The Köln Concert

the next album i get better have words, preferably in english or i will LOSE MY MIND this is impressive musically i am sure, especially after reading that it is entirely improvised, but i am 6 minutes into the first song which is 26 minutes long and i need a break or something else to take my attention. overall this was good but definitely impossible to follow in the conventional sense

Pleasant.

Pleasant.

Pleasant piano music.

An amazing talented musician and performance. I just wish the mic didn’t pickup his moaning. It really bothered me.

One of the better piano performances I have heard.

The guy is obviously extremely talented, and I’m aware this is all improvised. It feels harsh to give this a low score, perhaps listening to this whilst working, proofreading a document, helped set the right mood for it. It’s not really something I would consider sitting and listening to but could easily provide background music.

Pleasant while walking but did drag a little by part IIc. Any other day it would have been a 2. Story behind it was interesting.

Nothing says 70s jazz like a dude groaning like he's gonna bust for an hour because he's so pleased with his own playing.

A little too long for me. I wish I could enjoy these jazz albums more but I guess I have Gen Z brain. Similar to how I felt with Bitches Brew; there is clear mastery here but I can’t perceive it just yet.

I kind of enjoyed this. Pretty amazing that it was improvised.

Talent? Absolutely. Do I want to listen to it? At times.

Not my favorite

This could be amazing but idk, I'd listen to this but only while I was enjoying doing something more interesting

Keith said piano I said that was nice

I don't really know how to judge something like this other than that I liked it. But couldn't see myself listening to it again.

Para estudiar es TOP

This was great, beautiful playing but it got boring after a while.

I think this maybe piano but might need another listen to make sure b

Late night at the lounge.

Mostly piano, but quite pleasantly so. Very repetitive.

I know that I liked this enough to give it a 3 but I wish I understood it enough why it should be a 5. I mean the fact that this whole album was improv is astounding but I wish I understood it a bit better.

3.1

I am not a huge fan of instrumental jazz and while this is nice it just washed over me forgettably (I have made up a new word in Keith’s honour). The most exciting thing about it was the woos and shouts from either the crowd, Keith, or someone trying to tell a member of the audience that their aunt was locked in the lady’s toilet and needed to be rescued. I couldn’t tell.

Good but not my thing 3/5 to be fair

Meh

fuck I feel so classy after listening to that.

GOOD

The backstory makes this album more interesting, but even without knowing it, this is a great album. I’m actually learning piano, so this is definitely inspirational.

This here's some mighty fine piano playing. But if I was at this show I would not have been able to sit still for all 60+ minutes of it. 3/5

Todo a piano, me gusto pero es para escuchar mientras pintas o lees o haces alguna actividad tranquila, no lo escucharía todos los días

Hienoa kuunneltavaa mutta vähän alkoi kuitenkin puuduttamaan.

While an hour plus of this is a lot, this is some fine, impassioned improv piano by a jazz master. This must be what influenced the Windham Hill new age music label and artists like George Winston. Not something I would return to, but enjoyable background music. I love the little vocalizations and foot stomping at times. Kind of self indulgent but in a (mostly) good way.

Jeg har hørt litt på Survivors’ Suite tidligere, og setter den gjerne på hvis jeg skal jazze litt. Dette er jo solo piano, så jeg savner litt av energien fra SS (kanseller meg gjerne for den forkortelsen), men det er om ikke annet et behagelig lytt. Spesielt er det partier på Part I som virkelig swinger. Dog ser jeg ikke for meg at dette er en skive jeg kommer til å komme tilbake til så ofte, men det gir jo mersmak, og jeg skal i hvert fall utforske mer av discographien til Jarrett.

Det er ingen tvil om at Keith Jarrett har en ypperlig hånd, og det er en fryd å høre han spille. Men han har bedre i andre improvisasjonsalbumer han har. Her syns jeg han ligger litt for lenge på temaene, og plata er generelt litt for safe.

Not my sound, but incredible execution

Bits were good Bits meandered

I was expecting very little from this and only get through the first five minutes before ditching it. However, i thought his piano playing and the understated jazz of his compositions were very pleasing on my ear. My only gripe was the funny noises Keith made every now ant then, but I'll forgive him for being in the 'moment'. All in all, a nice surprise.

C'était sympa mais je pense pas que je me poserai pour le réécouter. 6/10

Chill didn't really make an impression

This was nice to put on while drawing, very calming. However, i'm not sure if i would return to this album, since i'm not a fan of classical music.

First song was good, not anything mind blowing but solid. The rest of the songs carried on largely in the same vein so I might've been tempted to give a 2. Though after reading about how the album came to be from our favourite wannabe celebrity economist Tim Harford this steps it up to a solid 3 with 4 potential: a grumpy, high strung musical genius, a zesty, young jazz fan, a packed opera house and a soaking wet grand piano and a mucky, sticking, spare piano all that was left. The album does manage to rise and fall and feel satisfying for the ending songs which is surprisingly impressive given the circumstances and resources to hand.

tipo de música que toca no mercado central

impressive

Jag de första fem minuterna av Keith Jarretts Kölnkonsert: Wow vad bra vad jag älskar piano och jazz och vad kultiverad och duktig jag är som gillar Keith Jarrets Kölnkonsert. Jag minut 5–65 av Keith Jarretts Kölnkonsert: Nu vill jag lyssna på något annat än Keith Jarretts Kölnkonsert. Ja, det är lite orättvist, för det är väl inte tänkt att man ska ta till sig det här medan man håller på med annat i sin studentlägenhet, men nu råkar det vara så jag tar till mig musik. Hade jag suttit i en bar med tillgång till öl och en och annan virrepinne hade jag säkert tagit till mig varje ton. Jag kanske får testa lyssna igen när jag är full. För jag HÖR ju såklart hur bra det låter, världens bäst säljande solojazzalbum kan väl inte göra något annat, och jag förstår hur bra han är på att plinka på de där tangenterna. Jag har bara svårt att ta till mig det till fullo. Men, både Keith Jarrett och hans tydligen superberömda Kölnkonsert hade helt gått mig förbi, så jag tackar för konsten och allmänbildningen. Nu vet jag vad folk pratar om om de pratar om Keith Jarretts Kölnkonsert.

Epic long piano music, played solo. Boo! Hiss! However, this was actually quite listenable. Not in a actively sit and watch the live concert, but in a feeling stimulated while listening and doing other stuff. A decent housework or, in my case, schoolwork record. Korean coffee shops have given me a new appreciation for piano music. I'm not quite sure why the applause is so excited at the end of the record, but I get it. 3 Stars.

Its fine. Not.my cup of tea. Would be great if companies used this for hold music over their regular stuff.

Impressive that it’s all improvised. Jazz piano is not really my thing. After a while all the songs start to sound indistinguishable. But obvious this is top of the form.

Nice and relaxing

Dafür, dass er eine Stunde auf einem Klavier improvisiert, hat mir das erstaunlich gut gefallen.

The fact that this piece of music was improvised makes it even more spectacular. I don't feel qualified to judge but it was very nice piano music. 7/10

piano album, clearly gifted, just not my favorite thing to listen to. i suppose a 3/5? idk

Začiatok nie zle ale nezaujímavé, ale ku koncu sa to pekne rozbehlo a sadlo mi to . Bohužiaľ nemôžem dať 4 tak dám takto

Piano stuff, not for me though

Quite good

Very piano-y, did get into it though. Needs to be listened to properly to appreciate it.

Nice piano music - good background music to put on during a cocktail party… Impressive to know that the artist did this all on the fly and it was improvised. It's interesting enough, but I didn't find the hour-long album to be dynamic simply because it's just piano.

Soothing

background piano

In my husband's words, this is what a nice hotel lobby sounds like

I looked at the context surrounding the performance of this album. The man is incredibly talented, and I'm sure the piano he was playing didn't showcase his talent. My humble opinion is that jazz piano is best when it's surrounded by a jazz band/orchestra. The improvisations make sense. A lot of this performance is confusing.

Doceniam, naprawdę, ale koncert fortepianowy to ja mogę słuchać na żywo a nie na płycie. Jestem mistrzynią w wytłumianiu takich bodźców, więc pomimo dużego szacunku jakim darzę artystę i jego umiejętność improwizacji ta płyta dostaje ode mnie 6/10

Nice background music

Hoo boy. I think I may have just arrived at the final boss of this list. A live double album comprised almost entirely of 10+ minute songs – three separate things that give me a very hard time whenever I’m listening to music. In any case, I’m open to this one. The cool, confident album cover has somewhat wooed me. Oh lawdy lawd. It’s a JAZZ album, which only adds to my pile of musical grievances. Thankfully not the avant-garde stuff as that would have really given me a run for my money. Anyways, this is pretty alright! There’s a little bit of a pensive and contemplative mood to this music, which is generally the stuff I prefer wherever jazz is concerned. Admittedly, these songs lose me a little more than they win me over, but there’s some pretty good moments in here. I could see myself putting this on in the background sometime in the future. It's hard not to get lost in the "live" atmosphere of this album, which is something I can't really say about most of the other live picks on this list. I should probably timestamp these songs if I’m to discuss them in any meaningful way. As far as Part I goes, I like the piano at around the six-minute mark, as well as the soft percussion added to the track shortly afterward. The rising and falling piano chords from around the eleven-minute mark are great and mark my favourite part of the song. The lonely atmosphere the song takes on around the fourteen minute mark is nice, and I especially like what it culminates into at the seventeen-minute mark. Part A of Part II is solid. Much more lively and less pensive. From the get-go, the pianos are quite good, carrying a feel-good sound. The other pianos that are injected into the song at around the two-minute mark give the song a nice kick. The rest of the song is kind of the same thing throughout for a majority of the runtime, which loses me a little. However, the song fortunately breaks away to more of that pensive sound at around the eight-minute mark, which is where the song builds towards its best point. The eleven-minute mark is especially good, though the climax of the song at the thirteen-minute mark is truly the best part, and satisfyingly so. Part B of Part II (he really couldn’t have spared to name these four tracks?) took a little longer for me to warm to and didn’t manage to go the full mile for me. If the mood of the first two songs are pensive and carefree, this song has more of a precarious sound to it. The rising and falling pianos at the four-minute mark are good, as usual. The seven-minute mark is the best part of the song, where a beautiful, building piano uplifts the track and carries it onto second half. The pianos only build in intensity, and I enjoy the thudding, ultimate sound they take on around the twelve-minute mark. Part C is a good send-off to the album, and it’s nice to finally be given a song which I can easily summarise. It’s not bad, but at the same time offers nothing which hasn’t already been explored by the previous tracks. The moment where the song breaks away around the middle of the track is pretty nice, and it drives the album to a nice finish. Gonna read up on this entry in the book. “Musical lightning in a bottle.” “...one of the greatest jazz albums and one of the greatest pieces of extended musical improvisation”. Wait, he was winging it the entire time? “...one of the most versatile and creative pianists of his generation”. Damn. I’m not used to this book giving such lavish praise. The rest of the entry describes the background of this album, which is pretty interesting. The moans throughout the album were also apparently Jarrett’s - I thought it was just some German drunkard in the front row. The album sold well, too. Yeah, this is a solid pick. I’m grateful to have heard this before showing that bucket who’s boss.

Banging tbf just not my usual cuppa

Beautiful - not usually my speed, but an enjoyable listen.

Beautiful. I didn't expect such an album to appear on this list.

Cool story and liked the album

Pretty and chill. Impressive that’s it’s all improvised as I understand it.

Of course, I had heard about the album a long time ago. It's famous. I was curious. I listened to it for the first time as part of this project. Contrary to my expectations, I actually liked it quite a bit. I liked it even more after reading the background story. In fact, I would agree with Keith Jarrett and consider the whole thing a unique event. An amazing stroke of luck for those who were able to participate. In that respect, I find the story even better than the music. And only that should really be told. I can understand Jarrett's resistance to releasing the transcription of the concert very well. It's a shame that he gave in. 3/5

Super cool and the talent is obvious. It just would never be in my regular rotation. So for that reason, 3 stars.

Would have got a 4 but the grunting was distracting

Pianorunkar'n, back on the beat! Good performance Bra inlevelse 20 mins in doesn't feel that jazzy Förstår och respekterar vad han gör men resultatet är ganska tråkigt

Not at all what I would normally listen to, but a great listen nonetheless!

Very nice piano, good background music, but nothing stood out as special or unique

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

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

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

It's a jazz album.

Not my sort of music, but absolutely fine

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

Piano jazz. Interessante ma non il mio genere

its okay

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

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.

Jumpin’ jazz

epic squirming coil

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

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

Good background music for a dinner party?

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.

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.

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.

2.5

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

Nothing crazy, just pleasant piano music

Delightful sounds. Great to work to.

Hmmm…

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.

Cool piano music, was feeling the classy vibes

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

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

piano. calm. different

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.

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.

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.”

Skilled pianist. Easy listening. Background music.

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

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

How many goddamn Piano jazz albums are there gonna be

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.

Extremely agreeable music, no more no less

Great piano, just wish there was more accompaniment

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.

Felt too repetitive

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

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!

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

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.

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

Piano jazz, cool

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

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.

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

2.5

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

Different kind of jazz that's mostly piano

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-

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

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

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.

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

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

Enjoying this took me by surprise.

A very talented pianist but I have to admit I got bored listening to this one. Rating: 3

It’s some really damn good piano playing, but it’s still one hour of solo piano. Not really my type of jam.

Not bad

This guy is very good. The album was very good. But this type of music just aint for me. Was great background music though while I hammered out some work.

Fine piano concert, can't fully appreciate purely instrumental right now. Lose focus too easily and less for me to get hooked on compared to regular music.

This was good and I'm sure has some major reason to be in this list but I am failing to see it

Another album where the artist is clearly talented but the music doesn’t do much for me.

I've never been big on jazz. I've enjoyed my share of Miles Davis, and Dad would put on Spyro Gyra in the car when I was a kid, but it's not a genre I seek out. And sadly I didn't get too much out of this album. It's interesting that this is the most successful solo jazz album ever, and it's certainly pleasant to listen to. But to me, it mainly felt like background noise as I work. Maybe that's the wrong mindset to listen to it but I don't see myself sitting down and dedicating time to listening to it again. It's fine, pretty good, even. Not really my thing, though. I listened to it a second time. I don't think my score will change from 3/5 but I will say the performance is incredible. Apparently reviews called it "flowing with human warmth," which feels appropriate. It's immensely impressive, but still not my vibe.

Classical piano! I was starting to believe the genre would not make this list. My brothers would be thrilled! Me, not so much.

Not for me.

Not my favorite but I recognize a lot of the technicalities of his work are probably beyond my comprehension.

Ok very long and didn’t interest me much.

Not my normal jam, but pretty good

good listen

This is simply 1 hour of piano background music.

Can't get into solo piano. It's not bad and I can see why someone might really like it. Just not my style.

Mister piano Tapping keys oh so lively Lovely jazzy day

It's good for listening to while working

Unexpected and delightful

Not my cup of tea

Wasn’t a huge fan

4 songs, over an hour, but I liked it

Good background music, but jazz with only a piano is rarely enough.

Do you like lots of excellent piano with occasional Woots? Then this is the album for you. Excellent background music.

There's no denying the virtuosity on display here, but I just can't get into this record as much wish—and I've tried several times over the years. Just isn't a vibe I usually go for.

Pleasant enough but not my bag. Thought I recognized a variation on "Fly me to the Moon" toward the end but otherwise this was unfamiliar to me. Reading the backstory of this LP makes me understand its place in the canon more, but I'm too ignorant about improv to really get this.

Nice but kinda felt like there should have been lyrics over it. Not virtuosic enough in its own right

This a fine listen, and there’s no denying Keith Jarrett’s talent as a pianist, but The Köln Concert didn’t really pull me in. While the improvisation is impressive, it gradually faded into background music for me. It’s easy to appreciate the artistry, but it’s not something I felt fully connected to.

This dude is moaning and groaning like he’s getting sloppy toppy while playing the piano but it’s nice enough music for a 60 degree day (which it was yesterday)

My cat hates this. Sounded pretty good to me, but only got through 17 minutes, before I was told to shut it off.

Definitely did not need to listen to this before I die. It was fine. It sounds like something I would be forced to listen to with eyes shut after being cornered at a small gathering of acquaintances by the brother-in-law of so and so who reminds me of “sensitive pony-tailed man” from Singles or Rickon from Severance.

This is fine. I think that I am going to give a 3 to all albums that don't really do much for me but are clearly from a genre that I am just not into. It did grow on me though. And I enjoyed reading the Wikipedia page about Jarrett and learning what an important figure he is. (He's still alive! He sued Steely Dan! He was referenced by Steve Buscemi's character in a Sopranos episode!) The album having 45 seconds of clapping at the end seemed unnecessary.

Nice programming music

3/5 It's good. But it's too similar entire album and 1h of it does get tedious.

I saw everyone commenting about the circumstances of this concert, I thought it was going to be Cold War related. In reality it was just the youngest concert promoter in Germany (18) making youngest concert promoter in Germany mistakes. Very impressive performance nonetheless.

Jazz. Interesting. Never heard of this artist. I will listen to some of this. very beautiful piano work.

It's not really an album in the same way all these others are albums. It's a concert that was somewhat improvised. The play is really remarkable but it didn't feel right to be on the list given the context

5/10

Beautiful, great full set that was perfect to start my day with.

This album is "Flow State: The Concert". Jarrett's musicianship is one of a kind, and the fact that it is almost completely improvised is an astonishing feat. That improvisation does make some parts of the concert feel like a drag as Jarrett figures out what he's going for. This definitely deserves a spot on the list, but I wouldn't consider this "casual listening" material. Best Songs: Part II a Worst Songs: NA

just piano.

This is really hard for me to rate. I think on a different day, this is a definite 4, and maybe even a 5. But it couldn't have come at a worse time, and I didn't have the mental fortitude to get past my own life to give this what it probably deserves. It's good, it's interesting, it does seem to fade into the background a little too much, and if you're busy dealing with things, you'll forget you need to be listening to it consciously.

Gorgeous piano, lovely music

Very good music, but it's not something thst I would enjoy listening to a lot

This is magic. I won't say that I listen to this kind of music every day, but this music can make people better.

This could have been a really wonderful album. The piano was so relaxing But - what was with the random moaning? And it was way too long The 2nd half of the album was much better, and saved it 3 ⭐️

Love the album sleeve, great photo. Easy listening, great for having on in the background whilst i'm working with occasional moments to take a break and just listen.

Great Valentine's Day dinner background music.

Very impressive! Never heard of Keith Jarrett, but he's clearly a boss.

6/10. I wanted to listen to this through again because I thought maybe I was being a bit harsh but I didn't get the time. Probably longest I've ever listened to pure piano and it was enjoyable, moving at times. Some phases of the album felt a bit dishevelled but I'm probably just missing the vibe there. Overall solid but occasionally overcomplicated for my taste, not just in terms of technique but also in terms of the ideas behind what is being played.

Cool story behind the concert, I enjoyed it.

A nice piano concert. Did not enthrall me, but pleasant.

Was an ok background music album. I won’t have to worry about any of the songs becoming an ear worm.

It was OK, but I like my piano music to be more melodic

Really no idea what to make of this. Really skilful instrumental jazz which would make great background music but don’t know if I am likely to listen to it again.

Unexpected - took a while to get into it, but it's an amazing piano album.

teilweise chillig, teilweise stressig, 3 Sterne

It’s weird - by all accounts I should have loved this album. Musically it’s obviously great. Some parts are brilliant. But as an album I found it wandering a little too much. Never fully hooked me. Maybe I needed to be in a better headspace. I’ll come back to this one when I’ve got more time to concentrate on it.

Cool story behind the album and it was pleasant. I don’t have enough context of the genre and didn’t like it enough to really elevate it to a high rating. Rating: 3.3

Pretty flows nice

Great piano music, but I would rather listen to a different genre.

Probably truly a better album than what I am going to rate it. Maybe I wasn't in the right state of mind or setting to try to listen to a piano album. I'll listen again one day in a different setting. The story is cool and dude can play well.

78% Best: Pt. IIA Must-Hear? I respect the art, and think this record is good background noise for studying or sleeping. Would I listen to it for fun? No. Therefore, unless you really like solo piano music, I would say no to must-hear.

Did I really just listen to someone improvise piano for over an hour? And I actually enjoyed it? There were some beautiful moments in this concert. Favorite Track: "Part II, A".

Piano is not my thing but this album is quite nice to listen to. The sound production is excellent. I listened on Spotify through the Harmon Kardon system in a BMW 740. It sounded very good.

Not really my thing but enjoyable nonetheless. Incredible that the whole thing is improvised. Will relisten. 3/5

Some nice parts but mostly background music. Nothing memorable to be honest.

unglaublich wie musik auch sein kann! ein instrument, aber abwechslungsreich und virtuos gespielt. mir gefällt es, auch wenn es eher den rahmen des gewohnten sprengt.

The Köln Concert von Keith Jarrett ist eines der legendärsten Solo-Piano-Alben aller Zeiten und ein Meisterwerk der Improvisationskunst. Aufgenommen am 24. Januar 1975 in der Kölner Oper, zeichnet sich dieses Album durch seine spontane und emotionale Tiefe aus, die selbst unter ungewöhnlichen Umständen entstand: Jarrett spielte auf einem minderwertigen Flügel, der nicht für ein Konzert vorgesehen war. Trotz (oder gerade wegen) dieser Herausforderung schuf er eine unvergleichliche Performance. Die Musik auf dem Album ist ein Mix aus jazziger Improvisation, klassisch inspirierten Passagen und einem Hauch von Gospel und Minimalismus. Die melodischen Themen fließen mühelos ineinander über, getragen von Jarretts dynamischem Spiel und seiner Fähigkeit, Stimmungen auf einzigartige Weise einzufangen. Besonders beeindruckend ist die Art, wie er im Moment komponiert und dabei Strukturen entwickelt, die wie durchdachte Werke erscheinen. The Köln Concert ist mehr als nur ein Album – es ist ein zeitloses Zeugnis für die Kraft der Improvisation und die Verbindung zwischen Musiker und Publikum. Es bleibt ein unverzichtbares Werk nicht nur für Jazzliebhaber, sondern für alle, die Musik als Ausdruck von Emotion und Kreativität schätzen.

20/01/25 I understand it can be seen as a beautiful album and he's clearly talented. But it was so goddamn long.

Like, I would not actively pay to go to this concert but it is a fine background sound

We're not about to do a free-form Jazz exploration in front of a festival crowd.

Prima achtergrondmuziek voor tijdens het werk

Good but didn’t get through it all

Jazzy

For working, it was actually not super bad. Better than half the pure shite that is sold as music here anyway. Good for you man!

I found the sounds other than the piano quite unsettling

Nice piano.

3.5, not bad but wouldn’t put it on repeat.

I am sure it is good...I am not smart enough to understand jazz piano

OK, so this guy is seriously good at playing piano. But that said this album is interminable. It just goes on and on with him noodling at the piano for-fucking-ever. Maybe its a good representation of jazz piano and what a great musician can do, but it doesn't make a good album. 3 stars for talent, but nothing I'll ever listen to again. 3/5

Nice instrumental

Beautiful and emotional. Great background music but probably not something I'll go back to anytime soon.

For the love of god, please hire 1 (one) more musician

There was a guy in our dorm who was a virtuoso jazz pianist. We went to see him play and our jaws dropped; he was amazing. And then we left - cuz, ya know, who wants to sit and listen to jazz piano for an hour?

It was ok. Very piano heavy, but monotonous. Felt like I needed to probably be in the mood for that type of genre to appreciate it the most. 2.5/5

5/10 Notes in no particular order played deftly. 1-6-2025

Not for me

Mhh… Not really my type of music, but quite relaxed in places. I quite liked Part II b (more at the end). There were a few quiet, very melodic moments on the piano. Also, it’s kind of cool that the concert took place in my hometown.

Ja, doch, …!

I can't deny that he is a good piano player. However, his pieces are too long and I find them becoming monotonous to listen to them.

Nope, this isn't for me. I'm aware of Keith, and the problems behind this recording...and I'm sure true Jazz enthusiasts will find a lot more enjoyment that me in this. Alas, I am a heathen, and this sounded like "You've got an hour to fill... get out there are do some random piano noodlings." Rating is for my personal enjoyment of the piece.

I'm surprised how much emotion this piano has, I was initially dismissive of it but there is obviously a lot of heart here.

Concert where the piano hits all the right notes and the audience hits the wrong notes.

Nice but not my jam.

didn't do much for me. good piano playing but felt kind of kitschily classical almost. I think I'd definitely like it more on a relisten though

cool piano stuff yo

Feel like I should have liked it more than I did.

This was nice to have on in the background. Which is partly why it only got 3 stars. I can appreciate the musicianship but some of it just seemed to disappear into the background. I think partly, this just isn’t really my genre so it’s difficult to get blown away at any point or hear anything that grabs my attention. Like I said, it’s a nice listen, but nothing life changing.

It was so nice to live in this album for a while. It goes great places and keeps you on your toes. So cool to faintly hear him in the background enjoying himself. It fits in with some of its contemporaries at times, but mostly lives outside of that.

Not my vibe:/ Apesar de ser bom para estes novos cafés modernos com a tão reconhecida estética minimalista:)

Pretty piano.

It’s really simple but kind of wild at the same time. Feels like Bill Evans if he stopped caring about being perfect. It’s cool how it just flows, but sometimes it loses me. Quiet, slow, kind of hypnotic. Not always exciting, though.

i mean, it's good piano, but at over an hour, i want more than just piano

Piano for days, not in the mentality right now, but ill check more of it out when i am.

I liked it, very relaxing. But again, I am unsure if I can jive with such chill albums.

This is an impressive album, given the circumstances of its recording. Jarrett only had a broken piano during the concert. The tracks were a bit long in my opinion. A few sections were boring. But I'm still pleased by this live album. 3 stars for "The Köln Concert".

I don’t know how to rate this type of music but it sounded nice.

Was nice to listen to, but theres better piano pieces out there.

Keith can really tickle the ivories. Nice hearing his emotion too. He’s clearly very talented. I’m sure this was spectacular to witness live. That said, listening at home, I just felt like I was in a room with Peanuts on in the background. It’s fine but not my thing.

I was really put off when I saw how long the album was and saw the genre, but I still gave it my best shot Overall, I wasnt disappointed. I actually really grooved with the Pt II: A track (second overall track). The random vocal moaning and odd experiments kept me locked in, but it did take me about 5 different occasions to finish this beast of an album 😂 I think albums like these are a bit too far off the spectrum for the 1001 albums experience. In my head, this borders with straight classical music - which Im not knocking as being bad, but I consider less of an album I give 2.5 stars and round up to 3 for purely enjoying myself for at least 1 track

I was listening to this album and my baby monitor at the same time and thought Jarret’s grunting was my son waking up from his nap. This album hit on the rainiest day we’ve had in a while, kind of the perfect soundtrack for this weather. At its best, this album is beautiful and cinematic - Jarret is clearly a freak. The listening experience improved for me once I realized this isn’t really a full on jazz album - he’s playing mostly pop progressions, with a few jazz ideas mixed in. I love jazz/pop fusion stuff, so this worked for me. And the fact that it’s all improvised is so impressive. That said, I found the wall of piano a little tiring, and was clamoring for some drum and bass behind him. I also found myself wanting more dissonance and tension to balance out the beauty - bordered on easy listening customer service hold music at times. Get weird Keith. I did really enjoy this, and just so funny to pair this with Dinosaur Jr yesterday. Rating doesn’t matter, but somewhere between a 3 and 4.

Not sure how many times I looped through this without realizing. Wonderful background music. Beautiful keys. Could do without the random vocal outbursts but sometimes they added a certain authenticity to the performance. Fav Track: Part II A

I enjoyed it even though it's not something I would seek out on my own. It reminded me of Schroeder

Nice piano does not a great album make. This needed more of a sense of pacing to rise high! And this critisim is pointless as I still liked it. Favourite track: Köln, January 24, 1975, Pt. II A- Live.

I find this pretty background music but at the same time it was very pleasant

The music was pleasant, but I didn’t really get it. I did like some of the ambient sounds, kind of funny.

Meh. Very nice, very impressive, but just doesn't move me in the way that guitars and vocals do. Interesting story behind it though, with the wrong piano being brought, and then needing tuned, and then ... just read the Wikipedia page! 3 🌟

Extended live piano improvisation (accompanied by occasional grunting) done on an empty stomach and a suboptimal piano. My takeaway from this album is that solo piano probably isn't my preferred instrument for jazz improv.

Would be nice to see live. I liked it for the listen. Will I listen to again: 2%

Enjoyed listening to this album but I don’t know enough about classical music to understand what’s unique or special about it. I didn’t love the first or second part, second half I enjoyed more.

Solid background music to help me focus at work

Pleasant, but not compelling

Improv jazz noodling. Which is fine but it goes on a bit. May well have been exciting if you were there when it was recorded… however I wasn’t. The first track alone is nearly the same length as the first Ramones album. Technical excellence but low on thrills.

Live albums always seem to have a little easier time making the 1001 list. This was a good Sunday morning, Keith can play the piano. Part IV was most enjoyable. (2.9*s)

I've never heard of Jarrett but the fact that he can improvise a piece of music like this for an hour is beautiful and impressive. To top it off, he had back pain, zero sleep, was hangry, and forced to play on a rehearsal piece-of-trash piano that was too small (now all his moaning throughout makes sense). The way he's able to maintain the repetition of chord sequences for so long is what makes a lot of parts sound more composed and interesting (see vamp). I don't really like live albums but I have to give him some credit here. I wish I could improv 1/10th as good as this and will likely check out his folk-rock album (on which he plays every instrument). Points! 2.5

Someone I had honestly never heard of and this was 75. When I started and was intently listening for the first 20 minutes it was a 4 even 5 star, But it then became background when doing something else and ..Well was just background. So if I ever decide to listen again it might be 5 if not 3

its hard to judge music that is mostly remembered for its background story but it's nice

Tänk om all jazz lät så här.

It's kind of interesting and nice background music but not really my style. The whole thing sounds completely improvised, I'd be surprised if there was any real plan. It's got a very modal jazz feel to it too - the guy gets onto a short pattern, sometimes even just a single note, and kind of hangs out playing little riffs off that starting point for minutes on end. I had it on at work and would run it again as work background music, it's good for that. But there's just not enough there to make a good active listen.

I didn't know a lot about jazz, but I know what I like...And it's not this. Obviously talented, but my ears got very tired of this very quickly. Like someone painted a picture with only one colour. Three monochrome stars.

Love the story. Maybe the album doesn't live up to the hype... its nice background music though.

definitely worth a listen, but i feel that the beautiful moments that this album creates are kinda surronded by a lot of meandering and less exciting parts

Beautiful but a bit repetitive

Never heard this before. By having an album of piano instrumentals on this list it really opens it up to a lot more choices. It seems strange to me that this type of album would be on the list. Researching I did find that this is the second best selling album in jazz history, which is shocking to me. The music is just fine but it probably won't replace the various instrumental albums already in my playlists.

Great background music

Wat een heerlijk toegankelijk klassiek piano concert was dit. Geen ellenlange opbouw of hysterisch gebonk op de piano. Daar moet je niet mee aankomen. Want saai en depressief wordt je niet van dit concert. Keith schudt soepele ritmes uit zn mooi en improviseert heerlijk op los. De ah-s en kleine kreuntjes die je hoort zullen ongetwijfeld van hemzelf zijn geweest terwijl hij zit te genieten van zijn eigen spel. En niet onterecht. Deze ga ik er vaker bij pakken als ik even de focus moet pakken bij een stuk. 7,5/10 Highlights Pt IIa

It's very nice improvised piano , has an interesting backstory, but i wouldn't listen to it often. 3.5

Very good music for moody kooky silent movies. Just kidding. Jarret is one of the best (so I’ve read) and so is this album (so I’ve heard).

I dont often listen to a pure piano album from start to finish very often even tho I have a few songs on different playlists. I'm not well versed in classical piano more than to say that this was a nice hour of just good music to have on in the background while reading.

Second time listening. First was over a decade ago after finding a copy at Goodwill (it sold a lot of copies in the 70’s man). Did not hook me then. Still hasn’t now. Maybe in another decade?

A guy playing the piano (well) for an hour.

Some gorgeous moments.