Keith Jarrett: The Art of Improvisation

Considering his reputation (well-deserved, according to many accounts) for being surly, superior, and intolerant, maybe we should be grateful that pianist Keith Jarrett took part in this program at all, let alone that he submitted to lengthy interviews. Yes, he still comes across as something of a patronizing elitist, but there's no doubt that Jarrett is in a class by himself as a player and composer, with astonishing technique and the versatility to negotiate virtually any kind of music, from straight-ahead jazz standards to the most prickly pieces in the classical repertoire. Keith Jarrett: The Art of Improvisation serves up a fairly complete history of Jarrett the musician, from his earliest influences (Ahmad Jamal) to the development of his awesome chops (as a child, he was constantly stretching his fingers to make up for the fact that his hands were rather small), along the way including footage of Jarrett playing with Charles Lloyd in the ‘60s, Miles Davis around the time of Bitches Brew (although Jarrett derides electronic instruments as “toys,” he played electric piano because “Miles wanted me to”), fellow pianist Chick Corea (playing Mozart), and the trio (including drummer Jack DeJohnette and bassist Gary Peacock) he has led for more than 20 years. In addition, we see Jarrett attempting to explain the inexplicable: how to improvise, which in his case includes creating music utterly spontaneously (i.e., with no predetermined song structure), resulting in popular solo recordings like The Koln Concert and many, many more. Others weigh in, from ECM Records founder-producer Manfred Eicher (for whom Jarrett has made some 60 albums!) to wife Rose Anne, but in the end it's Jarrett's music that does the talking. For more of that, head straight to the trio performance of "Butch and Butch," which is the highlight of the bonus features on this DVD presented in PCM stereo with over 30 minutes of added interview footage. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (S. Graham)