27 Years Ago, Keith Jarrett Was A One-Man Band — npr.org

Keith Jarrett is a jazz legend. His catalog of recordings includes solo piano improvisations, trio and quartet works, classical performances, early sessions with Charles Lloyd and late ones with Miles Davis. But there's nothing quite like Jarrett's new double-CD set No End: It was recorded in his home studio in 1986, and he plays all the instruments — notably drums, bass and electric guitar. Leave it to Jarrett to keep a surprise like this up his sleeve for 27 years. His prodigious work is marked by virtuosity and rigor, and he's famously fussy onstage. But as a longtime fan, I've always been drawn to a certain warmth, looseness and funkiness in Jarrett's work. These qualities shine on No End.

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