5 Ways the Belonging Quartet Differed From Keith Jarrett’s American Trio

  1. Jan Garbarek’s saxophone added a lyrical, floating voice that the piano-bass-drums trio never had.
  2. The European quartet favored spacious, airy arrangements over the American trio’s rhythm-driven intensity.
  3. Every track on Belonging carries the ECM label’s signature sound — resonant, contemplative, and open.
  4. The quartet’s interplay was less about groove and more about creating a meditative, atmospheric texture.
  5. Where the American trio pushed forward with swing and momentum, the Belonging quartet let notes breathe and hang in silence.