Yesterday, I heard the opening track “I Loves You Porgy” of this album at the Esplanade Library.

I chose to listen to “I Loves You Porgy” because I’ve always been very partial to that song, especially ever since I heard Nina Simone sing it. I believe I’ve posted a video of her singing that song here. See here for the love story that inspired this George and Ira Gershwin song from their opera Porgy and Bess.

Keith Jarrett’s version gave me goose pimples. Not much music does that to me nowadays and I’m very fortunate to be able to discover music that moves me.

His rendition of “I Loves You Porgy” had a graceful, naked and vulnerable simplicity. He made the piano sing (as much as a piano can “sing”) the song in an extremely lyrical way that struck me, setting the tone for how he interprets the remaining songs on the album. The songs have a quiet reflective yearning mood. They are sentimental in a lyrical but not mushy way. There is passion and yearning, both quietly burning with a soft, heart swelling and understated quality. Jarrett approaches the standards in the album like hymns, nocturnal hymns or nocturnes a la Chopin if I may. For some reason, I felt remotely like crying when I heard “My Wild Irish Rose”, even though I’ve never heard the song sung before. I don’t have the words to do justice for the album. Suffice to say, I’m moved.

This album will be suitable for quiet reflective moods alone or with a lover. There is melancholy, there is romance, there is grace, there is humility, there is dignity, there is sincerity and earnestness, there is emotional depth and simplicity. I dedicate the opening track to the muser and hope that he has experienced the last of those haunting “almosts”.

Despite my views, the album has a fair bit of criticism. See the AMG review here, which I disagree with. But I can understand why some of his fans may not like this album because it has none of that complex, dramatic, over the top, virtuostic improvisation that his fans have come to expect. For example, see video below of a 1984 performance, which I dedicate to my wife to inspire and encourage her to even get better at the piano. She has been making remarkable progress ever since starting classical piano in Sep 06 and I’m so envious. I want to make the same sort of progress like her and to do so, I’ll listen to her and not be so greedy and spread myself too thin learning too many things. I’ll focus more.

There’s also an interesting story behind the album, which I hope you will take the time to read here.

I intend to play this album when Chloe and I have our first dinner together at our new home.

See other positive reviews that share my views here, here, and here. Also see Amazon customer reviews here.