COMPOSERS: Keith Jarrett
LABELS: EMC
ALBUM TITLE: Radiance
WORKS: Radiance
PERFORMER: Keith Jarrett (piano)
CATALOGUE NO: 986 9818
Keith Jarrett’s 27 October 2002 Osaka recital marks his first released solo concert in nearly ten years. In contrast to his usual practice of dividing a concert into two, uninterrupted halves, Jarrett instead offers 13 relatively shorter, self-contained improvised pieces that are as disparate in mood as they seem unified in spirit. Simple hymn-like melodies characterise the gorgeously unfolding Parts 3 and 8, while Parts 4 and 11 make playful use of darting, bop-like two-handed unison runs.
Jarrett’s earthy, gospel-influenced ostinatos have grown more internalised in contrast to their more flamboyant counterparts from the early 1970s, and his long-range control of polyphonic texture results in some of most subtle and cumulatively fulfilling work on record. Four equally commanding excerpts from a Tokyo concert three days later (to be released in its entirety on DVD) fill out disc two. No need to read Jarrett’s self-analyzing booklet notes: his music speaks eloquently for itself. Jed Distler