernando Valley--are open for business, jazz included.

New York West, located at 19540 Ventura Blvd. in Tarzana, opened Oct. 6 with a performance by trumpeter Jack Sheldon. The club will have music Thursdays through Saturdays, 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., and a Sunday jam session with Sheldon from 5 to 9 p.m. Tonight and Saturday: Pocketwatch, the fine quartet that backs Natalie Cole, with Terry Trotter (piano), John Chiodini (guitar), Jim Hughart (bass) and Harold Mason (drums). Continental cuisine, no cover or minimum, (818) 758-3900.

Bjlauzezs, a pairing together of “Jazz” and “Blues” and pronounced “Blouses,” offers good sounds in Sherman Oaks (14502 Ventura Blvd., corner of Van Nuys Boulevard). Music is on tap five nights from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m., with blues bands Tuesdays-Wednesdays and jazz from Thursday through Saturday. Tonight and Saturday, Black/Note; Thursday through Oct. 21: pianist Greg Kurstin. $5 cover or food minimum. California cuisine, coffee drinks and juices are served; beer/wine in the near future, (818) 789-4583.

Noodles (215 N. Central Ave., Glendale), a pasta-pizza-salad joint, has started booking jazz duos Thursdays through Saturdays, 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. No cover, no minimum. Tonight and Saturday: guitarist Riner Scivally and saxman Chuck Manning; Thursday through Oct. 21: guitarist Steve Gregory’s duo, (818) 500-8783.

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Free Music: Horace Tapscott, Patrice Rushen, Black/Note and Henry Franklin all take part in the first Leimert Park Jazz Festival, Sunday, noon to 7 p.m. at Leimert Park, Crenshaw Boulevard at 43rd Place, (213) 857-8365. . . . Trumpeters Clay Jenkins and Dave Scott appear tonight at 5:30, at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, (213) 857-6000. . . .

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Late-Night Booking: Kevin Eubanks makes the first public appearances with the “Tonight Show Band” tonight, 10 and 11:30 p.m., at B.B. King’s Blues Club on the Universal CityWalk, (818) 622-5464.

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