Radiance

First solo piano album in years for Jarrett, who's famous for the format but gave it up while battling chronic fatigue syndrome. (Given Jarrett's prima donna reputation, one can't help but wonder if he wasn't "just really bored," a la Wayne's World.) The result is marvelously varied set packed with shorter pieces, as opposed to the 45-minute marathons of his younger years.

If you're new to Keith: These are improvised pieces that often come out elegant, pretty, and melodic. He'll toss in some free-jazz licks here and there, but there's an overall sense of control. Be prepared for unsubtle melodrama -- it's like he holds up big fluorescent cue cards telling you what to feel with each track. If you don't mind that element, you should enjoy this session. (And do check out his Koln Concert album from 1975, considered his masterpiece.)

DISK ONE
1- Gentle rambling; gets frolicky and free halfway through.
2- Delicate start into a dark, catchy groove. Hit single?
3- Slow, pretty
4- Tangly, thick interlude
5- A longer tangly piece, dense and busy
6- Slow, pretty
7- Rambling, slowish intro. Then fleet, melodic virtuosity
8- Soulful and pretty; starts like a wedding song.
9- Slow statements over a small riff. Calming.

DISK TWO
10- Slow, classical feel. Mostly delicate, some power surges.
11- Tangly and swingy; mid/fast interlude
12- Flashy splashes over infectious jazzy riff
13- Slow jazz ballad
14- Strong and tangly, with a slow middle
15- Powerful and lovely, but takes a lot of patience. Slow.
16- Gentle and folky; slow.
17- Brooding waves of piano. Develops a cool minor-key groove