Keith Jarrett - Sleeper [HDtracks] (2012)

ECM has released an unprecedented double album from one of the most influential groups of its era, often referred to as Keith Jarrett’s ‘European Quartet.’ Led by the legendary pianist, the heralded ensemble includes saxophonist Jan Garbarek, bassist Palle Danielsson and drummer Jon Christensen. Sleeper is an exhilarating and previously unreleased concert recording captured on April 16, 1979 at Tokyo’s Nakano Sun Plaza. The historic outing, of all Jarrett compositions, is packed with exceptional improvisational exchanges, dynamic episodes of surging energy and riveting lyrical passages. The interplay between Jarrett and Garbarek is uncanny and the Danielsson/Christensen rhythm team swings wildly and delightfully. After more than three decades in the ECM archive, this Sleeper, newly mixed in Oslo, now awakes in all its glory. Sleeper is an undeniable masterpiece that confirms Jarrett’s compositional genius.

"If Sleeper accomplishes any single thing, beyond being a stellar performance from a group that has rightfully, in the ensuing years, become legendary”and remains a touchstone for many musicians, young and old, decades after the fact”it's that this two-disc, 107-minute recording is a reminder of just how compelling a composer Jarrett can be...truly the archival find of the year." - All About Jazz