Concert Review
Jarrett ends concert with magic moment

By Marius Nordal
Special to The Seattle Times

	Pianist Keith Jarrett, pictured in an earlier performance, presented a program of 10 standard tunes and jazz originals at Benaroya Hall.
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Pianist Keith Jarrett has often described his playing as a process of redirecting audience members' energy right back at them in the form of music.

This has made some of his concerts somewhat unpredictable because Jarrett can become touchy if he perceives an audience isn't doing its part to "complete the circuit." Random coughs or restless stirrings have been known to set him off.

There was no lack of electricity at Benaroya Hall on Friday as Jarrett, accompanied by Gary Peacock (bass) and Jack DeJohnette (drums), ranged through a program of 10 standard tunes and jazz originals.

The group seemed to be trying to get the feel of things as it opened with two medium-tempo standards, "Old Country" and "Everything I Love." A bit later, though, things began to get deeper as the trio explored the languid ballad "I Thought About You."

It was in the slow pieces like this one that Jarrett wove his finest filigrees of sound. His blindingly fast runs seemed so wraith-like and free to go any direction that they resembled wisps of smoke being blown about by an ocean breeze.

He seems to have somehow figured out how to bypass the limitations of his hands and let the music flow directly through him and out of the piano.

At other times, drummer DeJohnette almost seemed to be the star of this trio. He played on an array of gongs and Chinese cymbals and showed an amazing ability to provide color, interesting accompaniments and humor, all without getting in the way.

Right after intermission, Jarrett unexpectedly came onstage sporting a comical pair of sunglasses so tiny they barely covered his eyes and proceeded to make amusing remarks about pianos to the delighted audience. If his piano gigs ever dry up, he might make it as a standup comic.

As a veteran of many Jarrett performances over the past 35 years, I always wonder if, on a given night, we will be treated to one of those rare moments when he pulls out all the emotional stops. The moment of truth really arrived when the trio was called back for an encore and played the lovely ballad "When I Fall in Love."

Jarrett improvised incredibly lyrical, extended cascades of notes for so long that I found myself holding my breath waiting for a pause. As the tune ended, the drums and bass dropped out, and Jarrett improvised an extended coda of rich, dark chords that captured a romantic yearning for the unattainable.

That intensity of feeling is Keith Jarrett at his best, and that is a moment I will probably carry with me the rest of my life.

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