I had lost track of the thread on the subject of this wonderful 3-CD set of solo recordings. It's time to give it some further attention, because it's deserving of it.
This is not, strictly speaking, a true re-release, since some of these recordings have
never been available prior to this offering.
Here is a review from an Amazon customer, Dr. Debra Jan Bibel, a
Top 500 Reviewer:Why these concerts from May and June 1981 have been held back for such a long time is hard to understand. The concert discs may have been released earlier [LP], but only the Bregenz came out in CD and it went out of print fast. Following these events, there was Vienna and Tokyo and Paris and La Scala, Italy, and much later Rio de Janeiro. The solo concerts of Keith Jarrett always draw audiences hoping for magic. Such occurred in Bregenz and Munich, though far less often. Jarrett then was still flowing with romantic melodies and neo-classical elements. His creative experimentation required no preliminary noisy vamping while ideas took shape. Instead, we instantly were taken on a ride where jazz, classical, and gospel roots arise and blend.
In the first disc of the Bregenz concerts, he moved from lyricism to a variety of rhythmic changes, and as a bouncing ball landing among strewn scores, we hear phrases and bars suggestive of familiar classical idioms and styles. The second track has a cohesive propulsive bassline while his right hand engages in musical play. We never know what will ensue -- a folk dance, a free jazz flicker? Next is the encore, the first of two renditions of the gospel ballad Heartland.
The Munich concert opens in softness and a search of a theme, which arises in sonority after 5 minutes. The ostinato develops into a soulful melody of obscure Central Asian form. The music spirals until its transforms into a stacato sprightly and happy dance that, alas, goes nowhere and fades. Part II continues with some wandering about. It is somewhat gossamer, without crescendo or strong melody. Finally, at 10 minutes, a rhythm develops and a song emerges to die but two minutes later into the original quietness. A new tune then arises with harmony and power, but it too fades away. And so forth until it closes with those noisy arpeggio that dominates recent albums. Part III fortunately makes amends by commencing with a jazzy spiritual ballad filled with joy. A series of pleasant positive tunes, dances, and romances (one with a touch of Bach), all short-lived, follow. The creative font of Jarrett here is well demonstrated. Part IV has Jarrett reaching into the piano for some harp-like plinkling to go along with upper register keys in an exploration of the treble. The two encores were Mon Coeur est Rouge and again Heartland. Against the earlier experiments, these lovely straightforward renditions are more than a change of pace. They leave the audience with a smile.
In summary, while Bregenz deserved to be reissued, I surmise the reason why Munich's concert was until now left behind in the CD era is because it is simply not of the high quality of performance as Bremen and Lausanne or of those solo events that followed. Still, there is much to appreciate, and the album is a worthy addition to the Jarrett fan's collection. Package notes include comments by Jarrett, an essay by Swiss critic Peter Rüedi to give some perspective to this era in Jarrett's career, and poetry by Michael Krüger.
