Keith Jarrett - Tokyo Solo | 
| Actor: Keith Jarrett
Studio: Ecm Records
Category: DVD
List Price: $24.98
Buy New: $15.06
You Save: $9.92 (40%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  6 reviews
Sales Rank: 48536
Format: Color, Dvd, Live, Ntsc
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 110
Discs: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: 000672309
UPC: 060249873186
EAN: 0060249873186
ASIN: B000F2C8EY
Theatrical Release Date: June 6, 2006
Release Date: June 6, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Keith Jarrett one of the world's preeminent jazz pianists--a master innovator who is also highly proficient in classical modern blues and gospel styles--performs in Tokyo in 2002 his 150th live concert in Japan.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: MUSIC DVD/CONCERTS Rating: NR UPC: 602498731864 Manufacturer No: B000672309
Amazon.com
It's no bulletin that improvisation is perhaps the central component of jazz, or that Keith Jarrett, a master jazz pianist, is also a gifted improviser. Yet what Jarrett plays in the course of Tokyo Solo, a 2002 performance that was his 150th concert in Japan, could hardly be called jazz, at least not according to most accepted criteria; the music heard here is, as Duke Ellington once said, "beyond category." What's more, "improvisation" seems inadequate for the process Jarrett has been perfecting since he began making solo recordings in the early 1970s. "Spontaneous composition" is more like it, for while most jazz players extemporize over a known melody or set of changes, Jarrett begins with a tabula rasa, creating music from nothing other than what's in his head and hands at a given moment. It's a fascinating process to witness, and if Tokyo Solo is not his finest work, it's nonetheless filled with extraordinary moments. It's easy to see why Jarrett, a notorious perfectionist, has performed so often in Japan: the venues are acoustically superb, the audiences are quiet and reverent, and the resulting recordings, including this one, feature impeccable aural and visual production values. Some of the material here appeared previously on the ECM CD Radiance (2005). In the course of two lengthy pieces ("Part 1" has three sections; "Part 2" has five), Jarrett's music is sometimes dissonant and challenging, filled with furious chording and dense clusters of sound ("Part 1(a)"), sometimes classical ("Part 1(b)" brings to mind a Beethoven sonata), sometimes gorgeous and almost impressionistic ("Part 2(a)" suggests a Ravel etude, while "Part 2(d)," perhaps the most sublime portion of the concert, leans a bit more toward Debussy). The setting (a darkened stage with nothing but the pianist and his Steinway) is simple, as is Kaname Kawachi's direction; there are plenty of close-ups of Jarrett's face, hands, and feet, as well as a few shots inside the piano, but nothing in the way of effects or trickery. Three more standard encores, including "Danny Boy" and "Old Man River," complete a concert sure to be treasured by Jarrett devotees. --Sam Graham
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| Customer Reviews: Read 1 more reviews...
Do you like Jarrett? Aimez-vous Jarrett? Volite li Jarretta? February 10, 2009
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
If you do, you'll probably jump right at this brilliant DVD with almost two hours of amazing piano soloing; mostly pure improvisation, with couple of well liked standards/popular songs (Danny Boy, Ol' Man River, Don't worry 'bout me)... Jarrett is amazing, radiant, imaginative, subtle, witty, energetic and extremely intelligent, so everyone should check out something like this...
To be honest, I'm not a connosseur; I started with his recordings of standards and then decided I'm ready for his lengthier works... Boy, was I right! I guess this is not the last solo concert I'm gonna get me for birthday, christmas, new year, hanukkah, croatian independence day or any other such holiday....
This video of Keith's 150th concert in Japan was very aptly directed by Kaname Kawachi; audio recording and mixing is by Martin Pearson...It's recorded live at Metropolitan Hall in Tokyo in 2002.
Probably our greatest living musician August 6, 2007
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
He might not be able to compose like Beethoven (maybe he could if he wrote down some of these improvisations) but he can play jazz and classical music, in my semi-humble opinion, as well as anyone. My favorite thing that he does are his solo piano improvised concerts. And this is a fine example. His groans and gyrations may be a bit off putting, but it seems as if he opens up completely, and the music pours out of him. Watching and hearing him is an experience every fan of improvised music and the piano ought to have.
Great DVD February 8, 2007
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
Jarrett gives an amazing performance. I have always wanted to see the man play (to see him howl and groan) and it definitely delivers. Part 1B is my favorite - I still can't believe he simply improvises this stuff.
 Keith Jarrett - a great discovery January 29, 2007
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I'd just heard about him, this great pianist. I had to satisfy my curiosity... This DVD shows Keith Jarrett's different styles, tastes and ... his way of moving around while playing! Just sit back and enjoy, open your eyes and ears!
Keith Jarrett - Master of Improvisation July 18, 2006
15 out of 16 found this review helpful
Keith Jarrett's Tokyo Solo is an excellent documentation of Jarrett's world of improvisation, beautifully filmed and recorded live. This is nothing at all like his playing with his Standards Trio, where one can swing along to the beat of Autumn Leaves or Oleo. No, these solo piano improvisations are free, abstract forays into what I'd call "pure awareness" and being "in the moment." Here we are witnessing an artist who is a human vessel through which the infinite creative energies of the universe flow! His genius is in harnessing these energies into coherent essays that maintain individual character and context throughout each piece, titled only as "Part" numbers. After enduring the eight Parts of the complete concert (inherently intellectual), Jarrett treats us to beautifully emotional encores of Danny Boy, Old Man River, and Don't Worry 'Bout Me.
Jarrett's improvisations typically fall into 3 catagories: the hymnlike ballad with lyric melodies; the spastic, atonal free-for-all; and the repeated, rhythmic groove - or various combinations of each of these.
Of course, his incredible technique allows for a very orchestral approach at the piano. An incredible variety of effects and textures are the result.
This is a great study of a master of improvisation at his finest. A must-have addition for any serious fan who can honor Jarrett's process as much as the music itself. A few of these tracks have also been included in Jarrett's latest CD, Radiance.
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