JARRETT, KEITH

born May 8, 1945, Allentown, Pa., U.S. American jazz pianist, composer, and saxophonist considered to be one of the most original and prolific jazz musicians of the late 20th century. He was also a noted classical pianist. Jarrett performed with the groups of drummer Art Blakey and saxophonist Charles Lloyd in the late 1960s and with trumpeter Miles Davis during the early 1970s. Jarrett led his own group during the 1970s with saxophonist Dewey Redman, bassist Charlie Haden, and drummer Paul Motian. He toured and recorded with the Norwegian saxophonist Jan Garbarek. He explored a vast array of tonal and structural devices that were previously more common to non-Western music than to jazz. With a virtuoso command of the keyboard, Jarrett made several albums of unaccompanied piano improvisations, through which he attained the status of concert artist in the manner of classical recital pianists. Jarrett also composed pieces for brass, string orchestra, and other nonjazz instrumentations in the manner of symphonic composers. By the 1980s his public performance had turned mainly to classical recitals, featuring the works of such various composers as Johann Sebastian Bach, Domenico Scarlatti, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Dmitry Shostakovich. In later years, accompanied by bassist Gary Peacock and drummer Jack DeJohnette, he recorded a series of albums of jazz standards.