JAZZ SPOTLIGHT : **** KEITH JARRETT, “At the Deer Head Inn�; <i> ECM</i>

This album, despite Jarrett’s sometimes annoying, sometimes humorous humming, is a compendium of grace. Recorded live at a small inn in Delaware Water Gap, Pa., where the pianist played as teen-ager, these selections are consistently engaging, offering a series of scintillating moments.

Jarrett’s trio--including bassist Gary Peacock and old sidekick Paul Motian in for regular drummer Jack DeJohnette--investigates another bouquet of standards, and in the leader’s singular style, where swing is ever-present but stated subtly.

Often, as on Miles Davis’ “Solar,� he’ll explore a tune’s harmonic and melodic structure literally, then stray away from it, like someone going for a hike and sticking mostly to the path, but taking now-and-then excursions from that trail. This approach keeps the listener on his toes, ever alert for the next shift in direction, the next compelling idea.

Jaki Byard’s blues “Chandra� shows that Jarrett has be-bop deep in his heart, dropping in one crisp figure after another, while the poignant “You Don’t Know What Love Is,� after a tender solo, finds the pianist moving into a lengthy, intriguing one-chord vamp that recalls his unaccompanied improvisations. “Bye Bye Blackbird� is fluidity exemplified, as the leader works with the luxurious litheness of one of his favorite pianists, Wynton Kelly.

Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good, recommended), four stars (excellent).