The Köln Concert

Love piano and recognize skill but too jazzy for me

“Jazzy” piano stylings for people who don’t like jazz? It’s like a "Van Gogh" exhibit with nothing but bleached out pencil sketches. Frustrating to the point of psychosis when you’ve been raised on all of the color.

Kompetent pianospelare. Men inte alls min typ av pianokompositioner. Glättigt, monotont, generiskt. Känns mer som kompmusik än stycken som står på egna ben. Blir snällt och duktigt. Förstår inte helt varför denna konsert och skiva uppnått den status den har. Alls. Möjligt bättre live men som album att lyssna på, funkar inte alls. Kommer lyssna igen: Nej Bästa spår: andra stycket Betyg: 3 av 10 (Daniel) 5 av 10 (Dawid)

Wow! I loved this so much I'm going to keep listening to the rest of his catalog.

This was a perfect listen for a Sunday morning. Way more enjoyable than I expected from reading about it. Melodic, and enough variation to keep it from being monotonous for an hour long listen.

Just piano. Too sleepy. Not for me.

This was really pretty but solo piano gets kind of boring unless I’m watching a live performance

I really enjoyed this. I felt like it helped me remain calm and slowed me down - in a good way.

Not my taste and therefore quite boring

It's very impressive piano noodling, but at the end of the day it's just that - an hour of piano noodling.

Favorites: Part I, Part IIa, Part IIb It's really easy to admire the genius level of improvisation in The Köln Concert, especially considering Jarrett's influence in minimalist electronic and jazz music as we know it today. Stunning and alluring, and it's often difficult to tell that this was a live performance.

Surprisingly good listen. Hearing that this album was just piano I was expecting to be pretty bored but the intricacies and melodies here are really nice to listen to 8/10 Favourite: Part 1 Least Favourite: None

Wow! I didn’t have high expectations for this one. Some bloke noodling away on an old piano, even if that bloke is Keith Jarrett! But again wow absolutely stunning, musical genius in its purist form!

FUCK!!!! FUUUUUUUCKKKKK!!!!! This was so good. added to the immediate rotation

The guy obviously has talent and it grew on me as I listened, but I probably wouldn’t go back to it

hell yes, legenden på jazzpiano og flygelet som ikke hadde alle tangenter som fungerte. tror ikke jeg har hørt konserten, faktisk. Det er ganske nice. Drømmende, glemmer at alt er tatt i et take. Fuck han er god

A really good album that I didn't expect to like as much as I did. Perfect to have on in the background and I enjoyed the different paces of the songs. It's probably a little too much piano in one sitting for me but man this was good. 8/10 (4/5)

Better and better the more I listened to it. The way it takes shape as he plays was pretty amazing.

Fucking jazz piano

It's a jazz album.

My initial impression of this album was “dinner music” Over the course of listening to it things got a little more interesting, but the entire time that dinner music thought stuck very firmly in my head. Things get jazzy at times, but I never found myself really engaged or totally interested in the piano playing itself. I really need more from a record. An album of nothing but one single piano isn’t really for me. Sorry, Keith.

I went in to this album having no idea what it was or to expect, because I have to admit in my relatively surface-level knowledge of jazz, pianists are not artists I dwell on very much if at all. I was very pleasantly surprised by what was in store for me. I don't really have anything insightful to say about this album. I felt like it strikes a very successful balance of meandering and intense so as to both provide space for introspection and command your attention and thought, which is what I love about a good jazz record. Some really cool chord progressions. Definitely has replay value.

Wow! Totally caught off guard and surprised by this. Not sure I’d call it jazz more contemporary classical? I get hits of Rachel’s and post rock piano crossed with thelonious monk. Then I read it was all improvised?!? Brilliant!

It's perfect

Look... as something I'd see in a Jazz lounge, sure... as an album to listen to literally ever, absolutely not.

I know this is listed by Penguin as a core jazz album. And I get the story behind it is very dramatic and interesting. But the music to me just isn't all that interesting. It's fine. But it doesn't inspire me or challenge me like I want jazz to do. I think it's telling of broader musical tastes that this is the best selling solo jazz album of all time. It's so middle of the road that it can appeal to everyone I guess. I've listened to this a few times now and each time leave wondering why? Why is this so acclaimed and popular? If you didn't know the story behind the record,.would it be as interesting? I can't imagine why. Whatever, this is my jazz snobbery coming out. I'd give this a 2.5 as possible. It's just so vanilla.

Fantastic playing to my ears but I’m not very good at piano. The ideas he really rides here are super fun, I wish this was the kind of playing people lined up to see and smile to more

Beautiful!

Not my sort of music, but absolutely fine

There's just something about this is just can't place but its enjoyable. I'm guessing it's all improvised so quite impressive

An unexpected 5/5. I didn't know this album existed and have only vaguely heard of Keith Jarrett before, but this was a journey. I listen at work, but I had to stop working to just listen on several occasions.

A classic!

Esto es para personas más intelectuales que nosotras. 1. No canciones favoritas.

This is not the type of music that I would actively seek out, so in that regard listening to this album is just the sort of challenging experience that I'm after by doing this exercise. There's nothing unpleasant or inherently bad about this album, and I can appreciate why some folks would find this a fabulous listen, but it just doesn't hit like that for me. 3 stars Would I listen to this again? No. Would I buy this album? No. 1 "Part I" - 3 Stars 2 "Part II a" - A little more up tempo and engaging to begin with. - 3 Stars 3 "Part II b" - 3 Stars 4 "Part II c" - 3 Stars Total - 12 Average - 3

Lift music. If they were playing this in the lift, I'd take the stairs.

Exactly the kind of pretentious shit I love. His ability to take you on such an insane journey with only one instrument and no vocals is like nothing I have ever heard before. I love the incredible range of vibes and styles shown off, seamlessly blending moments that are suspensful, anxious, and epic all managed with nothing more than one simple piano. Absolute unsuspecting gem, so glad I've been exposed to this.

great album

Piano jazz. Interessante ma non il mio genere

An amazing jazz piano album with wonderful improvisation and a surreal mythos.

It was a bit of a journey, enjoyable but couldn’t listen every day it was that intense.

its okay

Good for falling asleep.

I'm rating this a 3 not because I don't think it's good. I'm just not a piano easy listening kind of person. I'm sure it's a 5 to some people

This guy is clearly an incredibly talented pianist, however, if I had attended that concert, I certainly would've fallen asleep.

A guy noodling away for an hour, to make great background music.

Absolutely stunning

Not for me

Really enjoyed this, felt like somehow familiar, perhaps it's inspired many later songs. Will listen again, good option for background music without the distraction of lyrics

Very pleasant album and dude is ridiculously good at his craft

Cant believe i've go to this age and never heard this. Fantastic piece of beautiful music. Wow.

There are not the words to explain how good this is. Perfection

Not something or someone I had heard of before. I found it an interesting album to listen to especially considering it is an improvised piece. Definitely coming back to this one.

Can hear those little elements that New Age latched on to.

I liked this more than I expected. It is really cool piano music and the story behind it is also quite special.

just a little too slow for me. maybe another time, another lifetime

2.5 maybe

Jumpin’ jazz

Fine as background music but it’s outrageous to me that this is considered a classic album. It’s elevated elevator music.

I missed my subway stop x2, engrossed listening

epic squirming coil

4 for the talent and 1 for that suboptimal piano

Excellent album and groundbreaking for its time that it deserves its place as the best selling piano album.

Really really solid stuff. beautiful melodies throughout the entire album and it’s fantastic the entire way through

Magical. Everything I hope for in a Jazz record. Just Jarrett, the piano, and magic.

Probably a great piece of work for what it is but I need more than just piano.

Excellent.

I checked to see how much longer I had on this album, and I was still on the first track

Do you like the piano?

interesting and could be good - not a fan of the moaning

Can appreciate but an hour of jazz piano is not my thing

A very pleasant listen. Giving this a high rating because I don’t know enough jazz or classical piano, so if I’m in the mood for that - this is what I want to put on. I feel a lot of classical music sounds very heavy, emotional, sad - while the majority of this actually felt very positive, or uplifting. I love hearing him throughout the recording as well.

I listened first, then read the Wiki - improvised !?! This is a beautiful captured moment of extraordinary musical virtuosity. Whether or not this is your type of music, it is absolutely something you need to hear, and I am glad the list made room for it.

it surely was good, but since i’m not the biggest fan of the genre i found it a bit boring sorry 3/5

Ok as background music but not for me.

5/5

Cool record. First time listening to it since 'you'll hear it' doing facing you. That helped me understand Keith Jarets thing a bit more. Some really beautiful transitions between parts. Harmonicaly complex, completely improvised, but often doesn't feel like jazz - the swing I guess. Must listen to it more.

When I thought about what might make this project exciting, it wasn’t about trying to make it through 1,001 albums. It was about hearing music like this that I never would have found on my own. This is an astonishing recording. In fairness, I am a big fan of artists who are piano players. While everyone always thinks of Billy Joel and Elton John, there are plenty of others who are every bit as talented as them, such as Bruce Hornsby or Sara Bareilles (who has undoubtedly the best voice of the group too). But almost regardless of who it is, some of my favorite music comes from acts featuring lots of piano. The point is that I'm predisposed to any great piano playing and I'm bound to favor it more than others. That said, what makes this truly unique from anything I have heard before is not just that it is solely piano playing (no singing, no band), it's that it is nothing but improvisations for over an hour. With that as a backdrop, what results from this is truly jaw dropping. To know that he had something else planned, but completely shifted when the piano he requested did not show up, and then had the confidence to just play whatever came to him in that moment? And to have it come out as incredible and melodic as this does? It really speaks to Jarrett's masterful ability and ear for music. While there were a lot of highlights in this, my favorite part was from about 7:20 to just past 12:00 into the first song. I have to have listened to this part at least 10 times by now. It’s incredible to hear what he effectively created on the spot, just by focusing on the middle of the piano. Really an amazing album.

MEga fire live koncert hvor han åbenbart får leveret det forkerte klavér, han er mega meget i smerter og det tvinger ham til at spille på en helt anden måde og det er stadig totalt improviseret det hele. Føles virkelig organisk og livligt og at man selv er tilstede og at det nærmest er skrevet til én selv. Næsten helt filmisk.

Good background music for a dinner party?

Quite beautiful

Piano. Good but it was recorded long time ago. So the sound quality is a bit off. It needs some AI remastering.

Quite pleasant. I wasn’t gripped the way I am by some piano performances, and I’ll admit that the grunts kind of soured me early on. But overall I enjoyed listening, and a high 3, maybe a 3.8 would be my rating, however as it stands most of my 4 star albums are ones I want to return to again and I just prefer different artists for this type of music. That’s a personal preference and not a statement on this performer.

a truly beautiful album. this is the kind of stuff i really appreciate being in this list. its super wonderful to listen to. its almost like through this piece, its like seeing a friend after a lot of time has passed. this album has such a unique way of wrapping you up in it, and holding you close throughout its runtime. beautiful, majestic, and simply wonderful.

This was pleasant listening, but I can’t understand why it is particularly interesting. For some reason, it did lead me to put on the Final Fantasy X soundtrack after, which is amazing.

What is this? Is it considered jazz just because it’s improvised? Is it neo classical, modernist (in the 70s at least)? In the first song/movement I was worried I was going to be kind of bored because of the extremely repetitive left hand/bass notes but then I quickly realized it was essentially putting me in a trance. I let it just take me along for the ride and I absolutely loved it. Is it actually 5 stars? Maybe not but this hit me at a great time this weekend and I was real into it. Very inventive and something I’ve never really heard before. Also the story about how he recorded and improvised all of this is fascinating.

Incredible musicianship and even more impressive that this was recorded live. Without knowing any significance behind this performance or album I still feel comfortable giving it a four.

Loved it!

Muy variado y con momentos especialmente emotivos, increíble improvisación. Es una obra maestra para mí

Have you ever started watching a movie and realized 30 minutes in that you've seen it before but didn't remember it at all? It's kinda like that. One day I will listen to this again for the first (3rd) time and I'll probably think it was pretty neat and then completely forget about it again.

It was helpful to read that this concert was completely improvised from beginning to end, which is incredibly impressive in context. Jazz isn’t my thing, when things really locked in, I could appreciate it.

2.5

I'm here for unique, pleasant music like this.

This sounds like a guy just noodling on his piano for an hour. No sheet music, just straight up improvisation. It’s also the kind of album that you get after the first 10-15 minutes. After that, it’s much of the same. That said, it’s a nice, relaxing listen… great background music while working.

Snoooooooze fest. Not for me

great for the work day

At first I thought it sounded a little basic, but after reading the story behind the performance and learning it was improvised, this is a much cooler album than I expected.

Talent may be impressive but the output isn't. If I wanted piano, I'd go classical

I liked this, it’s impressive he made this all up on the spot. I doubt I’d listen to it very much in the future, an entire album of one instrument is not something I go out of my way for usually. But I don’t regret hearing it.

"I Demand silence!" Processed's to mumble and moan like a drunk over his own playing… He is a talented pianist but seems like a elitistic douche but i'm guessing he got it from Miles Davis. It's a nice improvisation piece and interesting back story. It deserves a spot here but personally it felt like background music.

Идеально для монотонной ночной работы

Good for what it is I suppose, not my cup of tea. It was fairly enjoyable to have on in the background while working, but probably not something I’ll revisit.

Great melodic music for work

Maybe I'm just a philistine, but this did basically nothing for me. I didn't dislike it, but this is one of the very few albums in this project I've had basically no desire to give a repeat listen. 3/5 Highlights: Part II c

Lovely sound and vibe, amazing piano work

Don't get me wrong, I like the piano, but a solid hour. Not sure why I must hear this before I die.

Sometimes repetitive (Part II a?), but otherwise fine background music 6/10

A very nice jazzy piano. Likely the biggest inspiration to '90s classic waiting room music, and I say that lovingly.

Very cool concept, but not something I'd listen to very often

A bit outside what I typically listen to, but this will be going into the heavy rotation. Really easy to get lost in.

Incredible playing, minus the grunts.

In a lot of ways, this album represents what makes music so special to me. Musicians being present in the moment just creating from stream of consciousness while the audience is simultaneously present feeling the magic together. It's a unique experience where the artist and the audience can connect on music being created in the moment to never be created in that way again. It's very fleeting but so rewarding. In this case it was just him up there for an hour. He didn't have any other musician to lean on if he ran out of ideas or inspiration. Keith Jarrett is very talented and I quite enjoyed what he was able to come up with.

This was sick. I like the improvisation of the piano. He kind of takes this into some really rad movements. It builds and crashes and goes on side quests. I loved it.

M'encanta

Love the music, although a bit too virtuosic at times. What I can't stand is his singing along. Really distracting. Maybe can't hear through speakers at regular volume, but through headphones it jus souds ridiculous!

К сожалению, я не умею подробно описывать впечатления от музыки, поэтому скажу просто - альбом неожиданно интересный и слушается на ура. 7 из 10.

Not for me. Not worth a one though as it's obviously great in its genre

4/10 - well produced/mixed. It’s a musical journey to nowhere. I love piano and I like jazz, but this didn’t do it for me. Is it important? I dont know. there are lots of jazz albums more singular and more coherent.

I feel richer for having listened to this album.

While I recognize good musicianship this didnt do anything for me. The lack of other instruments or vocals made it too long and skippable for me.

Wonderful artistry. If each part/theme was clipped shorter, I could listen more attentively. Instead, I continued to wonder when new material will arise. This wonder is subdued momentarily with the musical progressions but only for an instant. Easily becomes background music.

Great chill sounds for cleaning on a rainy day

Hard to believe that this is one person playing all this and that it was all improvised as well. It is definitely impressive for sure

Incredible document of an astounding talent in his element. 5 stars

Perfect, no notes, just some really fucking beautiful piano

Really beautiful piano concert

Nothing crazy, just pleasant piano music

When I saw this selection I was prepared for the worst and then I saw it was four tracks and over an hour of playing time and realised I was totally unprepared. But thankfully not in the way I expected to be, this is what I was looking for when I started this challenge, something totally unexpectedly excellent. Solo piano that's soulful and bluesy and never a hard listen, there's always something interesting and enjoyable going on. Way more accessible and enjoyable than I expected it to be.

I did not realize until the end of the first track, that it had been one continuous track-26 minutes long! So yeah, this is a piano concert album, it's not bad. It was a beautiful album, very peaceful. I enjoyed it. Yesterday's album and today's album both generated AMAZING algorithm based playlists after they finished playing on Spotify. That's the goal of this whole endeavor, to escape the algorithm dead-end.

Loved it ! Thank you!

Delightful sounds. Great to work to.

Just can’t get on with jazz….

Shame about the recording quality, the artistry is stunning, given the circumstances of this concert its a truely amazing piece

Oh

Hmmm…

yawn 2/5

I had heard it in the 80s. It's interesting technically but feels dated since many of the improvised riffs have been used everywhere since then.

A very interesting story around this album but it's enjoyable and makes for a nice mood. 3.5*

This is not something I would have ever listened to if it wasn't for this list. Absolute massive talent and will come back to this album again.

Cool piano music, was feeling the classy vibes

Very nice! Fun, playful, interesting, instrumental piano stuff. I'd give it five stars if it didn't have the annoying cheering and stuff in the background. I DO NOT like a live album for this very reason.

I acknowledge just how good the piano playing is here. It was nice, relaxing, beautiful, and great music for ambience. It was by no means a boring listen, and it brought me back to years spent listening to my great uncle play the piano. Is it an album I would ever just sit and listen to? Probably not. Am I happy I was introduced to it? Oh absolutely.

Very lovely playing, lots of different modes encompassed in the performance, the shifts and accelerations to create differing sentiments is stunning. A great performance to listen to while working

Great story behind the performance

Absolutely beautiful album. Its very clear why this is one of the best selling jazz albums of all time.

Live solo piano jazz. Chill, contemplative. Would be good writing/focus music.

Not an everyday listen for me. Lovely

This has a surprisingly high average rating, for what people tend to like here. The backstory explains a lot of this though. I feel the story behind how this album was formed really enhances what would otherwise not be the most memorable listen. But considering the horrible situation in which this was performed it's amazing how well it sounds. Jarrett's playing is absolutely brilliant, the seeming lack of other clearly defined instruments being more than made up with his talent. This album never bores even though it's a one hour, 4-part listen. The piano is just mesmerising and you can really get caught in listening to it.

It's extremely impressive that this entire album was all improvised, and it shows a true testament to Jarrett's skill as a pianist. However, this album didn't grab me as much as I thought. It was still a good listen, but nothing I imagine myself going back to at any point.

nice playing but not like mindblowing stuff

it certainly wasn't bad but it also wasn't memorable in the least

First time hearing this and I'm blown away, an artist that has Mastered their craft. I found the whole album so immersive, the fact it was improvised is no surprise, it felt like he was really feeling what he was playing.

This album features a cranky, tired, hungry Keith Jarrett jamming out for a solid hour on the wrong piano. Adversity breeds success. No wonder Jarrett hates this album. He gets four stars just for showing up and sticking it out.

It was cool, didn't catch me.

Love him

Ok

piano. calm. different

Holy Lord

An absolute triumph

Levy tuntui loppuvan kesken, kuin viimeinen biisi olisi lopetettu 20 sek ennen sen varsinaista loppua? Kiinnostavaa. Mutta jäin siitä vähän huonoon epävarmuuden tilaan. On kuitenkin aina vaikuttavaa, kun livenä soitetaan näin kauniisti ja virheettömästi. Pitkiä osia, kauniita pitkiä melodioita, mutta olisin kaivannut iskevämpiä pop-hetkiä väliin.

Rockin ja klassisen koulutuksen suhde ei ole antinominen.

5.0 - Awesome

Surprising. Never boring. Insanely hard for a piano player without any vocals to keep the audience that focused. Watching the concert must have been amazing!

Good album. Lovely playing. This is the kind of music I like to have playing in the background when I need something other than quiet and working on some technical.

Beautifully instrumented jazz piano instrumental

I was often overwhelmed by this record. Musically, it is sublime. So much so that I feel unqualified to say too much more about it; if it sits on a shelf above most “greatest of all time” albums, then it’s several floors above many of the records I hold closest. Its story is utterly ridiculous. It’s not so much the heroism of Keith “conquering” the circumstances that appeals to me; it’s the idea that so much had to go wrong for something so perfect to ever have been given a chance to emerge in the first place. To put it briefly: you’d need to be in some sort of mood to deliver a performance like this. And speaking of – Keith himself; his powers of articulation, his freedom of expression. Can you imagine being able to not just take yourself to these soaring, aching places – but also to be able to describe them so poignantly, in the moment, to anyone lucky enough to be sitting within earshot? And then, the questions. I find myself, in the gaps between phrases, thinking about intimacy; the limits of self-expression; the endless potential of music to create something in a listener, and the extent to which each time a song is listened to something new is created. I think about how it is that, from that perspective, a song is never really finished; it’s always in flux, reacting to the conditions it’s being introduced into, taking on new dimensions. And at point – listener and creator joined across space and time by something that they share – it’s manifestly obvious that this idea of “improvisation” isn’t a novelty. It’s the whole point.

That’s K-E-I-T-H JA-Double R-E-Double T, Keith Jarrett. I don’t know what the Germans are in store for here. I don’t know at all. I’m hoping for jazz? I really don’t have anything past the old wrestling references. Title of my upcoming tell-all memoir. Anyway. Here’s Keith. Part I - Not my favourite way to start. I really love some piano led jazz, but all piano? For an hour? We shall see. I mean the playing is virtuosic. It fills the room and is pretty spellbinding to be honest. It feels like it has a gospel lilt at times. What genre is this? I’m being recommended jazz alongside it, but it feels like it touches on a few differing musical sounds. Long track. Goes everywhere but altogether pretty nice. Way to go Keith. Consider my hands clapping along with the intellectual masses in Köln. Part II a - Really? We can’t do Part II and then III? Yeah guys we still have to get to bulletin F of subsection AB of Part XXXVI. It’s gonna be a long night. More excellent piano playing that is fairly hit or miss with me. Hit and miss? Don’t start using phrases correctly now, pal. Anyway. Listenable, nothing moving me to tears or anything. Part II b - Yeah we’re really going this way with naming conventions. Whatever. This opening riff is cool. Just sort of goes on from there. Really milks that Standing O. I thought it was over for sure, but my god there is more. Part II c - I think there’s going to be some more piano here. Yes! I did it again. The Nostradamus of music knocks another dinger to the fuckin’ moon. Wow he really included this second standing ovation. That is actually so lame. What a dork. Anyway. Whatever. It’s over. What can I say about Keith Jarrett. I detect a distinctly egotistical stench from the inclusion of extended applause BUT, when you lay down beautifully played and seemingly improvisational jazz piano for over an hour, maybe you deserve to. This was not all that exciting to me, but I can appreciate the gentle nature of it and of course the incredible talent. I’m not really here to judge talent as I’m not even talented at my chosen medium, but even musically, this thing had some great moments. The production was beautiful to my ears and I had a good time overall. Not exactly my thing, but not exactly not my thing. Whatever. Here’s the rating. 3-3.5 HIGHLIGHTS: Thinking of the phrase “Tickling the Ivories.”

Man, this is honestly really impressive and a masterclass in improvisation. Give yourself solid footing, find a progression/melody to play underneath, and establish your key. Then create interesting melodies over that, and once you've exhausted an idea, change a chord slightly and completely change the tone of what you've been doing. Knowing that this is not what the concert was intended to be only makes it all the more impressive. Honestly, his use of dissonance is really impressive as well. I think it's generally pretty easy to improvise while avoiding dissonance, but to use it and use it well makes it much more enjoyable to listen to and gives it much more impactful development. I wasn't fully sure what to expect, or how I would want to rate this album, just because it's so much different than nearly everything else on this list. It's labeled as "Jazz" but it's much closer to a classical style solo pianist performance with lots of jazz influence. It won't be everyone's favorite album, but I do think that is enjoyable by everyone. It's really approachable. It's also complex and interesting enough that highly trained musical ears will eat this up. Favorite Song(s) (even though this isn't that kind of album): Part II c

FUCK JAZZ and besides, my piano teacher told me this guy was banned from many jazz festivals for being an asshole. I don't like music made by entitled assholes. So, fuck him!.

Skilled pianist. Easy listening. Background music.

It's beautiful, and I love the background story of him requesting a specific grand piano for this performance only to be left with an out of tune baby grand piano. The fact that he improvised this, live, is impressive. However, it was really just... background noise. So it was hard to get into or have any sort of emotional attachment or reaction to the album.

I’m not sure why this album is a must listen but I suppose it is for the improvisational stylings of Keith during this hour long concert. It is not bad but not anything I would listen to again

Forgive me for not being eloquent, but I enjoyed the shit out of this one. Jarrett is a supremely talented pianist.

Much like the Bob Dylan Royal Albert Hall 1966 show, I find the story behind the album much more fascinating than the album itself. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed this recording, and I don't want to take anything away from the talent of Keith Jarrett. I knew nothing of him or of this album before today. Anytime I can get some education on musical history, and enjoy a good piece of work, that's a win win in my book.

This album is a solid 2.5. Right down the middle. It was good and the story is fun, but no songs really stand out to me. It was background noise for most of it. Insanely talented piano work tho. Actual review....2.5. Liked songs: The album was solid

I liked I better than IIa/b Very cool. 4

The story behind this concert is amazing, the piano was broken, it was at the Opera House at 11pm, he was dog tired and it almost was cancelled. Very enjoyable listen, but a bit thin?

Started out like extended Billy Joel, but got a bit slow towards the end

Enjoyed it as background music

Had never heard of this but love it and the story behind it.

Man plays piano. He’s good.

I would use this again as study music. We also thought it would be good music for the chicks to listen to, lol

I didn’t listen to the whole thing but I liked what I did listen to and I think the chicks would like it hehe

Good show 9.5/10

How many goddamn Piano jazz albums are there gonna be

I was engaged the whole time despite that was a solo piano concert. You absolutely have to read about the backstory to fully appreciate the musicianship. It's proof that equipment does not matter. Only what you're able to put into it. It's fair to say he was able to make every single key count. That fact that it's a live recording makes even better. Like listening to a time capsule. 10/10

Amazing

A second live double-album in a row is a tough pill to swallow. I figured this had to be better than Frampton, and it is. But I’ve never been into piano jazz. It’s fine, nothing that makes me perk up.

Not for me

It's a 5 for somebody

Extremely agreeable music, no more no less

Great piano, just wish there was more accompaniment

Super impressive but not really my thing tbh

One of the first albums in this project to leave me speechless. Awe-inspiring performance, and learning that it was almost entirely improvised just deepens my appreciation for the recording. Such a diverse soundscape that makes this so much more than a "jazz piano album"

Given the choice I would not be choosing to listen to double album of improv piano jazz. It was a surprisingly easy listen and can see myself listening again. Didn't love it but certainly did not hate it. Enjoyed the weird grunty noises that he made every now and then as he squeezed out the jazz.

The Köln Concert I thought this was absolutely fantastic. I’m definitely more open to Jazz than I was before doing this, although I don’t think this felt particularly jazzy, apart from the fact it was improvised. It feels more like a classical piano composer like Lizst or Satie or Debussy, or a more modernist composer like Bartok or Phillip Glass, but made up on the spot. As well as his incredible touch and tenderness there is something very visual about his playing, managing to conjure images and movements, incredible really for one man on a subpar piano. And I love the growling and shouting when he hits upon a passage he knows is great. And the amazing backstory really does add to the whole thing, knowing the limitations of a slightly fucked baby grand has resulted in in an hour of superb improvised playing. This is a 5, just incredible skill and its virtuosic in the greatest sense, it’s not empty technical mastery or grandstanding, it’s just an exceptional hour of moving, magnificent piano playing 🎹🎹🎹🎹🎹 Playlist submission: It’s all great, but I did like Part IIb for some particular reason

There's a passage in Part II b) at around 7 minutes which is nothing short of sublime - he produces a sound like a cello is accompanying him. His phrasings, his legato playing on the bass notes, his use of the sustain pedal all combining to give a fantastically controlled resonance. I don't know what a purist would think of the crescendo in Part II b) when there are clearly hints of off-notes in his excitement - you do hear the thinness of the treble notes here which makes it all the more impressive he manages to draw attention away from it for most of the concert (or 'gig'). In truth I feel this is a four, but with every listen it grows. Highly proficient but highly expressive which is the real genius. Impossible to understand in a short period of time l, and I can say confidently this will continue to appreciate every time I hear it. Like a fine wine really. Hence on behalf of my future self, I award it top marks.

Really fantastic piano album, and the story behind it, and the fact that so much is improved, makes it incredible.

Not my vibe for casual listening

Just… not for me.

Off the cuff remark: hard work, and not in a rewarding way. I kept thinking there was going to be a Disney song any minute. Give me Miles Davis, Sidney Bechet, John Coltrane... etc. Standout track?: nope Revisit? No.

I enjoyed this album. The play varied and the crowd was in to it, which made it more interesting.

Felt too repetitive

He sounded great, love the feel, really well performed. I do wish each song wasn’t as long or that the album wasn’t as long but it was nice. Good background dinner music.

very chill, relaxing listen. would be good listen while reading a book or unwinding after a long day

It's clear this guy is talented. VERY talented. For me, this is akin to listening to Joe Satriani or Steve Vai. Very talented musician noodling away on a piano. BUT... piano never did anything for me. Sheer musical talent: 5/5 Good music: 5/5 Would I listen to it again?: Probably not. Should it be on the list?: Maybe not, but I'm glad it was. My rating: 4/5

When I lived alone, some nights I would come home after the clubs and just sit at the piano and train-of-thought play until I fell asleep. This album reminds me of that, though obviously much better. January 24th-Part 1 was my favorite, especially the about 3:45 in when he moved from very traditional to blues modes reminiscent of Charles Brown or Ray Charles. His flow is superb. I don’t listen to a lot of straight piano instrumentals so I do my know how to judge it. But I do know I enjoyed it. In the end, that’s really all that matters.

Random thoughts: * Never heard of this or the artist before. * This is an album of why I do 1001, I would have never been exposed to something like this. * I like these kind of albums way better than the one off 2010s random albums that were chosen. * I feel so much more cultured for listening to this. I'm sure I'm just as trashy and cheesy but I feel way cooler for having heard this. * Overall, the music was pretty enjoyable and mostly upbeat. I'm impressed it was a single dude playing this jazz/freestyle for over an hour. Amazing!

Surprisingly great. Relaxing and much more melodic than most jazz. 4/5

After two albums that I struggled to get through, I was so relieved to see this come up as my assignment for the day. This album is an absolute treasure that I have listened to an astounding number of times. I really don't listen to a lot of jazz or solo piano but this album seems to hit all the right notes and it just creates a perfect place to escape to. I read something about this album a while ago and it mentioned that some people complain about his spontaneous utterances during the performance but to me they are magnificent. It is those moments when the music he is creating affects him deeply, an unconscious realization that "this is fucking amazing what I am doing here" and we all get lost in it with him. I couldn't love this album more than I do. Can I have a sixth star for this one?

I really wasn’t expecting much from this album, being a live jazz record. Although it’s still not something I’m going to actively seek out, I did still find myself enjoying it more than I anticipated. I’ve said this for other jazz albums before, but it’s that nice kind of jazz instead of the weird kind that can be quite difficult to listen to. It was probably longer than I’d have liked it to be, but jazz-enjoyers are weird, so maybe it’s just right for them.

4 estrelas

Oddly enough I have listened to this album before. Interesting as the piano was broken.

What a nice surprise

Beautiful and hypnotic - how it is this sounds so good would be way beyond my musical knowledge to articulate. The story behind the concert is interesting and if by chance it's all true it's a great example of the artistic power of working under constraint, but really I just think this is tremendously passionate improvisational piano playing by a savant. The vocalisations are where he loses me - major douchechills. But it's no big deal. I'm glad I found this.

This was nice, and Jarrett is clearly a very talented pianist, but I can only appreciate this album insomuch as I can recognise those talents. I would Listen to this to focus at work or read a book, but I wouldn’t listen to it for the music - if that makes sense. Also the crowd in this recording is annoying. ⭐️⭐️

#365 5.8.2025

Jazz piano like this is kinda like eggnog. A little is ok and enjoyable. An hour straight is like you've drank an entire carton of nog, you're queasy and you swear never to touch the stuff again.

Bloody beautiful, this is. Part I, wow The footstomps/pleasure noises, subtle little noises, add even more to this. They're like the cherry on top. The last part of the track from about 20:00 to the end is truly the most magnificant climax to one hell of an opening track. THIS beauty is an example of why I started the 1001 album generator, to find gems like this. Finding genuinely beautiful music is a mystifying experience. Live albums, particularly "solo piano" are hardly my thing. But this? This is iiano playing that takes you to a higher plane of existence. As hippy as that sounds, there is something both spiritual and transcedent about experiencing this. Second track is, in some ways, more gorgeous, more melodic than the first. It's like track 1 was just Keith getting warmed up, and he really takes what he gets from the climax of that song and puts it into the next song. I'm not too familiar with the story behind this album. I'm vaguely aware there is something behind it, but I'm rating this purely on the music. Because even without the story, this is still a musical marvel. Third track is a little steadier (and honestly, weaker) than the first two. Much calmer, but still very good. 4th tracks picks up again, and is a lovely way to end a brilliant album. Apparently Keith Jarrett himself wants to burn any recordings of the concert. Which is truly a tragedy.

Incredible pianist with an incredible flow. One hour felt like 5 minutes on this journey.

Nothing mindblowing, it's an hour of piano after all. But hey, at least it was good music for a change.

A "go-to" for me when I'm in the mood for a piano album, and strictly piano. Keith Jarrett delivers four absolutely magnificent, meditative, and hypnotic improvisations, recorded live.

Really surprised by this one. It's just beautiful piano music. I'll definitely be coming back. Favorite track: Part I

I enjoyed this for a while and was making great background music to work to but it just got tiring after a while and kind of wanted the piece to have more of a direction where as it felt more rambling.

1. koln 1 - 3 2. koln 2 - 1 3. koln 3 - 4. koln 4 -

Was not the sound I was expecting. Very much enjoyed it though.

yes 5/5 yes 5/5 yes 5/5 yes i did an analysis of this concert in yr 9 yes i have the original cd yes i have all the songs on my playlist yes this is the greatest jazz album of all time yes

This was the longest I have ever listened to a single piano. It was a good listen. At some point it felt like he was running out of Ideas and just started banging the same pattern on the keys. But it picks back up and was a fun experience. I won't go back to it. But it was cool to have heard once.

Just gorgeous stuff. Jarrett looks like Eric Andre on the album cover.

solo piano live jazz. Not for me. It could be ok if I was at a restaurant and someone was playing it in the background, but I will never seek this out again. I don’t need a 26 minute piano only song, let alone an hour and 6 minutes of a live album. Is he talented? Absolutely. But it’s not my thing. I found myself wondering though, if this was a Prince album, would I have liked it more? Maybe. I just have no connection to it and cared nothing about it.

Exquisite piano playing.

Who snuck in elevator music?

Impressive. Probably much more impressive in person

Beautiful music, and not just sleepy piano music. It held my interest for all 4 tracks. Then I found out that it was 100% improvised and recorded live--this is what makes it so memorable. I've never heard this album before and I don't recall anything I've ever heard by Keith Jarrett before (although I may have been exposed to his music). But this album goes on my wantlist and I'll keep an eye out for anything else he made.

6.5/10 This was quite interesting. Very surprised it is the highest selling piano and solo jazz album of all time. It’s deceptively simple - just the piano with occasional little hints of vocal or rhythmic thumps. At its best it is a hypnotic improvisation that somehow reminds me of things like minimal techno. At its worst it is bland soundtrack-y music, like a not quite there Ghibli soundtrack.

Hab ich noch nie was von gehört Sehr gute Musik! Ist nichts für jeden Tag aber sehr gut zum lernen oder Abendessen

what a journey

Lofi Piano to Study To

A very pleasant background to work this morning. Despite reading that most of this was improvised, I’m not sure what separates this from other general piano music though.

Piano jazz, cool

I was wrong the first time I did not give this a 5. This is great.

Pretty engaging for what it is. The moans were… unwelcome.

Incredible. I particularly liked II b but this is beautiful throughout and it’s simply wild that a human can do this.

It took me a minute to appreciate it, but the melodies were really infectious.

Oh, wow. One minute and twenty-one seconds of a standing ovation is only right. Really, really beautiful. The tone was absolutely impeccable; warm, while still retaining mystery and glamour. Just purely magnificent all-around. Perfect album.

Very interesting

A lovely album to listen to whilst working, impressive improvisation but nothing spectacular.

Quite nice to listen to in the background while I work. Very calming. I don't listen to enough classical/piano music so was worth being in the list.

Sounds like building mode on the origins Sims game, and I mean that as a compliment

a beautiful album, an hour of improvised gorgeous sounding piano music. While not being what i usually check out, i can see the appeal and I would suggest this in more of a background role

relaxing good to work to

Very enjoyable. I wish I was in a more thoughtful headspace when listening to it.

Not my thing

I won't pretend to know a tenth of what's going on here, but I know good sounds when I hear them. Then I read the wiki entry and it's all improvised?! Jazz is wild man

After reading this guy sued Steely Dan for copyright infringement, and getting this the day after reviewing Steely Dan's Aja yesterday is a coincidence worthy of a chuckle. This usually isn't my style, but wow, what a beautiful piece of music. I can see why this is the best selling piano work of all time. The story behind this is great, and the fact it's all improvised is unreal. I don't know shit about piano, chords, or music in general; but I do assume that playing piano like this is particularly hard. Fucks knows, though. It does linger on for a bit long, but that is probably just my inept Gen-Z brain demanding more brainrot Instagram reels since I hadn't gotten my dopamine fix today. I enjoyed every moment of this nonetheless. Truly spectacular. I also enjoyed the audience input for not apparent reason, unless they're in on something I'm not, which is likely. I spent a lot of time during this record reflecting on all the music on my journey with 1001 so far, and the 200+ albums I've rated thus far. I'm incredibly thankful for finding this site, by sheer coincidence of looking for a random album generator. Unrelated to the record, I know, but I think a good piano ballad really does encourage deep thinking. Maybe I'm just being pretentious, who knows. Really hard to believe I'd give some cunt just playing a piano for an hour a 5, but here we are!

'Legendary Crash Outs' has been a bit of a trend on twitter the last few days so seeing this and reading about the circumstances behind his performance really did improve my appreciation for it. As pleasant as it was however, it does sort of dip a bit into jam session territory for me where after listening to more or less the same instrument for an hour it started slipping into the background for me a bit.

If I’d reviewed this without knowing it was entirely improvisational I would have scored it more harshly. I was unexcited by the prospect of an hour of piano solo with no accompaniment but Keith Jarrett is evidently a talented musician as it managed to hold my microscopic attention span for the majority of this performance. Don’t think it warrants a repeat listen for me.

There is no other way to describe this other than it was a thoroughly pleasant experience that I enjoyed immensely. Definitely could have been longer. 9/10

Arguably more famous for the circumstances regarding its recording than the music itself. However, I did not know this until about halfway through my first listen. As a self-professed Cro-Magnon tier consumer of Jazz, I can't say much about the intricacies of the music but I was frankly blown away when I realised that this is entirely improvisational. Specifically 7:20 to about 8:45 in Part I is magical, I was totally rapt. I have no idea what the artist did on his keyboard but I know what I will be doing on mine: Typing "Keith Jarrett LP for sale" into google.

Piano-ness

2.5

I don’t know what it is about jazz. I either really love it, or I really don’t want to listen to it at all. This I loved, this was great, a pleasure to listen to.

This album blew my mind. Working in its favor: Piano is one of my favorite instruments. Working against it: I am finicky about jazz; there's a lot of jazz I don't like. But I loved this, and I feel like an idiot for not knowing this artist. I'm still on the fence about his vocalizations. I thought it was audience members at first, but eventually I Googled it to learn it was the artist himself. After that, I was able to get used to it.

Nice Piano piece. Not exactly banger music, but very background music for work.

Different kind of jazz that's mostly piano

Great record one of the best examples of improving jazz with a great story behind it

Really enjoyed learning more about this after I listened to it, I think if I knew before hand it was improvising I would have been listening out for it, but it stood as a work of art in it's own right.

Thing about improvisation is... you haven't rehearsed, have you? So how about I pay for a ticket if it's good. There's no one in the world I'd go to watch improvise, and I certainly wouldn't be so presumptuous as to set up recording equipment. Like hearing a friend noodle from the next room kind of hoping he'll stop quite soon.

There is a reason why this is the best-selling "jazz" album. It's a bop.

There’s a lot of Jarret concert albums and a lot of them sound fairly similar, so you probably don’t need that many. This is one of the best. Doesn’t outstay its welcome, like the longer ones. A classic for a reason.

Beautiful with a cool back story

This feels like classical music to study and relax to. I guess I didn't hate it?

Beautiful album, very impressive that it was completely improvised, and Keith Jarrett being able to consistently play piano for half an hour without stopping is awesome.

part i- girl i am so bored. im literally one minute in. you get a 3 idgaf part ii a- why do the parts have parts. part ii b- part ii c-

Amazing!!!

Found this really easy and relaxing to listen to at the end of a busy day. That doesn't mean it was background music - it captured my attention. Will listen again.

Really pleased when this style of music gets an airing during this project. The samey rock guitar stuff can get monotonous at times! Beautifully arranged music and a pleasure to listen to, despite the protestations!

10/10 Everything about this concert experience was amazing. The crazy backstory was great to read, but more importantly the music. Jarrett absolutely killed this improvisation. His adlibs gave off the impression that he was one with the music, and so I was fully invested too. He was nonstop flowing on the piano. I would definitely come back to this album as it was truly an experience to remember

This was nice and chill, but also it's basically classical music and I'm not sure why it's here?

Not my thing at all. Great story, though.

a solo piano performance that combines (post) minimalism with jazz harmonic ideas is basically something plucked right from my imagination and i have to stand in awe of its reality. i will listen to this many more times, but for as many Landmarks as there are (including more impressionist sections, sections that pull more directly from the language of western popular music, more minimal sections and more overwhelming sections) i can tell i want this to be as un-navigable for as many listens as i can, so the best parts can surprise me every time. u will be unsurprised to learn that several progression and vamps, sometimes fleeting ones, moved me almost to tears. maybe the final answer for What Is Music Supposed To Sound Like

Solid classical pianist 3.5/5

Beautiful. I appreciate the jazziness without it being in penetrable.

5/5

I am the music man. I come from far away and I can play. (What can you play?) I play the piano. Pia pia piano piano piano – Pia pia piano pia piano An hour of uninteresting piano playing. Dull!

My heart sank when I saw 70s and jazz together again! However this album is pretty timeless and not very jazzy! It is pleasant to have as background music, although it sometimes did wander into a naff movie score. Slightly put off by the random gasps from the artist.

You plinky-plonky in, and you plinkly-plonky out, you do the plinky-plonky and you turnaround. (Quite literally) That’s what it’s all about. Nobody wants to hear an hour long guitar solo, especially unaccompanied. Same applies to the piano. That was biblically tedious.

Not my type

Oh... This looks like a bit of a daunting task. A solo piano jazz record was not something I was expecting. I fear this might become monotonous amd boring due to a lack of musical variety. Can't say I'm too excited to head into this. Will be a success if I manage to stay awake as I'm listening to it quite late at night. Hoping it's not too boring. Gonna exclude the individual track notes and ratings from this review. Leaving my final thoughts below. The playing is great, the improvisation is amazing and the ability to sit down and just perform so earnestly with so much passion is beyond admirable. I have so much respect for this, yet I can't find myself truly loving any of it. Maybe I'm too impatient. Maybe I'm too coloured by my musical biases. Or maybe today just wasn't the day. Regardless, I found myself distracted and bored by this. Admitting this feels a bit sad, as I recognize that this is a great piece of art. The premise of a performance that is so uncomplicated in its approach as to include only a man and his piano is fascinating in theory. It feels like it's purely about the music, boiled down to its simplest components. I'm again more interested in the idea of the album than I am the actual music on it. Didn't entirely click, hoping it will on subsequent listens. 3/5

This almost feels like it could go on forever. Cool story about the piano being wrong and him calling an audible and improvising it all. I enjoyed the listen but am surprising myself vs all the acclaim that I don't hear the 5/5 in it. May be one I come back to and find more in later. Good one to have on the list.

Okay, this opening is something. I have a bit of a headache but this is working. This is a nice listen, but I'm not sold on this being required listening. It had it's moments, some parts sounded kind of clumsy on my listen. If I get through this experiment I wouldn't mind if it crossed my path to give it another chance.

human creativity at best.

Sure does make you feel classy and cool listening to this. Like your a mysterious man bathed in shadows in the back corner of a bar, smoke rising from the cigarette slowly smoldering into the ash tray in front of you with wisps gently floating past your darkened face. I'm just a dude walking my dog around the neighborhood. So many little sections that nicely flow one to the next. And I think I read this was all off the cuff which is insane. Dude is seriously talented. Being an instrumental purely drops it ever so slightly. That's just a thing I need in music 99% of the time. And it's just piano. An hour of very good piano but it can't be more than that. Damn good stuff though

Loved this album. A complete unknown to me! Wonderful sound. A real find!

Incredible solo performance

Okay I'm not gonna be able to tell you anything about this so I might as well listen passively while finishing my book. Lot of going up and down the keyboard here mate mix it up a bit Again only listening passively but this is alright? I like the shouting idk if it's him or the audience but someone's well into this slightly repetitive piano improv That was nice enough ig but idk does too much piano start to hurt my ears? Maybe. The bits I liked were impressive enough improv to round up my 2.5

Ik heb me erg laten verassen door dit album. Totaal niet mijn smaak maar heeft me toch kunnen raken. Erg gevoelig pianospel, wat niet eens heel jazzy klinkt, maar wel onder een jazz concert zou vallen. Dit klinkt naar mijn oren meer geïmproviseerd pianospel in de stijl van klassiek dan jazz. Desalniettemin een geweldige luister ervaring, zelfs voor iemand die nooit naar zulke muziek luistert. Ik wou het eerst 2 sterren geven maar die man in het publiek ging zo hard hierop dat ik het er maar op moest geloven dat dit een geweldig optreden was. 5 sterren!

It's probably really good piano playing but I'm not a musician so i feel like i dont have the ear for it. The random audience noises are hilarious

excellent piano piece

Coté technique c'est très bon, coté plaisir à écouter c'est moyen mon truc, comme écouter un pianiste dans un de ces restaurants branchouilles

Thought this was sensational. I'm sure some jazz purists may not like it, and I can hear some of the pop and easy listening tropes along the way, but not sure I've ever heard someone so inside their playing before.