Keith Jarret, Jack DeJohnette, Gary Peacock - The Out-Of-Towners (2004)

Keith Jarrett's "Standards Trio" with bassist Gary Peacock and drummer Jack DeJohnette has been so good for so long that they might be taken for granted, but this 2001 concert from Munich's State Opera shows their combination of depth and spontaneity can still surprise. Jarrett has a knack for marking his own path through familiar repertoire, from the playfully exuberant "I Can't Believe That You're in Love with Me" that opens the set to his deeply reflective solo version of "It's All in the Game." In between, the group's close-knit interplay enhances a limpidly beautiful version of "You've Changed," an up-tempo harmonic exploration of Cole Porter's "I Love You," and a hard-swinging account of Gerry Mulligan's "Five Brothers." The highlight, though, is the title track, a funky 20-minute tour de force that explores the blues from roots to branches. --Stuart Broomer