The Köln Concert

Enjoyed this introduction to Keith Jarrett. It was amazing to hear one instrument sound like many. I am not typically an improvisational-style jazz listener, but found this compelling.

amazing talent

After some 'research' , I found out that this is fully improvised. This could possibly be some of the best piano playing/chops I have ever heard. Some parts are quite tempo-based, but some are free and stop-startish. In a way it feels like a bridge between jazz and classical, which works very well in both directions. The only real 'negative' for me is that some parts feel like they get a bit stuck, and can last a little too long going nowhere (however it is a live album so..). I'm not even going to say that the fact that it only has piano is a downside, as its not trying to do anything else/doesn't really feel like it needs anything else. Favorite songs: Second till last, and most of the first). Overall around 8/10

Sometimes a factor in the the assessment of an album is where or how it was created. This is the case for The Koln Concert, a notorious jazz album that carries with it an incredible backstory. Check out this podcast for the details: Broken Record "Bowie, Jazz, and the Unplayable Piano" https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/broken-record-with-rick-rubin-malcolm-gladwell-bruce/id1311004083?i=1000460287905

They gave him the wrong fucking piano.

Super interessant album! Prachtige jazz en dit album is dus gewoon bijna alleen maar de piano. Bizar hoeveel kracht en emotie toch uit dit ene instrument gehaald worden. Het gekreun tussendoor is echt hilarisch, haalt je ook een beetje uit de muziek maar zorgt voor een lichte toon tussendoor. Ik heb 2nummers als FAVO gemarkeerd, maar het is ontzettend lastig om daadwerkelijk nummers als favoriet te markeren. Het vloeit in elkaar over en gaat door als een enkel stuk muziek. Hoe besloten is wat de afzonderlijke stukken zijn; geen idee, ik denk dat het gewoon de limitatie was van de vinyl platen. Prachtalbum, kan soms iets te lang duren en het vraagt nogal wat aandacht, maar dit is voor mij een sterke 4 sterren!

An hour of jazz ad lib? Cool. But only piano? Not that cool. Again, I'm not a regular jazz listener so...I'd like to say it would probably like it more if it has more different kinds of instrument in it. But still, the piano is beautiful, especially Pt.II A. A solid 3.5-4/5 to me. I enjoyed it. Sometimes jazz is basically classical music.

Borderline 10 but the random moans/singing? took me out of it every time

Jag gillade det! Riktigt mycket. Lyssnade flera gånger tom. Alltid gillat piano och tycker han får till riktigt sköna melodier och rytmer. Det var liksom behagligt. Kul! Lite synd att man hör han stöna och tjoa. Det står lite, men är man inte zon så är man.

Även om det är svårt att behålla fullt fokus under en dryg timme så var det här jäkligt trevlig lyssning. Extremt imponerande att han improviserade ihop allt också.

Interesting for sure. Had a lot of fun with it. Deserves to be on the list but it’s not outstanding

4.5

Yeah this was unexpectedly good

I liked this. For being nothing but solo piano, it was pretty consistent in holding my interest. Reading about the technical issues of the live performance, it's amazing how well his playing comes through even though the tonal quality of the piano itself isn't the best.

Oops, forgot to post in time, but I actually listened to it today! ‘twas good, kept my attention. B

Could be manic at times which I didn’t mind. I thought the moaning was I bit lame to be kept in. I Enjoyed this.

It's pretty impressive considering the piano was not what Jarrett requested, coupled with his lack of sleep and back issues at the time.

Beautiful piano

To date this might be the most "jam band" album we've heard, and its one guy playing piano and not singing (a few moans here and there). As a jam band sympathizer, I enjoyed this. Some of my favorite moments listening to or playing music are the unexpected ones, where you hear or play a melody/rhythm that makes you feel like you've just seen a puzzle come together. There are downsides to endless "jams" of course, which this album has some of. Cool story too - drove all night to West Germany to play a concert an 18 y/o arranged, but no piano available so had to tune up the shitty rehearsal piano and make the most out of the lower registers. Pretty crafty. The range of genres covered is also pretty sick. I think given the circumstances he deserves a 5, but it is limited (to one guy playing paino) so I'll go 4.

Pretty good recording and composition fora live show. The context and leadup to this concert is probably more interesting to me, as many of the reviewers seem to have covered already. To adjust and improvise with lesser equipment is impressive in its own right, though. The moans are kinda funny, but it's just the artist getting into their own craft and feeling it in the moment. It's easy to get lost into this composition as the listener too.

Not my kind of jazz, but I deeply appreciate it.

What a fantastic and beautiful listening experience. Not something I would normally go for, but thoroughly enjoyed it and will definitely be listening to again on long journeys.

A real treat to listen to on headphones and concentrate on.

Goes on a bit long and is a bit too "straight" for my tastes, but there are some truly transcendent moments. I could stand to come back to this. 3.5/5

fantastic piano pieces from start ti finish

Loved the playing. Hated the moaning. Part 2B wins my fave.

Guter Pianist

The story behind it really increased my appreciation of it. It went from "that's nice classical piano" to "whoa thats super impressive". added to some playlists & shared with a friend.

Song 1 didn’t need to be 25 minutes long. This album is more interesting when you read about the concert and the circumstances that led to this tinny sounding piano performance. It’s a beautiful listen and a great jazz peace that can be enjoyed by people who aren’t obsessed with jazz, that said, you might be left wanting that some melodies don’t get a little more life of their own, and I wasn’t often blown away by the technical performance of the pianist. But as I’m listening to part 4, it’s pretty cool to hear him settle into the sound of the instrument while he delivers a soft, easy exit. Idk, 3.5 stars probably but I’ll give it a 4 for a solid performance.

For some reason I thought I didn't like Keith Jarrett but this was really good. The wrong piano does dictate limitations in what he doing and some sections can feel a bit background in their simplicity but overall it is an engaging trip.

Definitely a virtuosic performance. The random moans/grunts of who I can only assume if the titular player are kind of weird and funny and showcase the passion he's playing. Where he's basically singing the notes alongside what he's playing. Good for both background and active listening.

Incredibly talented and sounded great. This was recorded in 1975 but the music is timeless. 8/10.

Really cool story. Really awesome piano playing.

I loved the piano playing the most

I'd like to see a brain image of his mind when he's playing/improvising. Not sure how all those neural connections are made on the fly like that. This isn't my favorite piano music to listen to by far, but I have to rate this album high out of respect for the skill and flow.

It doesn't have the richness or complexity of compositions by some of the well-known composers like Chopin, Rachmaninoff, or Liszt, this is improvisational jazz "in the moment" rather than carefully constructed over longer periods of time. In that context, it flows beautifully, has no discordant moments, and is well done. It's even more impressive considering the conditions under which it was made (both for him and the piano, according to the Wikipedia page). His vocal exclamations were initially off-putting: I thought it was a rude audience member but then read that he's known for both these vocalizations and his intolerance of audience noise. After getting used to it a bit, I found I enjoyed this quite a bit.

This guy can really play. It was a good change of pace from the music i usually listen to and was expecially good for listening to while working. A good background music you can tune in and out of at any time

All piano

Ik ken de hoes, en ik ken lofzang rond dit album. Een improvisatiestuk, dat meer aanvoelt als een klassiek album dan écht jazz. Tot nog toe hebben we eigenlijk op enkele momenten na muziek ervaren als een wetenschap, albums die met voorkennis zijn ontwikkeld. Op basis van de juiste instrumentatietechnieken, kennis van welke productiestijl het goed doet op de radio, en welke refreintjes blijven hangen bij het volk. Maar dit is een artiest waar de muziek bijna op spiritueel niveau leeft. Het is moeilijk te vergelijken. Wat ik wel weet is dat ik dit album vaker opzoek tijdens het lezen van een boek, of als de bloeddruk iets te hoog is. Wat een prachtige melodieën weet 'ie uit z'n mouw te schudden. Dat eerste stuk van pak 'm beet 20 minuten was echt ontroerend goed. Ik denk dat de benadering van muziek als wetenschap, met daarin natuurlijk ook ruimte voor gevoel en emotie, wel tot interessantere resultaten kan leiden dan iets wat ter plekke moet ontstaan. Maar niets minder dan bewondering voor dit concert. Die mensen in de zaal moesten toch wel door hebben gehad dat ze bij een heel speciaal optreden waren. 8,5/10

It's hard to argue that this is a pretty lovely album. I have nothing like it in my collection and I probably never will, but if I did, I think it would be this one. Reading the context behind it was really interesting too. To think he made this up as he went along, on a piano he didn't expect to be using, at a time and place that wasn't ideal, when he was tired, hungry and in pain. The experience for me, was long drifts on one pattern that feel calming and a bit backgroundy, then he decides to shift key, do something unexpected and grab your attention again. I didn't think I had a favourite solo improv jazz piano album, but I do now.

Listened to this while lying on my bed eating an apple. I finished the apple before the album. You’ve got to really go for the ride to appreciate this, because it is piano composition. And boy is it something. I’ll have to come back to this many more times, and glad to say I can due to the nuance and depth, but on first listen it feels like Jarrett is unpacking keys, turning them over and watching all the guts spill out, only to come to these soft, repetitive and melancholy endings in each part. It’s like chaos and aftermath. It’s both solemn and uplifiting. It’s life. Amazing sound. Rating it feels juvenile because I would gather something new every listen. Something about this takes me back to my college days sneaking into the music hall to play piano by myself. Favorite track: Pt II B

This was very enjoyable - what a talent. And to read that this is essentially improvised is crazy to me. I need to research that more. 4 stars would listen again. Very pleasant.

I found this incredibly difficult to rate. Some parts were outstanding, while others were just pleasant background music.

I wouldn’t say that I’m a convert to the genre but I’m a convert to the album. I was emotionally engaged throughout when I really didn’t expect to be. A singular experience and one I’m grateful to have had.

Masterful and emotive keyboard compositions!

Exceeded expectations

Great performance, great sounding album. I know this was hugely influential and iconic basically put ECM in the spotlight. It's a 4/5 for me. The style isn't necessarily my absolute favorite and the little vocalizations / grunts aren't for me. But it's a hell of a recording.

Meglepődtem, hogy négy szám egy óra. Sajnos érzelmeket nem tudott kiváltani belőlem, de a zongora mindig szép, szóval...

This is a beautiful album, that is very relaxing to absorb yourself in 4/5

This was very enjoyable. Some killer solo playing especially considering the instrument problems. Nice surprise… 3.5/5

You don’t need to know much about the piano to know that Keith can rip. The story that surrounds this album makes it all the more interesting. Basically got hosed by being given a practice piano for this sold out performance instead of the finely tuned grand he expected, said eff it and made up for the piano’s shortcomings on the fly. Special.

Ok, ok, ok...you win. This is a jazz album I not only like, but really like. Can confidently say this is my favorite improvisational solo jazz piano EVER! Is it also the only one I've ever listened to? Sure. The backstory on how this performance came together is pretty fascinating, too. I'll def be checking out more of Mr. Jarrett's catalog. 4/5

Rating: 7.5/10 Surprisingly very good, could be rated much higher if it was shorter. There are so many amazing melodies, Jarrett plays with incredible technical ability while keeping his playing musical as well.

I quite like this, especially since on a number of his live albums, he does a lot of grunting while he plays (not quite as intense as Monica Seles, but in the ballpark), but that’s not the case here. Bonus — Keith is figuring as a somewhat humorous plot point in the current season of Slow Horses, one of my fave shows these days.

Very enjoyable, completely new to me. I read about the concert and wouldn't have known the piano wasn't up to scratch! Although I wasn't listening to it very loudly. Such an accomplished performance.

Listened to this on a misty early morning walk through a park on my own. It was perfectly melancholy although the occasional cough was a bit disconcerting. Wish I’d actually been there

Loved listening to this walking through museums. Might have ended up being background music but who cares? Great story of perseverance in this too!

Piano Jazz, 1975 -> 4

This is the kind of shit I want to hear on this thing. I'm giving it 4 stars mostly as encouragement to branch out in terms of musical genres. We dont need anymore half assed albums from England

I think his concert in Japan is better, this ones slightly weaker.

What a wonderful workday it was listening to this

Playful and exciting, he’s having fun and shows it, without shouting

Very beautiful piano music! Mind blowing to me that this was all improvised on the spot. Nice find that I would never have known about without this project.

now that’s some smooth jazzy piano right there

Great album to listen to while relaxing.

I encourage anyone who is about to listen to this record to also read about the story leading up to this performance. Absolutely ridiculous circumstances surrounding the show that really puts the songs in a different perspective. The music itself is great as well. Impressive improvisation throughout. Also surprising to me that a solo piano free-improvisation record became a best seller. 3.5⭐️

I’ve heard of Keith Jarrett but never listened to his music so I’m glad to have been prompted to do so. It seemed to sound like a blend of jazz and classical to me - a bit more strait-laced than the jazz I am used to. It was amazing that this whole concert was improvised! Like an improvised classical piece! I liked it a lot but there was a lot of music to take in so I might return to it.

Эмоциональная классическая музыка, работалось под нее хорошо

My husband was telling me about this album like 3 days before it showed up here, I had never even heard of it before, I kid you not.

++: Part I, Part II a, Part II b, Part II c 9,6/10

A gorgeous and ridiculously impressive set of extended piano performances. Given the context – that this was performed in one take, live, completely improvised, and using a practice piano rather than a performing one – The Köln Concert is even more breathtaking. The actual skill level is through the roof. Even if Jarrett had been reading from pre-arranged sheet music, the virtuosity required to pull off all those quick-fire ornaments, arpeggios, and so on is pretty mind-blowing. The repetition of themes is also worth mentioning. You can almost see the exact thoughts going through Jarrett's head (at lightning pace) as he tinkers with ideas, finds certain ones that sound good, and lean into them as he experiments with variations. The audience is taken on an artistic journey, in a more raw sense than any pop or rock album. A couple of problems, though. Three of the four pieces are just too long to reasonably be called their own tracks, though this is more a production/editing complaint (about poor track listing) rather than a complaint about the artist. Some of the motifs are done to death, such as the repeating one-bar/one-chord phrase throughout nearly the entirety of the second track. The first track, which excellently avoids this motif problem, instead falls to the track runtime problem above. 4/5 Key tracks: all of them, kinda

Impressive

I had low expectations and normally don't like live recordings, but this was a very pleasant surprise.

I'll admit I judged an album by its cover. I saw the genre, saw that it was a live album, and was preparing for a lot of eye rolling. But this was good. It really put into focus mode for getting some work done.

Alternate Title: A Man and His Piano. It's remarkable that the circumstances - a missing concert piano, so that the artist hat to improvise with a rehearsal one with lacking high and low registers, all in front of a sold out house - resulted in this classic. Keith Jarrett's ability to improvise - as in: compose while playing - is tremendous. Granted, not all of the pieces are on par with each other, but the album is still enjoyable, both as foreground and background music. 4/5

Albums like these is why I love this project. I normally would have never listened to an instrumental, piano album but I did and actually really, really enjoyed it. I could without some of Jarrett’s vocalisations here but still, it’s pretty great

I'm not familiar with Keith Jarrett or this album, but I do love some good piano playing, so I expect to enjoy this album. I always have a hard time with how to rate these jazz albums, since I'm not really familiar with jazz music, but I'm hoping that since this album is only piano music, it might be easier for me to take in. I thought this album was really good. The piano playing was absolutely fantastic, and it's incredibly impressive that everything was completely improvised by Jarrett. The entire album was beautiful from start to finish, and I really enjoyed that it was easy for me to pick up on the main melody that was being built upon and riffed on as each song continued. I never grew bored with the songs, and they never felt bogged down by their run times. For most of the jazz albums that I've reviewed, I've felt pretty neutral towards them; they're nice to listen to, but I didn't feel like I was 'hearing what I was supposed to hear' in a sense. With this album, I didn't feel that way at all. Yes, it was beautiful to listen to, but the simplicity of it only being a piano really helped me appreciate the form and structure of the songs. This is an album I'd be likely to return to, and it makes me want to revisit the Miles Davis albums that I've reviewed.

Phenomenal improv. Incredible musicianship.

Heard this one before

An elegant, fully realized, and impressive display of virtuosity on the piano. There’s a lot of engaging sections and cool musical moments here, too, not just a display of raw talent. Keith could stand to moan a little less, though.

Love this album. Takes me back to my college days.

solid, enjoyable jazz

Relatively beautiful. 4.3/5

This would be really cool to watch live. Really nice album.

Really nice piano - perfect for working

Ideal para un día no laborable, con un libro entretenido y tomando mate. Excelente compañía.

beautiful and powerful. hard to believe it's improvised with how well he controls the listener's emotions. constant shifts in the tempo that pull you in a different emotional direction with each switch. sometimes i wish he stuck with a melody for longer but im sure it's a difficult balance when live and it does keep the pieces moving forwards to not linger too long.

4 stars

Pleasant. 4

This is a live, improvised jazz piano concert from Cologne in 1975. Allegedly it's the best selling solo jazz album and best selling piano album ever. It's genuinely pretty impressive that anyone can improvise over an hour's worth of material at this quality, so major credit to that. He does these strange vocalizations (moans) at times which I'm not super into, so minus one star for that. He seems like a bit of a diva honestly (almost cancelled the show because they had a bad piano there, hates any audience noise, is opposed to electronic instruments), but he's obviously incredibly talented. A nice album for a morning listen with a cup of coffee. Favorite song: Pt. II C Other: Pt. I 6/28/24

An incredible performance by an amazing artist - I had never heard of Keith Jarrett before but that is changing. The sounds he got out of that piano are so absurd - it blows me away listening to it and I was left wanting more. Absolutely wonderful album for jazz fans.

7/10. Really innovative, and a great listen, but it gets a little bit boring over time. :)

Precioso, sobre todo la primera canción.

Better than expected

Probably one of the best solo piano albums I’ve ever listened to. But solo piano isn’t really my jam.

love this music very nice piano !! 4 stars

Beautiful, lush, gentle. After a while, the solo piano begins to sound repetitive, and I long for the rest of the rhythm section to balance everything out. Still, gorgeous in its immediate and improvisational quality.

Beautiful and impressive, might not revisit but I enjoyed it! 4

Really impressive improve that manages to be very engaging despite being a solo piano piece.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this. Normally I find classical music to be a bit sleepy, but I found this to be really engaging. I listened to this with headphones, and every now and then there would be like talking or murmuring sounds on the track that I kept thinking were happening outside, which I didn’t love. But overall really good and enjoyable.

Essential for lovers of the piano

When this album came up on the list, I decided that I would put on my headphone, block out the world for an hour and simply listen. I think that's the reason why I liked it so much.

Standalone, this is a great performance. Really nice music to listen to. Alongside the story, this is a super cool piece of music history. Very glad to have been introduced to it through this list.

Extraordinary. I'll be coming back to this one

I wasn't very impressed by this album until I learned that it was all improvisation. Very cool.

So, the legend of this album is that in 1975 an 18 year old student called Vera Brandes somehow persuaded noted jazz pianist Keith Jarrett to play a late night gig at the prestigious Köln Opera house. Due to a mix up, an old, out of tune rehearsal piano was set up on stage with no time to get a replacement. Jarrett turned up late at the gig, suffering from back pain and with no time to eat, but still agreed to go ahead despite everything. In this recording, you can hear Jarrett work with the limitations of the piano - avoiding the out of tune high notes and using different techniques to get better bass notes. He improvised for over an hour, including an encore, with the result being one of the biggest selling jazz albums of all time. There’s an excellent Cautionary Tales podcast episode that goes into more detail about the background to this unique performance: https://timharford.com/2019/12/cautionary-tales-ep-7-bowie-jazz-and-the-unplayable-piano/

Honestly magnificent. 24 hours wasn't enough to appreciate this album. Time to lock in.

Lovely background stuff

Ekstremt nærme 5

Very pleasant music to work to.

Beautifulll

Extremely listenable and moving.

A relaxing listen!

Just really good background music, which isn't at all a bad thing

This was a great find. As someone new to piano music, I find the genre to be a whole new world, and I'm not sure where to begin. 'The Köln Concert' is a perfect starting point, offering me a wonderful introduction to Keith Jarrett's talent and paving the way for me to explore more in this musical realm.

A subtle album, relaxing but dynamic. Could do without the fanboy cries of one member of the audience, though

apparently the entire performance was pretty much improvised on a sub-par piano that forced him to adapt his playing style to get certain sounds out of it. I love this concept and the story itself makes the album that much greater.

Jarrett's magnetic use of all possible improvisational techniques is kind of a show off more than it is a free-flowing unified work. There are definite earworm highlights, but there are also entire swaths that serve only to show his skill over the instrument.

Interesting Story about this one

cool story behind this one. a girl booked the concert. Keith wanted a specific piano but the one she had was out of tune and had keys that would not work. He performed anyway but told her to record it so other venues would know why he wants a good piano for concerts.

A melodious piano spectacle, a grandiose work in the right listening mood.

Keith's style kind of reminds me of Vince Guaraldi. Perfect for cozy winter days. Piano playing is great throughout, very flowy and technical. I enjoyed it. Fave tracks: best enjoyed front to back.

Very interesting and enjoyable Piano concert. Really felt a lot of different musical elements and themes coming through on this one. Very interesting to read about the backstory and hear that it's all improvised on a terrible piano.

This was sick for a run

I love a melancholy piano

Nice straight piano concert by a jazz legend.

Beautiful, inventive piano music

💖 january 24, 1975, pt. II (A) 🗣️ 8️⃣

The raw skill on display here is fantastic. Despite the daunting length of the songs, the musicianship here is fascinating to hear. If I ever need to have some good instrumental, interesting background music to listen to while I do an engaging hobby, this would not be a bad choice at all.

An hour of stellar jazz piano. The Wiki goes into excellent detail on the style of his improvisation and riffing as well as some of the difficulties in getting the concert to run

Very beautiful but unexciting. I imagine this is something that needed to be viewed on video.

Really cool story and interesting improv. I'm not usual a huge listener of solo piano but I could see myself coming back to this.

оверхайп

Not sure how to pick a favourite from 4 improvised songs but certainly the latter half seems to capture my attention more. Relaxing, enjoyable, intriguing.

Dang! Listened to this with no knowledge for the first time, and thought it was perfectly pleasant piano cool jazz, but not particularly remarkable, and wondered why this album was picked out of all the candidates from this subgenre... ...then read the wiki page before the second listen! Pretty crazy he could come up with this on the fly! Definite props! Fave track - it's not really a track kinda album, but there was a chunk of Part IIa (I think) that sounded a little like the Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack (in a good way) so let's say that!

Very impressive record and really interesting story behind it. Kölle Alaaf!

Wonderful playing and an interesting backstory, but I also feel like this type of solo live recording is skirting the limits of what should be covered by a project like 1001 Albums.

Beautiful! I'm puzzled, though, by the sotto voce exclamations in the background.

This is difficult to review. It’s completely improvised, which means the creative process involved here is not calculated and planned out with the same kind of thought and care a rehearsed album might have. There is still thought and care, clearly. But it’s so different because of its improvisational nature that to review it, as someone who does not play the piano, is difficult. So suffice it to say that it’s a remarkable work. There are moments where it’s easy to forget it’s improvised. When Jarrett stumbles onto a hook or a melody and quickly develops it into something more full, with more moving parts on the fly, it’s nothing short of genius. But it can be hard to follow. You really have to bear with him as he finds the ideas worth developing. I cannot hum you a melody he played here. Not because they’re forgettable, but because they’re buried under so much else. This was a great experience and I am happy to have been along for the ride. But in terms of relistenability? It’s tough because of its length and the intimidating nature of the concept of the album as a whole. However, it’s impossible to deny the genius present here, and so 4 stars must be its score. Standout tracks (tough to tell them apart but…): Pt. 2 - A, Pt. 2 - C

Beautiful piano mastery

i like piano, has some catchy tunes

This is very impressive for managing to stay engaging for an entire hour, but what holds it back from being a 5 is that this album just sort of feels devoid of any emotions which elevate it from just being background music.

Great solo piano concert

Quite nice, but an hour of piano improv is more than enough for me

I enjoyed listening to this. Reading the story of the circumstances leading up to the concert made it even more entrancing. Great for background music OR active listening! There’s not a lot of albums that fall in both areas. 4/5

The fact that this album was completely improvised on the spot is bonkers. As someone with zero music ability, the idea that someone can make something up that not only sounds good but also feels cohesive over that length of time is incredible to me. So, from that perspective, I'm glad I listened to this album in my lifetime. However, as impressive as it is and as nice as it sounds, an hour-long piano concerto isn't really something I'd seek out to listen to on my own. It inevitably becomes background music after a while. The things that make live music exciting to me are the energy and the interplay between the different musicians and instruments, especially in jazz. As someone who's been lucky enough to see Jon Batiste live, so much of the experience is watching the band interact with each other and feed off each other's energy. I've never been a huge fan of solo musicians, at least in an audio-only context. And while you can hear Jarrett's enthusiasm while he's playing, it still feels like it's missing something. I'll give it a 4 because it is nice sounding and it's incredibly impressive. But I'd probably only listen to it again as background music as I was doing something else. Addendum: Since I can't correct typos in my entries, I just wanted to make a note that in my review of Talking Heads' Remain in Light yesterday, I got the name of the singer from Benin wrong. It's Angelique Kidjo, not Jacqueline. That's what I get for trying to multitask.

This is the result of someone who's just IN IT. You can hear Jarrett's mind entirely lost in the music throughout this record. I mean, who improvs like this? These are fully realized compositions that just so happen to be created as soon as the fingers touch the keys. Remember the Pixar movie Soul from a few years ago? In that movie, the main character, a jazz pianist, gets transported to a literal different plane of existence when he gets lost in the music. That's what I imagine happening here. It's a strange thing to create something for the world that can never be replicated note for note. This recording represents the importance and power of a "moment" in time. And because of that, it's timeless. But here's the real hot take...is it entirely enjoyable to the listener for over an hour? Meeeehh.... 10/10 background noise, will passively listen again.

The brain boggles at the sheer scale of spontaneous creation resulting from Jarrett’s immaculate improvisation; as his fingers wander, so too will your mind.

From neutral to happy to vicious to sad to melancholy, I dig! Last song was the best.

Hey ich finds uh nice? Aber halt iwie recht lang zum aktiv nume das lose über d chopfhörer. Aber es isch überhaupt ned schlecht oder so.. ich glaub ich wür en mega mega gern gseh die lieder perfome. Glaub denn chentis einiges meh appreciate Es slapped ebe scho…

kinda good

What an incredible story and incredible piano work. Am I likely to listen to this regularly? No. But am I glad it exists and was recorded? Absolutely!

Loved it. Great classical album, enjoyed the complexity and journey of the album

Piano 8/10

I can tell from the first few seconds of this that I found a new thing for me to get into

Very enjoyable piano music.

Not one that I would normally listen to, but it is a stellar performance. I usually enjoy piano-bar style jazz, which is very different from this, but his performance here is pretty amazing. I enjoyed it quite a bit.

Beautiful compositions. At times it’s almost mesmeric how the melodies capture my attention. Wish I could have seen this live in concert.

Some of the best pianowork i've ever heard dont think ill be actively seeking out anything like this though

- Für Alben wie dieses mache ich diese Challenge. - Ich habe in irgendeiner Doku schon mal von dem Konzert und den Umständen gehört. Dazu gabs ein paar sehr kurze Mitschnitte. Jetzt hab ich es zum ersten Mal richtig durchgehört und war wirklich einfach geflasht. - Ich hatte mal gesagt, dass wenn Pianos in einem Song mit Vocals, anderen Instrumenten und richtiger Komposition den Hauptteil einnehmen, finde ich das nicht so gut. Da stimmt auch mit ein paar Ausnahmen. Wovon ich hingegen großer Fan bin, ist reine Klaviermusik. Vor allem in Form wie bei Oskar Schuster, Johannes Bornlöf, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Christopher Dicker usw. - Diese Live-Improvisation ist natürlich viel mehr Jazz als kompositorische Klaviermusik. Dennoch war ich streckenweise richtig im Bann dieser Performance. Vor allem bei Pt. II A bin ich wild schnipsend und klatschend durch die Wohnung gelaufen. - Gab ein paar Momente, wo mich die Platte ein bisschen aus ihrem Bann entlassen hat aber grundsätzlich war das eine tolle Erfahrung. Werde ich auf jeden Fall nochmal irgendwann hören 4.25/5

Amazing!

Energetic

At first I was like, this guy's just gonna play piano for an hour? But the more I listened, the more it hooked me. This guy is improvising all this?? That's insane. Ended up watching a few interviews, cool guy. Able to just let music flow out of him.

Nice piano, very chill

Cool. First five minutes of song 2 gave me a new outlook on life. His little yelps throughout the whole thing kept making me think someone was behind me.

Good music...quite relaxing, low key. Great for studying, reading, etc.

Not generally a fan of classical style music, but this was very listenable and easy to understand why it's on this list. Will add to my focus music list. Could've done without hearing so many enthusiastic "ohhhhh"'s from the artist, but whatcha gonna do?

Precioso, sobre todo la primera canción.

pretty good

If you like piano, you'll probably like this. His vocalizations get a little odd but not overly distracting unless you really let them get to you.

had a great time cleaning to this, hope i relisten

Never listened to anything quite like this.

Najs instrumentellt album

This is just pure talent. Making a wordless album with pure piano this engaging shouldn’t be possible. The songs flip between moods in their long run times. I was listening on my walk to the train and felt like the main character in a movie about to go to the pivotal scene. Great stuff.

Lovely, interesting piano.

I went into this expecting not to be impressed. After all, how can an album of improvised jazz piano be one of the most essential albums to listen to? But it was beautiful, exciting, and full of ideas. I actually quite liked it. Nonetheless, Keith Jarrett didn’t spend hours crafting the pieces, so it’s not as noteworthy, right? Lately I’ve been watching “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” It’s one of the funniest shows ever made—so quotable, memorable, hilarious. It is great largely BECAUSE it was improvised. It has made me realize my bias with this album. Just like “Whose Line,” this album is great because it is improvised. That is part of what makes it so special.

Enjoyable piano album, doesn't sound like jazz to me, but maybe because it's solo piano. The story and how it was fully improvised, especially for what the final product sounds like, is amazing. 4*. Good background music, had to listen to it twice. The random yells are weird though.

Rating: 8/10

Sehr schöne Überraschung. Kannte ich noch nicht und echt angenehm zu hören.l - zum Ende aber bisschen anstrengend. Außerdem Köln

This was a great album, it was legitimately surprising at times.

Some beautiful piano music in here. Of course, it isn't as engaging as a lyrical pop song but if you listen to it and pay attention, it's still pretty incredible.

A very unique and interesting album, I enjoyed it while I listened to it, but I don't think I will ever actively listen to this again, but maybe as background music.

4.0

Wuhuu super. Pogotovo s malo više konteksta kojeg san pronašla u reviewu

Lijepo baš, mood u šetnji prema doma

I’d heard of Keith Jarrett before. But I hadn’t heard this somehow. I will purchase this record next time I see it. Couldn’t tell who was making the noises but it turns out it was him the whole time! A great find.

Nice piano noodling

Pt I Ends beautifully and triumphantly. Pt. II A should have been Pt. imo, it gives me more of an intro / waking up feel then Pt. I This entire album is a journey Best Song: Pt. II A Worst Song: N/A

4 stars I dig it.

Beautiful piano.

Ten minutes in and I was already amazed by his ability to weave in and out of melodic ideas and different motifs. The audible woo’s and noises he makes confirms that he is but a vehicle for these beautiful motifs to manifest on the keys. I needed a new type of calming background music and this is it

Great chill piano vibes. Didn't love his noises in the background lol

Inspiring

Like it, made me relaxed while I was a little agitated,

I didn't know what to expect, but this was a delightful listen. It turns out it is a piano concert.

From my point of view, this is an excentric release for this list, so I think it's pretty hard to evaluate it using the same metrics. As a Jazz album from a monstrously talented pianist, it's perfect, and it also works very well as background music, but it lacks some diversity that I'm used to getting from the albums on the 1001 list. It's understandable since it was a live presentation that should not be released as an album, but still, it was, and it was included on the list.

Typically, avantgarde offerings here from Keith. Listen with headphones and note how he hums and sings in unison with his musical offerings. Percussive, melodic and thematic – this is solo piano of the highest order that may be a little to conceptual for some but well worth your attention. If solo piano is your bag, then well worth checking out the more contemporary Chilli Gonzalez’s offerings (Solo Piano 1, 2 and 3)

Lovely!

I appreciate the freestyled nature of his work… it blended classical piano with jazz. Its beautiful

It's funny how much I was not into this in the first 30 seconds and how much I really enjoyed it by the end. I'm definitely not a piano music guy but if you were to tell me this is thre greatest piano album of all time I'd have to believe you because it was pretty good.

-piano only -fun and lively album -great live recording -not familiar with this artist, will have to dive deeper

I don’t know much about jazz, but I know this dude can play the piano. There were time almost too many notes were played and the melody couldn’t really be heard. And I could do without the occasional moan. But the ivories were definitely tickled and it was quite enjoyable to listen to

This is a wrapping sound... I can't stop to listen it!

7/10 - I quite enjoyed most of the pieces. However the intermittent clapping and cheering was weird and ruined the immersion. If I had more work to do I could 100% turn this on and grind it out.

I liked it a lot. Piano music.

Just to sit back and listen.

SO CHILL. Perfect work music. Dig.

This is a great concert that shows how versatile Jarrett was at his peak.

New music to me. Engafing and lively.

I did not know what to expect, but I found myself mesmerized by the piano playing. I wish I could play this well. I was put off by the moans, but I thought maybe his left hand was aching from the constant movement. Great background music for reading.

Jazz falls into one of those genres that I could take or leave. Was encouraged by the first track…very listenable and actually enjoyed it. He lost me on the third track, then pulled me back in on the fourth. I could see myself adding this to my very limited jazz collection, though. Great stuff to have on at a party, or to listen to intently.

Impressive given the whole thing was improvised live.

Beautiful

1/4/24

Masterful.

Very nice love piano music

Classical!

Piano Wizzard

imaginative. loose. resonate. this is a performance that needs to be heard to be believed. jarrett lays resonating foundations that build upon themselves to create wonderfully creative and engaging solos. this collection of only four tracks would be perfect for studying or creating all sorts of outlines or sketches... i would give it a perfect 5 if i could, but as great as it is, it's not something i would imagine residing in a spot in my collection, or at least not yet. maybe a relisten is in order. also jarrett's occasionally grunts and exclamations. that's something! hell, maybe i'd do the same if i was that skilled at the piano and making improvisations as i go.

Album 262 of 1001 Keith Jarrett - The Köln Concert Rating : 4 / 5 I don't think there is much in the genre that can claim to be any better than this. If you enjoy hearing a great pianist play, this should be required listening. Such a joy to listen to. If you listen closely, you can hear Jarrett, himself, let out with his own howls of joy, as he plays. I first heard this several months ago as I was listening through the 1001 Albums playlist and it just blew me away. One of those that stuck with me for a few days. Highly recommended to anyone who enjoys some great piano playing.

Of course it's extremely excellent playing by an extremely talented person. Just not the kind of album I am going to revisit.

I liked it!

Very nice improvised piano. Weird clap rhythm at the end.

Loved it. And I liked how it just rolled on into each new song like it was a continuous 1 hour song.

Good

Anytime an album is comprised of just one instrument I am hesitant. Especially because I'm not a very big fan of the piano on it's own. When I was actively listening I actually found myself really enjoying the ride. Keith does a good job of constantly mixing up what he's playing to help prevent it from getting stale. But eventually I did lose interest at times and I would get distracted by other things. Thankfully, this album works just as well for background music. The jazzy/improv nature of it makes it so that you can pop in and out of paying attention to it without feeling like you've lost your place. All in all, the fact that this is all improv and learning the story behind the creation of this album bumps it from a 3 to a 4 for me. Which is significant because my expectation when I saw that it was a solo piano album was that I'd come out of it with a 1 or 2. Just undeniable mastery of one's craft.

Nice background music for work. Impressive this was all improvised

Solo piano, unprepared, recorded by ECM has a certain ceiling of avant-garde. Jarrett develops his pieces in black-and-white length, dynamic range and vocalizations within dinner-party limits. When he hits the upper registers and/or switches styles, the music opens up in a big way. He never careens, never tires, and the record is utterly honest to a certain kind of live experience.

Prachtig piano album heeft me heerlijk door mijn assignment dag heen getrokken

Mooi album maar niet beste piano muziek die ik ooit heb gehoord ofzo. Wel een goed album maar niet “beste aller tijden”

good

Wonderfully technically impressive with moments of true genius, but it's a long time to listen to a solo piano.

Really enjoyed being introduced to this as something to accompany my work day. I'm not sure I would just listen to this, but as a backdrop and an aid to concentration, it was perfect

great performance, sometimes the voice sfx threw me off but still a strong 4

It was very relaxing. I loved the ambient atmosphere of it and the very vivid stories the piano tells. It never really got boring either with the continuous piano playing which is hard to do. Very enjoyable.

sing us a song ur the piano man

This was a delight. First album in this challenge that was a new discovery I intend to revisit.

Clearly very beautiful to me is sounds like Pokémon Diamond and Pearl OST tho. Which one would I rather listen to? Idk did this concert have a giratina?

I play instrumental solo piano music from time to time when I work, so as I was listening to this while working today, it just seemed kind of the same thing. I had to listen to this a second time to really get it out of the background and notice how good it is. I enjoyed it quite a bit.

Piano on a Monday was a choice lol. Great piano though!

The infamous concert. Good. 3.9

I'll start by saying, I'd never heard of Keith Jarrett. I listen to some classical music, some pianist's here and there but not really often.. and this album blew me away. I was absolutely moved, taken away by this album. The places this album took me in my mind.. I loved this album. Keith moves a single, granted 20 minute long, track through sooo many different moods and themes its just.. incredible. he truly is a master musician. Overall: 4.7/5

Not my cup of tea but it was good!

instrumental piano parte 2a y final de la parte 1 brutales muy bueno

This was a pleasant surprise. This isn't my typical style of music to throw on but I was very interested in what I was hearing throuout the whole album. When listening to this, it reminded me of Adam Holzman. I consider both, him and Keith Jarrett to be piano virtuosos. To which, I am familiar with the former from being the active keyboard/pianist for Steven Wilson. I loved the live aspect of this record. You can hear subtle voices through out and it added a bit of charm, and humanity to what I was could only describe as inhuman talent tickling those ivory keys. This would be perfect to see live as I can't fully comprehend what I am listening to. If I could see what I hear, I would have even a higher appreciation to what I am hearing. Any type of record similar to this, I would day the same. Great listen.

In a nutshell: screw it, I'm just gonna play. If you haven't heard of this album, go to the Wikipedia page first. I can't believe that the promoter and Keith still went ahead with the show. What could go wrong leading up to the gig DID go wrong. Yet Keith pushed through and pulled off a remarkable performance. Pretty impressive on a half sized piano. Overall: 7/10

Faisal probably came while listening to this

Shoutout to the man having audible eargasms in the front row

5 minutes into Part I and I thought I wasn’t going to finish the album. I did not like it. 12 minutes into Part 1 I was looking up the history and reading all about it. This album was a very pleasant surprise for me. I dig Jazz a little bit straight up piano only Jazz isn’t my favorite. This extended jam has really changed what I thought piano jazz can be. I’m very happy with this one.

Very relaxing. Surprise of a listen

Amazing piano performance. The vocalizations remind of GameCube video games and take me out of it. Sorry Jarrett.

Fantastic record that I wish I had discovered sooner. Keith Jarrett creates an atmospheric sound with just keys, and adds in little yelps when getting excited about the sounds and the feels. Part II B was my favorite. Found a groove that is unmatched by many pianists out today. Would love to own this on vinyl.

Relaxing. Interesting story on the recording.

Beautiful, sounds incredible for a live performance recording even if it is just instrumental. Thought that was a young Lionel Richie on the album art for a second

Really enjoyed Pt. II C and Pt. I, easy to see why it's a bestseller!

my ranking system is very random but I do feel like I lend a lot to my feelings on the impressiveness of a recording. and from all I’ve read & heard of this album, it feels genius. who am i to deny that impulse.

nice background music

Beautiful album - great songs. 4/5

I love this album. There’s so much emotion in it. You can hear him going where the piano leads him. Also, that is an exquisite sounding piano. This album accomplishes everything you’d hope. It, first and foremost, entertains, as it is undoubtedly enjoyable. Secondly, you have the technical stuff, like production, arrangement, instrumentation, and structure, which are all fantastic. Lastly, it makes you think as all good albums should. Makes me wonder if music is any less of an art if it’s created on the spot instead of being composed beforehand. In this case, I don’t know how Keith could have done any better except for maybe having a little more time to create bits that spread the album out a little more so there’s more versatility and range. Otherwise perfect in my book. 4/5

I’ve never been much for jazz piano, and with little background info the first part of this concert felt unremarkable. But upon reading about the significance of this album, the out of tune piano, Jarrett’s late arrival, his few bites of pasta, and his playing changing based upon the condition of the only instrument he was able to rely on- this quickly changed to a remarkable show. Jarrett’s playing, while something that I am admittedly not well versed in, was beautifully improvised and transcends the classical jazz piano that one would expect with a number of grooving “bass lines” coupled with his wandering right hand.

First Keith album. Jazzy piano. Not my thing but gave it a listen

A great listen from end to end, very impressive.

Lovely album.

Jaunty soulful album. Didn't fully resonate with me but I liked it a lot still

A beautiful work that falls flat in some places. After looking up the history of this concert though, it makes sense as only the middle keys of the replacement piano worked. A beautiful piece of art.

Enjoyed this. I'm glad I heard the music before reading about the back story. The imperfections only serve to emphasize the improvisation and I couldn't work out whether the infrequent calls made by the artist during the performance were from euphoria or annoyance. Having read the story about the piano, I'm sure both. I would be happy to add this to my collection and check out his other work.

Was not familiar with Keith Jarrett. Perfect album to have on in the background at home or work.

Ух, как же он стонет 8/10

mesmerizing

Serious piano overload. I would love to listen to this album with a piano player. I feel likes it’s so technically brilliant that it’s a bit lost on me. Can’t help but admire the shear talent and passion. Incredible!

This is beautiful music. I really enjoyed it. I had heard of the artist but for whatever reason thought he was some sort of "soft jazz" type deal, which is of course completely wrong. A nice find in the 1001.

A fun introduction to Keith Jarrett, nice for on the subway or cooking dinner

Starts slow but ends up taking you on a journey. Apparently best selling solo jazz album of all time!

It's pretty impressive how captivating an hour of just solo piano improv can be, music is weird. Enjoyed this a lot though, he manages to put so much emotion into his playing, and knows exactly how to build intensity throughout these long pieces. Again, the fact that this was all improv is incredibly impressive, deserves a high rating just for the technical ability on display.

"The Köln Concert" by Keith Jarrett is a testament to his exceptional talent as a pianist. Recorded in 1975, this live performance is a remarkable display of improvisation and musicality. Jarrett's piano work is nothing short of extraordinary, showcasing his technical prowess and creative depth. The album's production captures the intimate ambiance of the concert, allowing the listener to feel as though they are in the room with Jarrett. However, the extended improvisations can occasionally feel meandering, which might not resonate with all listeners. While "The Köln Concert" is undoubtedly a remarkable showcase of Jarrett's skill and creativity, its free-form and lengthy nature may limit its appeal to a specific audience. For those who appreciate virtuosic instrumental piano music, it's a must-listen, but others might find it challenging to engage with over its duration.

Calming, nice blend of classical and jazz piano. Must be in mood for lots of piano

Delightful.

Technically superb, listened to it twice to try and take it all in, although unlikely to listen again in future

Beautiful jazz piano, love the vocalizing

4.5

I had no idea what this wa and liked it a lot

Jarrett really jams despite the awful circumstances of this concert. It's pretty impressive. I didn't at all mind the long length of this live album.

baita som, clássico e tals, pianao muito bem tocado né tcha

HAIKU REVIEW Drifted away with mesmerizing piano like a waterfall

The ability to improvise something that sounds so carefully crafted, with every chord and melody spending virtually no time between conception and existence and yet still sounding like it's exactly where and when it's supposed to be, is an incredible talent.

приятный альбом в начале был

Happy to have read the story behind this concert and recording prior to starting. I would be interesting to be able to hear an identical performance with correct piano. I dug further into the life story of Keith Jarrett and continued to be impressed. The background info, the fact that most of the music is improvised, and bad luck of Jarrett's evening make this album a must listen album. The moaning was weird though.

I don't know what this is. There is something about it that is deeply appealing in the same way that other experimental artists like Battles, Silver Apples, and Can are. But this has soul in a way that those groups do not. The live, acoustic nature of this recording makes it so human.

Very cool!

Extremely beautiful but much too long (just like my butt cheeks)

very cool

Haunting, melodic and utterly transcendent. Although, would it be sacrilegious to say it reminds me of build mode in the original Sims game? 8/10

A 60 minute piano improvisation that never felt forced or incohesive. A very strong change of pace from the typical sort of music I listen to.

Ik start dit op zaterdagochtend, met weinig verwachtingen. Het opent als een poppy track, wat me doet denken aan Jackson Browne of Fleetwood Mac. Al snel begint hij wat te improviseren lijkt het. Ik hou toch meer van een bepaald stramien qua songstructuur, een bepaalde houvast. Maar onmiskenbaar is gelijk de virtuositeit. De man is geen pannenkoek. Bovendien is de stijl best wel rocky en bluesy, absoluut niet klassiek, dat bevalt me wel. Ik krijg er steeds meer een glimlach van op mijn gezicht. Al is het wel aan de lange kant. Maar omdat ik in een goede bui ben, zal ik 4 sterren doneren.

4.4 - I wouldn't put this guy in the pantheon of GOAT jazz pianists alongside Art Tatum, Erroll Garner, Ahmad Jamal and Thelonius Monk but I do appreciate his crystalline clarity and the constant flutter of colors throughout this performance. Mostly it tracks somewhere between "film score for a 1970's Dustin Hoffman movie" and "Mr. Rogers explains how crayons are manufactured." It's the type of record you'd hear playing at your favorite indie bookstore.

The first song is an epic and made for a great listen. The second two kind of fell into the background for me. And the final was a nice closer. Far from a close listen or analysis on my part, but my general take was this was a very enjoyable piece of piano. Kind of strange to hear him grunting with effort or effect at times, but otherwise high quality stuff that I don't know how to properly review. So on the feels alone this is a soft 4.

Concierto para piano. Me ha gustado. Un 4.

Precioso, sobre todo la primera canción.

There's only so much you can do with just a piano. But God damn it, if Jarrett doesn't do it all here. Great improvisations that go from eclectic jazz to sweeping balladry to rocking blues. The story behind the titular concert is quite interesting too. But as I said earlier, there's only so much you can do with just a piano. As fantastic as he is at his craft, I started to get a little bored as I neared the hour mark, missing the interplay of other instruments. An extended improvised solo can be impressive, but it can also grow wearisome. After hearing this album, I now rank Keith Jarrett amongst the best pianists of his time. But I don't necessarily feel compelled to listen to this recording again.

Nice background music for a 4am morning in the cold on a full moon night