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The Keith Jarrett Trio TOKYO '96 Four Stars * * * *

Featuring: Jack Dejohnette, drums; Gary Peacock, bass

TOKYO '96 is the 12th Keith Jarrett Trio effort since 1983. It's live, like most of the others, and it has at least four tracks that appear on other releases. But that's his label's doing, right? ECM churns out a new Jarrett CDs every 9 months. In the jazz genre alone, ECM has over 50 Jarrett releases in print (many more if you count his work as a classical artist). One may begin to wonder why they continue to saturate his catalogue this way. Well, I think there are several answers. One is financial. According to a friend of mine that used to work at ECM, Jarrett is a millionaire and demands high coinage. So these releases must serve to pay his fees. Another is that Jarrett is regarded as one of the few players at genius level. This makes ECM look good. Finally, I think Jarrett is so vain that hearing himself moan into the piano mic is cause of great personal ecstasy. I recently learned that he spent $400,000 on his home stereo. Moaning must sound better with speakers that cost more than a house.

Here we are presented with the latest installment to the Trio series "TOKYO '96". Cynicism aside, this is a great CD. No one, I repeat No one, can play an intro to a ballad like this man. Case in point, "It Could Happen To You". The same thing can be said for his "outros" -- the solo piano bits at the end of a ballad. Ballads are the strength of this release: "Never Let Me Go", "Summer Night", "My Funny Valentine". Its weaknesses are the medium tempo swinging standards. It could be just a preference on my part, but I like them to swing harder. Jarrett takes a more introspective approach on these tunes. In fact, on "I'll Remember April" his approach borders on baroque!

What I always felt this group should do more of is up-tempo numbers. Thankfully they do so here on the obscure Bud Powell rhythm changes head "John's Abbey". You have to hear his solo break on this one! He has such extraordinary control as a pianist that these types of tempos don't even phase him. He still can be his creative, through-composed self when others would be sweating the details. To show further his richness of training, he ends this burner with a classical cadence a la Beethoven. Such humor ... (cough, cough).

TOKYO '96 is one of the better moments in this amazing trio's history. If you have room in your collection for another Keith Jarrett CD, then by all means grab this one! FOUR STARS.

--AJL