Weather Tonight: 8°c Light showers Morning: 13°c Light showers

Critics' Choice

Film

Andrew O'Hagan

quoteAn awesome and ridiculous film that leaves you thrilled beyond the point of your natural endurancequote

Andrew O'Hagan 2012 Theatre

Fiona Mountford

quoteThe show has suddenly become quite wonderful, and the galvanising factor is the terrific stage debut of Melanie Cquote

Fiona Mountford Blood Brothers Music

John Aizlewood

quoteThe British pop music industry may be eating itself but if Muse are the pick of what it can offer the world in 2010 then British music is in rude health indeedquote

John Aizlewood Muse

Reader reviews

Theatre

Rachel Dalziel

quoteI was smitten by both Gilberts enormous luxuriant moustache and the intelligence and nuance of this highly entertaining playquote

Gilbert Is Dead Restaurants

Raja, London

quoteI totally recommend Babbo to anyone who is looking for really good and traditional Italian foodquote

Babbo Music

Katy, London

quoteAlways been a fan but never seen them live. I was ecstatic to be part of this epic event. WOW!quote

Muse

Music reviews London,

Keith Jarrett Trio

Your rating
one startwo starthree starfour starfive star
Click on a star to rate
Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre
The South Bank Centre,Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX

Evening Standard rating Jack Massarik's rating
Evening Standard rating Reader rating
 Add your review

Description: The characterful jazz and classical pianist and composer from the USA with Gary Peacock and Jack De Johnette.


Phone: 0871663 2500
Website: www.southbankcentre.co.uk

Extra info: Pub, Telephones, Food, Air Conditioning

 
Please wait the page is loading extra content
  • Show details
  • Hide details
  • Show map
Close X

Directions

 

Keith Jarrett is free but not easy

By Jack Massarik, Evening Standard  02.12.08
 
Keith Jarrett

Bundle of nervous energy: Keith Jarrett

Other reviews

Look here too

For a solo-piano recital, this one had unusually copious programme notes. The basics of Keith Jarrett’s illustrious career, his vast discography and numerous international honours, covered two A4 pages of fine type. But buried deep among these stats was one salient phrase: the great pianist’s ability to “listen in the moment”.

Making major creative decisions on the hoof is probably Jarrett’s greatest gift, and one suprisingly uncommon in an art form supposedly dedicated to the primacy of improvisation. In practice most jazz stars, even in”free-improv,” build a vocabulary of stock phrases. Not so Jarrett. Whether playing standards or free-associating, he avoids cliches, is constantly unpredictable and never resorts to nonsense.

Always a bundle of nervous energy, he found the first half a tense affair. Early on a customer coughed very loudly, and the slim, greying American stopped. Peering over his John Lennon shades, he glared at the offender. “All right,” he snapped. “Now let’s all cough and be done with it.” Settling down with difficulty, he dabbled in a variety of moods and rhythm patterns, producing some pleasant miniatures but nothing that really left the ground.

The second half, as so often, was much better. This time a cameraman’s red light upset Jarrett but it also recharged his batteries. “What is it about society,” he yelled, “that demands an image?” Playing more vehemently now, he was suddenly choreographing his music as of old, rising from the bench to a half-crouch, knees bent, with his head craned sideways and his face contorted by strange groans and sighs.

At last chord changes were heard. Jarrett knows thousands of them and voices them more subtly than anyone else. A sumptuous ballad was followed by a superbly judged piece of gospel-blues that finished at exactly the right moment. The applause was long and loud, and the encore, a pristine version of his ECM favourite, My Song, was perfect. Everyone left with a smile, even the highly-strung Mr KJ.

More


Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.

 

Other reviews

[ 1 ] [ 2 ]

Reader reviews (0)

 Add your review

No comments have so far been submitted.


Add your comment

 

Your email address will not be published

Terms and conditions make text area bigger You have  characters left.


 
 


 
 
London's Weather
Tonight
Light showers
8°c
Morning
Light showers
13°c
5 day forecast
 
 

Daily Mail Mail on Sunday Travel Mail This is Money Metro

Loot | Jobsite | Homes & property | London jobs | FindaProperty.com | Primelocation.com | Educate London | Holiday Villas