When you think of the words “Keith Jarrett,” what comes to your mind? I mean, besides the non-musical controversies about concert photos and sensitivity to audience sounds. Of course, it’s a) the piano b) the piano trio and c) free improvisational genius. So, here we’ve got some tapes of Jarrett from 1986 in his home studio. What is he doing? He’s overdubbing electric guitars, bass, drums, tablas, percussion, recorder, and, yes, piano on a collection of twenty songs numbered I-XX, just like Super Bowls. The point is that these songs actually have very little to choose from; they all sound like easy rock and bluesy jams, almost like a practice session from the folk/rock group Pentangle. Many of the guitar licks sound like Variations of the Beatles’ “Come Together” Theme with lazy licks floating over slightly sashaying drums. Die-hard Jarrett fans might want this just to see what ideas creep into the genius’ mind; and to hear him in a completely different environment; most everyone else will want to wait for something a bit more on the usual inspired and tempermental side..
ECM Records