J.S. Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I (Live in Troy, NY / 1987)

In March 1987, just a month after he recorded Book 1 of Bach’s 48 in the studio, Keith Jarrett performed it in upstate New York, and a recording was made. More than 30 years later, to mark ECM’s 50th anniversary, it finally saw the light of day. Bach’s music, with its supreme logic, has often made a connection with jazz musicians, and Jarrett is perhaps the most prominent to be drawn to his mighty opus. He plays these 24 preludes and fugues with both respect and palpable affection—one musician communing with another over the centuries. Everything is judged superbly and the live setting—at Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, with its impressive acoustics—only adds to the listening experience.