Keith Jarrett Trio – Tribute (2xLP)

Keith Jarrett Trio’s Tribute, recorded live in 1989 at the Kölner Philharmonie and released in 1990 on ECM Records, is a double album dedicated to the legacy of jazz’s greatest composers and performers. Featuring the iconic Standards Trio—Jarrett on piano, Gary Peacock on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums—the album consists of classic jazz standards, each track dedicated to an influential jazz figure like John Coltrane, Bill Evans, and Miles Davis. It captures the trio’s deep reverence for the tradition while showcasing their unmatched synergy, improvisational fluidity, and lyrical sensitivity.

Across nearly two hours of music, the trio interprets pieces like “Lover Man,” “Solar,” “All the Things You Are,” and “Autumn Leaves,” transforming familiar tunes into fresh, deeply personal expressions. Jarrett’s emotive touch, Peacock’s elastic bass work, and DeJohnette’s conversational drumming form a unified voice, elevating the tribute beyond homage into something genuinely revelatory. Tribute is not only a celebration of jazz’s past but a compelling argument for its continued relevance and renewal through inspired interpretation.

Reviews

“The trio’s inimitable skills and synergy ensure that every tune breathes with all the life it deserves.” – ECM Reviews

“While the Standards Trio rarely takes anything for granted, transforming everything in its path, the results are not quite as inventive here as on other releases.” – AllMusic

“Just when you thought it was safe to listen to your old Bill Evans records again, Keith Jarrett's 'Standards' combo has gone and gotten even better.” – Stereophile

“The Keith Jarrett Standards Trio gets back down to business with two CDs' worth of familiar and perhaps not-so-familiar tunes, recorded in one evening in Cologne, Germany.” – Birdland

“Pianist Marcin Wasilewski talks about the album that changed his life, Keith Jarrett Standards Trio’s Tribute.” – Jazzwise