KEITH JARRETT レコード& CD

Review: Pianist and composer Keith Jarrett's fame stems in large part from his many solo piano improvisations, performed regularly since the early 1970s. Solo Concerts: Bremen/Lausanne is a recording of two such concerts, held in Germany and Switzerland in 1973; originally released as a 3xLP by ECM Records, it now comes reissued and remastered via ECM. This live compilation flaunts Jarrett's emotional range, spanning everything from lyrical melodies to dissonant clusters, from rhythmic grooves to abstract soundscapes. The album was a critical and commercial success, winning the DownBeat award for the best jazz recording of the year in 1974, and establishing Jarrett as a leading figure in the solo piano genre.

Review: Cult favourite Keith Jarrett lived on the fringes of musical experimentation with his pioneering post-bop approach to the piano making him a favourite of the last half-decade. He last ever concert was in France in 2016 at the Auditorium de l'Opera National de Bordeaux. Here the concert is captured on record in all its freeform improv glory with 13 tunes making up one ever-evolving suite that goes through a gamut of moods, grooves and emotions. Though his 1975 Koln concert will always be his most famous, this one is thought to come very close by a certain quarter of fans.

Review: Keith Jarrett's 2016 European tour has already been subject to one vinyl release (Munich 2016 ) and now ECM capture another of the nights on wax. This sumptuous double album documents the pianist's solo performance at Budapest's Bela Bartok National Concert Hall, which the artist is said to have considered something of a homecoming. Comprised of suite-like structures, which are themselves made up of independent "movements", the album is a marvel of spontaneity and resourcefulness. It brims with creative energy and complex abstractions as well as more striped back and soothing pieces.

Review: Like many veteran jazz artists, American pianist Keith Jarrett has amassed a vast discography. The 92 solo and collaborative albums he's notched up since 1968 cover many styles of jazz, making it tricky for newcomers to know where to start. We'd suggest beginning with this 1999 album, which is as pure as you'll get. Made up entirely of solo piano pieces - mostly covers, with a sprinkling of Jarrett's own compositions - "The Melody At Night With You" not only offers a brilliant introduction to Jarrett's trademark playing style, but also the breadth of material he's covered. More importantly, the whole collection is hugely entertaining and enjoyable, with Jarrett putting his own twist on everything from Duke Ellington classics and Oscar Hammerstein show tunes, to Gershwin ballads and traditional favourites.