Keith Jarrett Trio Concert 1996

Pianist Keith Jarrett, bassist Gary Peacock, and the astonishing drummer Jack DeJohnette have been playing together for a long time now, but even for them, this 1996 concert at Tokyo's Orchard Hall (presented here in superb DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 sound) had to be a high point. The repertoire consists of the same vein they've been mining: i.e., standards (and it doesn't get much more standard than the likes of “Mona Lisa,” “Autumn Leaves,” “My Funny Valentine,” and “All the Things You Are”). But my, can these boys play! All three, particularly Jarrett and DeJohnette, are pure jazz improvisers, armed with an utterly thorough knowledge of the material, but with enough chops, experience, and imagination to approach it from a fresh viewpoint every night. The trio play a little more bebop this time around (Charlie Parker's “Billie's Bounce” smokes; Bud Powell's “John's Abbey” burns), which is nice, while other highlights include an amazing “I'll Remember April” (which is turned into an extended, kind of gospel-flavored samba). But hey, everything is a highlight when guys this good are playing this well. Even better than Standards: Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock, Jack DeJohnette (VL-11/02), this is highly recommended. Editor's Choice. Aud: C, P. (S. Graham)