Keith Jarrett has been putting out solo piano records for 40 years now. I’ve tried to keep up with his vast output over the years, and own maybe 15 of the more than 100 albums he’s appeared on since the late ‘60s. Like many fans, I’m particularly mesmerized by his solo efforts, and place Köln Concert and the three-disc Solo Concerts: Bremen/Lausanne at the top of the list. Does the world need another Keith Jarrett record review when there are so many worthy jazzmen who can’t get an iota of national attention? I’ll give a qualified yes.
At age 67, Jarrett’s playing doesn’t have the fiery endurance of those early discs, but there is a greater variety in his ideas. The two-CD set Rio is the latest of several concerts recorded live with no tunes in mind, with the pianist channeling music from the ether, a stunt that Jarrett can pull off because his resources are so deep. The tracks are untitled, but I titled four tracks for identification in my iTunes library: “No. 5: Gospelly”, “No8: Whimsical 6/8” (so perfectly conceived you can’t believe it’s off the top of his head), “No. 9: Watery” (influence of the Impressionists here) and No. 11: Boogie” (Jarrett is one of the great rockers when he wants to cook that way).
The pieces are shorter than on Köln and Bremen/Lausanne, and there’s less humming/moaning than before. That’s a plus. Rio is not the equal of Köln or Bremen/Lausanne, but fans will want this one.
