Best Keith Jarrett records

What Rockadanny and Marakanetz are referring to is that Keith moans as if he is in pain while he plays. This moaning is more prominent on some recordings and less on others.

The moaning keeps me away from most of his albums but obviously other people are more tolerant of it. Maybe posters could give an idea of the amount of moaning on the albums they are recommending.

The Tribute Trio album is one of my favorites. The trouble I have with KJ (aside from the sing a long, which I can usually ignore) is that there just isn't much variety to his approach to 'standards' over the years. t

I really like Standards Vol I and II from the mid-80's on ECM. Very well recorded and with just a few exceptions really great song selection and interpretations. I particularly like "Never Let Me Go" which just kills me. Also, nice balance in these recordings with good detail and very articulate bass. On the "moan" quotiant, yes--there is a fair amount on these LP's. But it bothers me not at all. It gives the recordings a very live feeling and allows me to hear how he is figuring out the improvisation in his head while his hands make it happen. Ask my wife about his moaning and you will get a very different answer....

The album "Jasmine", which is just Keith Jarrett and Charlie Haden as a duet is really really good. Very little of the dreaded KJ humming.

'Never let me go' is in fact a must have gem of Keith's. I love his use of space to build the tune. Brilliant stuff. Another equally good ballad is 'It's easy to remember' from the live PA recording I mentioned earlier. A third ballad, probably my personal favorite as his best ever is only available on a trio's DVD from a Japan concert: Blame it on my youth. The trio recorded that cut on a cd but it didn't receive the same treatment in tempo as the DVD. I had to record the DVD version to a digital recorder in order to get a recording I could later transcribe at the keyboard.

Yes, KJ's presence of being lost in the music doesn't endear him to some with the constant moans and grunts, but as a hobbyist musician I simply view that as the man giving every ounce of himself to his music. Oscar Peterson, and countless other jazz pianists moan on recordings, but it's KJ who gets ridiculed for his level of gyrations...but hey, that's genius at work...so we live it!