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As someone started a thread on Oscar Peterson I thought I would start one for Keith Jarrett

I have to admit to a bit of hero worship here, his playing and his music just touches my soul.

Here are a few to get started:

Jazzpt,

I agree with you completely. "The Good America" displays the more tender side of Jarrett. It's a wonderful piece. I still listen to Koln regularly and it never fails to amaze me how this music flowed out of him with apparently no preconceived planning. It's truly like an out of body experience I think to be that full of musical ideas that just release from the mind/spirit to the keyboard.

Andy

He certainly is unique -- along with Bill Evans, he has an acute sensitivity to voicing, of just making the solo piano sound ravishing, much like many of the Classical piano practitioners. IMO, he went further than Evans in breaking from the Jazz tradition, creating canvases that borrow heavily from Jazz language but really attempt to be more gripping emotionally. Some of the European "Jazz" practitioners aspire to this, particularly in Scandinavia, and I believe Jarrett led the way in its development. The "Koln" album out of the '70's is quite justifiably regarded as a landmark album,and to my ear he deservedly has earned "cult" status. As Berlin said of Harold Arlen songs -- "Harold's best is THE best", so "Jarrett's best is THE best".

I couldn't agree more, Keith is a force of jazz. Wonderful idea posting this topic. He deserves it. So does Bill, for that matter.

Here's another of my favourites which I suspect anyone who plays the piano could appreciate.

I walked down the aisle at my wedding to Keith Jarrett's Somewhere Over the Rainbow . And Koln Concert was my soundtrack for my high school years!

such an unbelievable improviser

[video:youtube]HPqK1JJOFxw[/video]

He surely is.

Kenny Wheeler's first album for ECM and Keith Jarrett's last record as a sideman.
Kenny Wheeler(Flugel) Dave Holland (bass), Jack DeJohnette (drums) and Keith Jarrett (piano).

Jarrett is on record as saying he didn't enjoy the session but the music is sublime.

Wheeler and Jarrett - two of my all time favourites

Smatter from the album Gnu High, 1975.

The Koln Concert came out when I graduated from college. The vinyl wore out but I still play the CD. He also had an amazing vinyl of an organ concert (improvised) in Bremen, Germany. Keith Jarrett never seemed to be appreciated in the U.S., not sure why, maybe his arrogance, but did seem to be appreciated by Europeans.

Also meant to mention his performance of classical pieces. I have his CDs of Handel Suites for Keyboard and 24 Preludes and Fugues of Shostakovich. Keith is extremely talented with improvisation/jazz/and tradition classical.

This is an amazing performance. It sounds Bach-like but, is it Bach? Please tell us if you know.

PianogrlNW - thanks for the post of the Paris 1988 concert, I haven't heard this one for some reason, off to get it now :-)

I loved Keith Jarrett the first time I heard him (1975 I think). It's really the only one of the several albums i bought in my life. (i was always poor in a way).

Dec 1st in Newark NJ, I'll be there. Anyone else?

Definitely improvised, but Jarrett was playing a real lot of Bach around this time, so that must have been a big factor.

I wish

I found another gem - check it out - gorgeous.

PianogrlNW,

You'd like the Bach-influenced section of this performance (at 5:13). Of course the whole thing is fantastic.

Sweet. I'm not a big fan of his singing along but like the piece. He does get a beautiful tone from the piano.