Keith Jarrett: Last Solo

While there's no shortage of audio recordings of pianist Keith Jarrett's improvised solo performances--works that arguably comprise his most creatively fertile period--visual records are few, which makes this 92-minute DVD, recorded in 1984 in Tokyo, of particular interest. But it's something of a mixed blessing; while Jarrett's playing is always good, and often much more than that, actually watching him is another matter, as his pained facial contortions, moaning along with the music, and other antics (shot in both close-ups and long shots and seen from every conceivable angle) are a distraction. If you can get past them and concentrate on the music, however, which includes two lengthy improvisations, a lovely rendition of “Over the Rainbow,” and a brief encore that may be the most compelling piece of music here, Last Solo, presented in Dolby Digital 5.1, will prove a most worthy document of a master musician in peak form. Aud: P. (S. Graham)