Standards II

Rating:
Summary: Pure soul.
Review: As Keith Jarrett's biggest fan, I was delighted to find that his video opens up a whole new dimension on the man. Any Keith Jarrett fan knows how pure and ethereal his music is, but to watch him play is another world entirely.

The man oozes soul, and watching him play his piano in an almost sexual manner will give any serious fan a pleasing and enjoyable new angle to his music. VERY RECOMMENDED.

Rating:
Summary: A Different Experience Than Their Albums
Review: I bought this DVD because I would like to see how the trio played, and also because of the music itself. The experience you get when seeing them play rather than just hearing an album with them is all the details. Keith Jarrett's dance-like movements for example. The concert is visually not so exciting, especially compared to other music DVD realeases such as Coldplay, U2 and so on. But musically it's as good as it can possibly be.

The concerts starts off with a quiet You Don't Know What Love Is, then continuing with a faster With A Song In My Heart. Then a surprise, for me at least: When You Wish Upon A Star. But that song is beutifully played, with just the right amount of the melody itself and improvisation. When I Fall In Love is also on the DVD, which is a favorite by the trio, and it's played really well here. There's also an extra song which you have to unlock every time by taking a small quiz. If you know just a little about Keith Jarrett, that shouldn't be a problem.

If you want to buy this DVD, then make sure you buy it for the right reason. Actually, I think that the "bare" albums speak more to me than this release, because you focus naturally on the three - on Keith Jarrett particularly - when watching, so if you want to hear the best music buy the albums instead. If you have never seen his style when playing, however, it is a delightful experience.

Rating:
Summary: It just doesn't get any better than this
Review: Keith Jarrett just knows how to play, simply put. I can't pick a favorite album of his, every one is a masterpiece and can't be compared to the next. It's hard to believe that after all these years he's still going... and has only gotten better.

This is the first Keith Jarrett DVD I've gotten and I fell in love with it as soon as it started. Everyone in the band (Peacock, Jarrett, DeJohnette...who else?!) is ON. I won't even mention any individual song. Every song is so different and beautiful in it's own right. Listening to Jarrett weave every line into the next is beautiful. I just like to close my eyes, why have the DVD. To me it's more distracting to watch them play, but it's great to see them when they are playing also.

I have little to complain about on this DVD. It was made in the 80's so I didn't expect the shots to be amazing, but the DVD has some annoying far away shots (and I really mean FAR AWAY) Albeit the viewing quality might not be amazing, it's really not about that, it's about the music and this is a great concert. You would do yourself a beg favor by getting Standards II.

Rating:
Summary: It just doesn't get any better than this
Review: Keith Jarrett just knows how to play, simply put. I can't pick a favorite album of his, every one is a masterpiece and can't be compared to the next. It's hard to believe that after all these years he's still going... and has only gotten better.

This is the first Keith Jarrett DVD I've gotten and I fell in love with it as soon as it started. Everyone in the band (Peacock, Jarrett, DeJohnette...who else?!) is ON. I won't even mention any individual song. Every song is so different and beautiful in it's own right. Listening to Jarrett weave every line into the next is beautiful. I just like to close my eyes, why have the DVD. To me it's more distracting to watch them play, but it's great to see them when they are playing also.

I have little to complain about on this DVD. It was made in the 80's so I didn't expect the shots to be amazing, but the DVD has some annoying far away shots (and I really mean FAR AWAY) Albeit the viewing quality might not be amazing, it's really not about that, it's about the music and this is a great concert. You would do yourself a beg favor by getting Standards II.

Rating:
Summary: A revealing look at the work of a master jazz improvisor.
Review: This video presents a live concert in Japan from 1986 featuring Keith Jarrett on piano, with Gary Peacock (bass) and Jack DeJohnette (drums). This is a great, intimate look at one of the best trios in modern jazz. It showcases Keith's brilliant, sometimes volcanic improvisations, and both the sound and video quality are excellent. You can see in this concert how inside the music Keith is, as his body literally rises and falls, following the arc of tension and release that good jazz exemplifies. This is NOT light, cocktail piano jazz; this is what jazz should be: honest, impassioned, personal, and fiery. A feast for both the ears and eyes of jazz fans.