The Köln Concert - Keith Jarrett (1975)
Ideated from: The Fives, releases from years ending in 5. Haven’t done this in a while.
I’m only just diving into Keith Jarrett’s incredibly diverse and high-quality body of work. He was amazingly prolific in the 70s and 80s, and continued to push forward until a stroke in 2020 forced him to stop performing. I don’t know all the details, but I count 33 releases in the 1970s alone.
His work divides somewhat evenly between trio and quartet jazz, classical recitals, and his signature solo improvisational piano recordings, where he would improvise an entire concert on the spot.
This is one of those–probably the most famous–and one of biggest commercial successes for him. The lore goes that the Köln opera house was not keen on letting a young and inexperienced promoter put on a jazz concert there, so they booked it for late in the evning and then, probably unintentionally, gave the hall a practice room piano that was barely in tune and not concert ready.
Formal constraints are an amazing thing, though, and Jarrett created a beautiful mess from the sub-par instrument.
It’s hard to believe that he didn’t follow some kind of blueprint, but we get several lengthy pieces that are as well-organized and as thoughtfully constructed as pieces other composers take years to create. He grooves and swings in some places, and creates other-worldly calm in others.
It’s impossible to put into words. Please hit play.
