Keith Jarrett: Hymns /Spheres – review

Along with his epic piano improvisations, which amount almost to a new and unclassifiable genre of music, in 1976 Jarrett recorded some similar works on the 18th-century organ at the Benedictine abbey of Ottobeuren, Bavaria. This is the first time these have been released in full. As completely free improvisation, this is just as spellbinding as the piano pieces, and has even been compared to his famous Köln Concert. It has the additional fascination of some remarkable effects that he discovered while manipulating the organ stops. At times it sounds almost electronic.