Reviews (page 9 of 14)
It's pretty impressive considering the piano was not what Jarrett requested, coupled with his lack of sleep and back issues at the time.
Beautiful piano
Enjoyed it very much!
Eh...he's a very talented piano player and accomplished improvisor. I just...don't want to listen to two hours of piano wankery.
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.
The noises from the crowd (or Keith?) are a lil weird. Other than that, very listenable and I like how he shifts across different styles (gospel/blues, classical, contemporary) but all of it is done well. Definitely on my list to get on vinyl and drink whiskey with.
To date this might be the most "jam band" album we've heard, and its one guy playing piano and not singing (a few moans here and there). As a jam band sympathizer, I enjoyed this. Some of my favorite moments listening to or playing music are the unexpected ones, where you hear or play a melody/rhythm that makes you feel like you've just seen a puzzle come together. There are downsides to endless "jams" of course, which this album has some of. Cool story too - drove all night to West Germany to play a concert an 18 y/o arranged, but no piano available so had to tune up the shitty rehearsal piano and make the most out of the lower registers. Pretty crafty. The range of genres covered is also pretty sick. I think given the circumstances he deserves a 5, but it is limited (to one guy playing paino) so I'll go 4.
I don't know anything about this person or this kind of music - is it piano jazz/blues/classical fusion? So without any comparators or understanding of the tradition its drawing from, I don't have much to say, other than that I loved the journey these songs took me on, and will be playing it as background music frequently over the next few months. I particularly enjoyed the little bluesy flourishes he'd throw in when I wasn't expecting them at all.
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've dabbled in listening to various forms of jazz and classical piano in my adult life (Glenn Gould and Maurizio Pollini especially) and I've never heard anyone blend the two genres like this. Super cool. This one felt like a revelation – can't believe I've never listened to this before, especially since it's apparently the #1 selling piano recording in history. The elements of the live performance are extra fun (eg hearing the crowd whoop a few times). I'm fucking all about this.
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.
Hell yeah
This is a solid album. I like Classical music but it's something I only listen to during panic attacks and always something that I only keep digitally. This piece really moved me. I don't know enough to breakdown what makes any type of music good. I just know it's okay, good, really good or worth 5 stars. A 5 star album is an album that every song is solid. This is a 5 star album.
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
Phenomenal album! Worth every bit of praise. I could listen on repeat forever
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.
Absolutely sublime!
While I appreciate the talent needed to play this music it is not my style.
Why can’t I vote zero stars?
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.
Pretty good recording and composition fora live show. The context and leadup to this concert is probably more interesting to me, as many of the reviewers seem to have covered already. To adjust and improvise with lesser equipment is impressive in its own right, though. The moans are kinda funny, but it's just the artist getting into their own craft and feeling it in the moment. It's easy to get lost into this composition as the listener too.
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.
An amazing concert all by the power of the piano.
Not my kind of jazz, but I deeply appreciate it.
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.
What a fantastic and beautiful listening experience. Not something I would normally go for, but thoroughly enjoyed it and will definitely be listening to again on long journeys.
Solid background music to help me focus at work
Ok
Background noise. Not sure why it’s on this list. 2.5 stars
Pleasant, but not compelling
A real treat to listen to on headphones and concentrate on.
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.
Goes on a bit long and is a bit too "straight" for my tastes, but there are some truly transcendent moments. I could stand to come back to this. 3.5/5
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
Part I - pretty good with a lot of key tickling. Jarrett def enjoyed playing this section...maybe a little too much at times. Part II A&B - much more mellow. I was not into this lull in the performance. Part II C - a finisher blend that picked it up again for a brief moment and then faded out. Man has talent on the piano and it made for a peaceful commute to work. Traffic wasn't as aggravating...1.3.
Can't say I've ever listed to something like this before and don't imagine I will again in the future. I can't speak to anything about the skill or composition because it all starts to run together after an hour but its clear that Keith Jarrett is a skilled pianist. I guess I'm impressed that someone was able to string together 60+ minutes of unaccompanied piano and keep me (relatively) interested. There's been a lot worse on this list in a multitude of genres. At least I can understand without scratching my head as to why that this is a guy improvising on a piano for an hour whether you like it or not. If this is your thing I'm sure it's an impressive concert but it's not for me beyond a few minutes. 1.45 stars
This is what I came here for. While clearly a well-known album I'd never encountered it but it has very quickly gone in to rotation at home.
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
fantastic piano pieces from start ti finish
Yeah, this is actually pretty good but 66 minutes of piano noodling is too much. 2.0
Loved the playing. Hated the moaning. Part 2B wins my fave.
absolutely stunning album
Absolutely gorgeous piano playing. I love the little bits of life you can hear from both him and the audience, clearly showing how moved they were by the insane improvisation here. Great stuff.
its hard to judge music that is mostly remembered for its background story but it's nice
Guter Pianist
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 will probably be really into this in like 10 years time but this for me doesn't rise above what I'd hear in like a waiting room or elevator. Not feeling it.
Wow
The story behind it really increased my appreciation of it. It went from "that's nice classical piano" to "whoa thats super impressive". added to some playlists & shared with a friend.
Amazing recording The story of how it almost never happened due to the piano switch-up makes it even better I love how coherent it is even though it is all improvised. It's very easy to fall apart and have it just be collection of very different sections, without any cohesion
Beautiful live jazz piano💆♂️ Perfect for a rainy autumn day 🍁
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.
Cool, a happy sounding piano album. No lyrics just a mix between Charlie Brown songs and silent movies. For its musical category, it’s fine. For anyone who i’d care what they thought about a certain group or album. Hard pass
Song 1 didn’t need to be 25 minutes long. This album is more interesting when you read about the concert and the circumstances that led to this tinny sounding piano performance. It’s a beautiful listen and a great jazz peace that can be enjoyed by people who aren’t obsessed with jazz, that said, you might be left wanting that some melodies don’t get a little more life of their own, and I wasn’t often blown away by the technical performance of the pianist. But as I’m listening to part 4, it’s pretty cool to hear him settle into the sound of the instrument while he delivers a soft, easy exit. Idk, 3.5 stars probably but I’ll give it a 4 for a solid performance.
Love the story. Maybe the album doesn't live up to the hype... its nice background music though.
For some reason I thought I didn't like Keith Jarrett but this was really good. The wrong piano does dictate limitations in what he doing and some sections can feel a bit background in their simplicity but overall it is an engaging trip.
Definitely a virtuosic performance. The random moans/grunts of who I can only assume if the titular player are kind of weird and funny and showcase the passion he's playing. Where he's basically singing the notes alongside what he's playing. Good for both background and active listening.
Enjoyed this more than I would have expected. I like that it's improvised essentially around a sub standard piano. Maybe great creativity springs from adversity and spontaneity. Working around several discomforts and problems, a snap shot of what was going through some ones brain there and then.
Nuda
wow, musically so so brilliant and interesting and with the backstory to the recording, a legendary album
Too much piano
Cannot believe he just freestyled this
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
Incredibly talented and sounded great. This was recorded in 1975 but the music is timeless. 8/10.
This was unexpected. I was a bit skeptical that I would like this a few minutes into the first song but man - this slapped.
I hope you like piano, cause that's all you're getting. As a non jazz piano aficionado this bored me a bit. It felt like something they'd be playing in a hotel lobby.
This is a dude playing a piano for an hour. He's very good at playing the piano and I am sure when I have house parties my friends would be impressed at how cultured I am for enjoying this type of music. Unfortunately, I am a caveman and this is the sound of a dude playing a piano for an hour. Sure, put this in the book because it is important in a way that I can't enjoy. I've heard it, I am not cultured enough to pretend to like this, and now we can all move on to the next album.
Really cool story. Really awesome piano playing.
I know the name Keith Jarrett but I don’t know where I would have heard it.. I’m a bit of a sucker for piano lately, certainly one played so magnificently. You can tell by some of his noises in the background, that he is truly passionate and loves what he is doing, and this makes the recording all the better. Amazing improvisation: Seems some parts were somewhat exploratory, where others he knew just where he was going. Another great album I may not have discovered, courtesy of the 1001 project!!
I loved the piano playing the most
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.
Hmm, not really for me. It put me to sleep, but I think that I appreciate the complexity of what he is trying to do.
I'd like to see a brain image of his mind when he's playing/improvising. Not sure how all those neural connections are made on the fly like that. This isn't my favorite piano music to listen to by far, but I have to rate this album high out of respect for the skill and flow.
It doesn't have the richness or complexity of compositions by some of the well-known composers like Chopin, Rachmaninoff, or Liszt, this is improvisational jazz "in the moment" rather than carefully constructed over longer periods of time. In that context, it flows beautifully, has no discordant moments, and is well done. It's even more impressive considering the conditions under which it was made (both for him and the piano, according to the Wikipedia page). His vocal exclamations were initially off-putting: I thought it was a rude audience member but then read that he's known for both these vocalizations and his intolerance of audience noise. After getting used to it a bit, I found I enjoyed this quite a bit.
Męczący solo fortepian na żywo
This guy can really play. It was a good change of pace from the music i usually listen to and was expecially good for listening to while working. A good background music you can tune in and out of at any time
All piano
Keith Jarrett requested a specific piano for this concert. When he arrived, he learned it was a much different, smaller model. He almost didn’t play at all, but decided to improvise to make up for the lack of bass in the piano he was forced to play. I was blown away with his performance already, but after learning the background, it makes it that much more impressive.
Great background music
Ik ken de hoes, en ik ken lofzang rond dit album. Een improvisatiestuk, dat meer aanvoelt als een klassiek album dan écht jazz. Tot nog toe hebben we eigenlijk op enkele momenten na muziek ervaren als een wetenschap, albums die met voorkennis zijn ontwikkeld. Op basis van de juiste instrumentatietechnieken, kennis van welke productiestijl het goed doet op de radio, en welke refreintjes blijven hangen bij het volk. Maar dit is een artiest waar de muziek bijna op spiritueel niveau leeft. Het is moeilijk te vergelijken. Wat ik wel weet is dat ik dit album vaker opzoek tijdens het lezen van een boek, of als de bloeddruk iets te hoog is. Wat een prachtige melodieën weet 'ie uit z'n mouw te schudden. Dat eerste stuk van pak 'm beet 20 minuten was echt ontroerend goed. Ik denk dat de benadering van muziek als wetenschap, met daarin natuurlijk ook ruimte voor gevoel en emotie, wel tot interessantere resultaten kan leiden dan iets wat ter plekke moet ontstaan. Maar niets minder dan bewondering voor dit concert. Die mensen in de zaal moesten toch wel door hebben gehad dat ze bij een heel speciaal optreden waren. 8,5/10
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
As a (terrible) pianist, this really blows my cork off. It's unbelievable to be able to improvise piano music this good for this long on this bad of a piano in front of this many people. Jazz is a bit of a misleading genre tag for this album (I'd say it's closer to classical), but the improvisational style and chord choices clearly call to the strengths of jazz music. Definitely one of the albums you should listen to before you die if not for the incredibly playing, then for the story.
An absolute masterpiece. Stunning.
It's hard to argue that this is a pretty lovely album. I have nothing like it in my collection and I probably never will, but if I did, I think it would be this one. Reading the context behind it was really interesting too. To think he made this up as he went along, on a piano he didn't expect to be using, at a time and place that wasn't ideal, when he was tired, hungry and in pain. The experience for me, was long drifts on one pattern that feel calming and a bit backgroundy, then he decides to shift key, do something unexpected and grab your attention again. I didn't think I had a favourite solo improv jazz piano album, but I do now.
I haven’t heard this album in such a long time, I was too young to appreciate it then in my twenties, now I just cry when I hear it, finally hear it!
God level talent
It's very nice improvised piano , has an interesting backstory, but i wouldn't listen to it often. 3.5
Loved this album! I love anything instrumental or classical and this definitely didn’t disappoint. The first part was long, but had enough variety in it to stay interesting the whole time. You can also tell that a lot of feeling and passion went into the songs as you continue to listen to it straight through. My favorite part was “Part II b” and “Part II c”.
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).
“Man makes sex sounds while weather channel music plays in the background.” No thanks.
2.5/5
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.
Listened to this while lying on my bed eating an apple. I finished the apple before the album. You’ve got to really go for the ride to appreciate this, because it is piano composition. And boy is it something. I’ll have to come back to this many more times, and glad to say I can due to the nuance and depth, but on first listen it feels like Jarrett is unpacking keys, turning them over and watching all the guts spill out, only to come to these soft, repetitive and melancholy endings in each part. It’s like chaos and aftermath. It’s both solemn and uplifiting. It’s life. Amazing sound. Rating it feels juvenile because I would gather something new every listen. Something about this takes me back to my college days sneaking into the music hall to play piano by myself. Favorite track: Pt II B
Gorgeous and inventive playing. I can see how contemporary guys like Brad Mehldau were influenced by him.
yea this shit aint for me if i wanted music for studying id just listen to lofi hip hop radio 📚 beats to relax/study to
As a fellow instrumental head this is so cool and this guy apparently is praised by many. It all blended together for that hour but it’s definitely a 1 time listen. Which brings it down heavy to like a 2 for me I know I said it’s a 5 but I just can’t see a revisit but it’s beautiful how the piano speaks to itself so elegantly
I just can’t get behind it. I’m not a big piano guy. There’s not much to delve into with this record.
I was studying for my biology paper while listening to this and yeah I aced that shit So I think I like it
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?
Artiste connu. Cet album est mon préféré de Keith Jarret. C'est de plus un des seuls album de piano Jazz solo que j'adore, cette liberté totale et sa créativité sont vraiment impressionnantes. Plus d'une heure de surprise improvisée, on ne sait jamais où l'artiste va nous emmener. Un très grand album qui mérite la note maximale ! =>5/5
A guy playing the piano (well) for an hour.
This was very enjoyable - what a talent. And to read that this is essentially improvised is crazy to me. I need to research that more. 4 stars would listen again. Very pleasant.
Some gorgeous moments.
Not for me
It seemed like an eternity.
Piano album. Not much else to say other than he is very good at the piano.
No words, just piano freestyle. Talented but just not something to play whenever
I found this incredibly difficult to rate. Some parts were outstanding, while others were just pleasant background music.
I wouldn’t say that I’m a convert to the genre but I’m a convert to the album. I was emotionally engaged throughout when I really didn’t expect to be. A singular experience and one I’m grateful to have had.
I don't know how much of this is due to the fact that I was very much in the mood for classical music when I was listening to this, but this is incredible! Especially impressive given the fact that it's just one piano. Amazing find.
Masterful and emotive keyboard compositions!
Absolutely beautiful.
Exceeded expectations
I prefer part I to part ii so far. Nice flow to part I whilst part ii is too jazzy and repetitive base line
He's good at piano. What do you want from me?
Going into this album and knowing it was going to be a solo piano album spanning over an hour long, I was a bit nervous. I am glad to report this album is a jam session in which you can really just sit back and enjoy. It's wild how he manages to turn the piano into an instrument that can just jam out at times. I will say the grunts and moans at times kept throwing me off, but the music was so good, I quickly just let it go and kept listening intently. Definitely deserves its spot
Great performance, great sounding album. I know this was hugely influential and iconic basically put ECM in the spotlight. It's a 4/5 for me. The style isn't necessarily my absolute favorite and the little vocalizations / grunts aren't for me. But it's a hell of a recording.
I really enjoyed this
Loved reading the background and the first part had me convinced it was the all-timer the book claimed, but it fizzled out soon afterward. Still good!
Meglepődtem, hogy négy szám egy óra. Sajnos érzelmeket nem tudott kiváltani belőlem, de a zongora mindig szép, szóval...
ki gondolta volna, hogy pont egyórányi szomorú jazzimprovizáció kell a szabadságos hétfő reggelembe ❤️ I LOVE
Not bad.
This is a beautiful album, that is very relaxing to absorb yourself in 4/5
This was very enjoyable. Some killer solo playing especially considering the instrument problems. Nice surprise… 3.5/5
Running through the fields of a non-stop montage scene from a movie…listening, hoping, reaching, searching for that special someone or something that left you…only to realize that it never really left in the first place. This must be what improv jazz is like.
You don’t need to know much about the piano to know that Keith can rip. The story that surrounds this album makes it all the more interesting. Basically got hosed by being given a practice piano for this sold out performance instead of the finely tuned grand he expected, said eff it and made up for the piano’s shortcomings on the fly. Special.
Pleasantly surprised by this one. Went in expecting not to be able to make it through a few songs but found this quite interesting. Definitely worth a listen. 3.25
Ok, ok, ok...you win. This is a jazz album I not only like, but really like. Can confidently say this is my favorite improvisational solo jazz piano EVER! Is it also the only one I've ever listened to? Sure. The backstory on how this performance came together is pretty fascinating, too. I'll def be checking out more of Mr. Jarrett's catalog. 4/5
Didn't enjoy it at all but I can appreciate that its a great piece of music
Rating: 7.5/10 Surprisingly very good, could be rated much higher if it was shorter. There are so many amazing melodies, Jarrett plays with incredible technical ability while keeping his playing musical as well.
this is beauty. masterpiece.
Not for me 👎
Amazing solo piano concert, beautiful
Sure, it's an hour of background music. But the guy just played the piano for an hour straight - is that not impressive enough?
How many solo piano performance albums can you name? I’m coming up with a few. How many of them were recorded live AND comprise production quality concert tracks? This makes the Koln album truly unique. Did you notice the audience stood and applauded for two encores? Can you imagine even playing the piano that long? Kieth Jarrett is truly amazing as I was reminded while listening to this album.
I must be an uncultured swine. I don’t get any enjoyment out of this, just piano and occasional moaning by who I assume is the pianist. I recognize the talent it must take to play like this, but I’m never going to choose to listen to it.
quirky playlist
This was fine to have on as background music but I never need to listen to it again.
I quite like this, especially since on a number of his live albums, he does a lot of grunting while he plays (not quite as intense as Monica Seles, but in the ballpark), but that’s not the case here. Bonus — Keith is figuring as a somewhat humorous plot point in the current season of Slow Horses, one of my fave shows these days.
Four million people bought this? Why?
Very relaxing.
Really lovelh
Might have a nice backgroupstory and might be impressive, but I can't stand and hour of improv piano.
Very enjoyable, completely new to me. I read about the concert and wouldn't have known the piano wasn't up to scratch! Although I wasn't listening to it very loudly. Such an accomplished performance.
Expected to feel the way I feel about most free-form modern jazz (ambivalent, with a slight tendency towards hostile) but instead was blown away. It was amazing to hear such great art being created live in the moment and I surprised myself by responding quite emotionally to it. It’s also amazing that my parents didn’t own this record, as it would have totally appealed to my mum’s love of jazz and my dad’s love of the piano. This will definitely be an album I’ll return to again and again and I’m sorry I only first got to hear it aged 56.
Listened to this on a misty early morning walk through a park on my own. It was perfectly melancholy although the occasional cough was a bit disconcerting. Wish I’d actually been there
Loved listening to this walking through museums. Might have ended up being background music but who cares? Great story of perseverance in this too!
Not my cup of tea
Piano Jazz, 1975 -> 4
This is the kind of shit I want to hear on this thing. I'm giving it 4 stars mostly as encouragement to branch out in terms of musical genres. We dont need anymore half assed albums from England
- This one is a perfect example how the whole idea of "rating" some of these records just doesn't make any sense: How do you rate this? It's art, a performance executed under extreme circumstances ... I'm not qualified to "rate" this ... and neither are most of the other yahoos signed up for this project ... 5 because it's art and art is everything .... -
Beautiful live performance with a crazy story.
I got bored halfway through the first song. I paused it and continued later. It's very good, but it's too long.
0/10 not good work listening. Piano player was lit though.
Thoughts before listening: I own a Keith Jarrett multi-record collection that I rarely listen to but really enjoy when I'm in the right mood. This will likely be an album of solo piano pieces that are very soothing in a background music for a cocktail party kind of way. Review: Yeah, this is exactly what I was expecting from Keith Jarrett. Long, meditative piano pieces...apparently fully improvised on stage. This album sounds amazing with the piano being recorded beautifully and you can even hear Keith stomping or singing along in the background from time to time. I also enjoy how the music goes through different movements, often slowing down and then picking up to a crescendo before coming back down. I don't think I am going to add any of these to the playlist, but I am certainly glad to listen this morning. 3-stars
Spectacular.
Beautiful! Not something I can listen to for too long, though I do love classical
I think his concert in Japan is better, this ones slightly weaker.
What a wonderful workday it was listening to this
Playful and exciting, he’s having fun and shows it, without shouting
The greatest improvised performance of all time.
Lovely tapestry for a sunday morning. Buuuut there are passages in each track that are a little too uninteresting, though
Very beautiful piano music! Mind blowing to me that this was all improvised on the spot. Nice find that I would never have known about without this project.
Not for me
Not that good
now that’s some smooth jazzy piano right there
Quite beautiful. I like his style- the combination of impressionistic harmonies with bluesy melodies and motifs and phrasing, along with the excellent pedal usage is pretty cool, but it feels a bit too... long-winded, I guess? There are a lot of cool variations and motivic developments here but some of the modulations and rhythm/chord changes are a bit too haphazardly done or not very expanded upon. And sometimes it's a bit *too* impressionistic, and lacks much interesting phrasing, or proper "atmosphere" even with the pedal usage. I'll probably like this more with relistens.
Great album to listen to while relaxing.
I encourage anyone who is about to listen to this record to also read about the story leading up to this performance. Absolutely ridiculous circumstances surrounding the show that really puts the songs in a different perspective. The music itself is great as well. Impressive improvisation throughout. Also surprising to me that a solo piano free-improvisation record became a best seller. 3.5⭐️
This was one of my ex's favourite albums, so I was a bit hesitant about listening to it. but I enjoyed it. don't know what to rate it
Interresting but at times too long and aimless. Can't give it more than 3 stars.
One guy playing piano... This is the definition of meh...
I’ve heard of Keith Jarrett but never listened to his music so I’m glad to have been prompted to do so. It seemed to sound like a blend of jazz and classical to me - a bit more strait-laced than the jazz I am used to. It was amazing that this whole concert was improvised! Like an improvised classical piece! I liked it a lot but there was a lot of music to take in so I might return to it.
A nice change…. Will revisit
Эмоциональная классическая музыка, работалось под нее хорошо
This is essential.
My husband was telling me about this album like 3 days before it showed up here, I had never even heard of it before, I kid you not.
Good for piano bad for an album
Hard to listen to whole thing
++: Part I, Part II a, Part II b, Part II c 9,6/10
A gorgeous and ridiculously impressive set of extended piano performances. Given the context – that this was performed in one take, live, completely improvised, and using a practice piano rather than a performing one – The Köln Concert is even more breathtaking. The actual skill level is through the roof. Even if Jarrett had been reading from pre-arranged sheet music, the virtuosity required to pull off all those quick-fire ornaments, arpeggios, and so on is pretty mind-blowing. The repetition of themes is also worth mentioning. You can almost see the exact thoughts going through Jarrett's head (at lightning pace) as he tinkers with ideas, finds certain ones that sound good, and lean into them as he experiments with variations. The audience is taken on an artistic journey, in a more raw sense than any pop or rock album. A couple of problems, though. Three of the four pieces are just too long to reasonably be called their own tracks, though this is more a production/editing complaint (about poor track listing) rather than a complaint about the artist. Some of the motifs are done to death, such as the repeating one-bar/one-chord phrase throughout nearly the entirety of the second track. The first track, which excellently avoids this motif problem, instead falls to the track runtime problem above. 4/5 Key tracks: all of them, kinda
Impressive
9/10. Incredible pianist and reading the story behind it made it even more incredible. Hard time rating a one instrument solo performance like this — but for the type of performance I can’t imagine it getting much better.
I bet the nerds love this
I had low expectations and normally don't like live recordings, but this was a very pleasant surprise.
I'll admit I judged an album by its cover. I saw the genre, saw that it was a live album, and was preparing for a lot of eye rolling. But this was good. It really put into focus mode for getting some work done.
Alternate Title: A Man and His Piano. It's remarkable that the circumstances - a missing concert piano, so that the artist hat to improvise with a rehearsal one with lacking high and low registers, all in front of a sold out house - resulted in this classic. Keith Jarrett's ability to improvise - as in: compose while playing - is tremendous. Granted, not all of the pieces are on par with each other, but the album is still enjoyable, both as foreground and background music. 4/5
Masterfullinen kontrolli teoksesta... Väännetään yleisöstä piittaammatta muotin reunoihin ei eletä hetkessä ei kiinnosta täydellinen tietokone soittaja gg nabs
Albums like these is why I love this project. I normally would have never listened to an instrumental, piano album but I did and actually really, really enjoyed it. I could without some of Jarrett’s vocalisations here but still, it’s pretty great
3+
First listen. Wow.
It’s ok if you like twinkling and tootling. It’s not if you don’t. I don’t.
I'm not familiar with Keith Jarrett or this album, but I do love some good piano playing, so I expect to enjoy this album. I always have a hard time with how to rate these jazz albums, since I'm not really familiar with jazz music, but I'm hoping that since this album is only piano music, it might be easier for me to take in. I thought this album was really good. The piano playing was absolutely fantastic, and it's incredibly impressive that everything was completely improvised by Jarrett. The entire album was beautiful from start to finish, and I really enjoyed that it was easy for me to pick up on the main melody that was being built upon and riffed on as each song continued. I never grew bored with the songs, and they never felt bogged down by their run times. For most of the jazz albums that I've reviewed, I've felt pretty neutral towards them; they're nice to listen to, but I didn't feel like I was 'hearing what I was supposed to hear' in a sense. With this album, I didn't feel that way at all. Yes, it was beautiful to listen to, but the simplicity of it only being a piano really helped me appreciate the form and structure of the songs. This is an album I'd be likely to return to, and it makes me want to revisit the Miles Davis albums that I've reviewed.
20240820 Keith Jarrett - The Köln Concert 4.5/5 As someone with some musical background with the guitar, I have always been impressed by the musicians that are able to improvise above some basic chords, creating melodies on the go and continue during a long period of time without a stop. That summed to the fact that I love the piano as a solo instrument (more in neo-classical music than jazz), have made me enjoy this album very much. It's amazing how much of the melodies created during this concert live could be songs written with intention in the studio, after hours and hours of trial and error, and are "simple" improvisation in a concert. This is what makes this album so impressive for me. The energy on Keith Jarret, the sounds of the audience and the musician himself apart from the piano takes the atmosphere to another level. If I have to say something negative about the album, perhaps it is too much "jazzy" sometimes, a genre I have not got into yet. But it there is any tipe of jazz to bring me in, this is it. Favorurite songs: Part II, B
Listen, I appreciate a bit of piano as much as the next pretentious git but wtf was this. It wasn’t bad, just never ending. I feel like there was nothing he did in parts 2-4 that wasn’t already in the first 26 minute long song.
Really lovely concert album. Even more impressive reading others comments and learning it was improvised and changed on the spot to accommodate the lesser piano he was using. A truly gifted musician who was even thrilling himself. Glad this came up on the list as I’ve never heard of him before.
this album is amazing
Phenomenal improv. Incredible musicianship.
pianist, nice but not my jam
The man is clearly a talented pianist. Like some other reviewers, I found the hooting and moaning really distracting. Although I have gone to jazz improv open mic nights and seen some amazing performers (including on piano), this just wasn't my thing.
idk not my cup
Heard this one before
An elegant, fully realized, and impressive display of virtuosity on the piano. There’s a lot of engaging sections and cool musical moments here, too, not just a display of raw talent. Keith could stand to moan a little less, though.
It's a piano concert... probably fantastic among those that enjoy them... but never been something I've enjoyed listening to. 2/5
great piano improv..... but, thats all it is.
Love this album. Takes me back to my college days.
I read the entire background of this record, and while it sounds impressive and really feels like the stars aligned to make it, it was just relatively drab. His piano playing must be more technical than I can perceive, because oftentimes I found specific passages oversimplistic and repetitive. These passages were so cheesy they sounded like they could act as the opener of an 80s sitcom. I also had the weird grunting and breathing sounds throughout the album - very immersion-breaking. I'll give props for the accolades this album received and the unlikely way it was recorded, and acknowledge that many of the passages were more interesting and technical. But I can only go to a 3 for it's shortcomings. 3/5
All piano, guy's a legend apparently
solid, enjoyable jazz
Do you like the music from Peanuts but want to seem more cultured? This is the ticket - and that is not an insult whatsoever.
5/5 - Again a reminder of why I'm doing this list. What a gem. I would never have listened to this otherwise and been put off by the long tracks. It just clicked for me in my head, like a lovely jigsaw piece. Just effortless flowing through the music and I was fully engaged throughout the whole thing.
Relatively beautiful. 4.3/5
I'd only tangentially heard of Kieth Jarret through his playing with Miles Davis and Art Blakey so I didn't know what to expect finding a full solo piano album of his on this list but I simply get it 100%. This was moving, it played with rhythm, it soared, it was dreamy, it was violent, it was passionate, this was just everything you want from a whole, complete piece of music. This was a gift from him to the world, I truly believe that.
Talented pianist, I don’t know anything else about this, but I enjoyed it.
Whew, what a week of unfulfilling albums. Figure there'd be some lulls, but wow this week has been a slog. And to round out the week, we get a hour long solo "jazz" piano concert. I didn't enjoy this - I'd much rather hear a jazz trio/quartet, etc. working thru material. Not my cup of tea, your milage may vary!
Yeah, Can't say I have ever listened to a solo jazz piano album. I didn't hate it but I probably also wouldn't come back to very often.
holy snoozefest
Bha c’est sympa mais c’est du piano quoi
2/5 not because the music is bad - it's certainly not - but as an album, it doesn't work for me. This kind of music should be heard live, and a recording can't do it justice.
Absolutely beautiful music.
with this album, my rating comes as an average of many different factors i tried to consider to make this as fair as possible - technical difficulty, context, how likely i would be to re-listen. being such a different record that anything i have listened to before doing this, i found it hard to rate. from a musical perspective, this album is incredible. in each song, jarrett takes the listener on a musical journey, allowing their emotions to rise and fall with the music. his use of dynamic range and a variety of rhythms helps to do this effectively. the story behind this album is also fraught with adversity, and yet the fact that he was still able to record something like this is astounding. whilst jarrett’s talent is evident, i can’t honestly say i would re-listen to this album, unless in very specific circumstances - a dinner party in some stately home perhaps. i appreciate the difficulty of this composition, but it is also 1hr of purely piano playing.
Music to have on in the background but nothing more. I have nothing really to say about this apart from this is why this project is amazing as I would have never listend to this otherwise. In summary 1 hour of solo piano playing is boring!!!
Impressive stuff. The "live album" aspect of it was interesting... As you could hear him moaning to his own playing as if he was busting in his pants at the piano. Kind of funny but also like dude chill out.
Nice!
ITS IMPROV???!?!?!?!??!
Very talented. Not something I would listen to on a regular basis.
Thankfully not too many moans and groans in here. Some masterful piano improvisation, though sometimes a little too meandering for me. When he locked into a groove, it was great.
I can appreciate this, but I just don’t care for it right now.
Great piano music that I have never heard of. Really a remarkable live performance from someone who is incredibly talented. I've added it to my favorites and intend to listen to it again.
What an awesome album. The story behind it makes the album even more fascinating. This piano in my mind was a precursor to the George Winstons of the world. Keith played a live show on a crappy piano and adlibed and adjusted to make the music work in that venue and time. This is music I will listen to again.
This would be really cool to watch live. Really nice album.
Reasonably energetic solo piano (possibly all improvised?)
Good to study to
01) Part I - 4,0 02) Part II a - 4,0 03) Part II b - 4,5 04) Part II c - 5,0 TOTAL: 4,38 (44/100) Current ranking: 238/249 Endless piano playing. Ok, we know you can play the piano, but you could actually play some tunes in this hour-long album. Couldn't we have some Ludovico Einaudi album instead of this one?
Anyone who bought this at the record store I worked at in 77 we considered pompous, I'll have to listen again to see what I think of it now. Okay, yeah it's also pretentious but it's discordant enough to please my older ears now. 3 stars
Zzzzzz not for me.
This is brilliant. I guess I don’t really “get” jazz but I got this. Maybe people overthink it - this was super easy to just enjoy and relax into.
Lovely but there's just so much piano.
3.4/5 - listened 5x in the background while i was working away. enjoyable but the live elements (crowd noise) were a little distracting
Really nice piano - perfect for working
fucking perfect
trotos
Ideal para un día no laborable, con un libro entretenido y tomando mate. Excelente compañía.
Well. Very good. Highly original, exactly what you’d want from a classical piano album I would imagine. Problem is I’m not much of a classical fan, so I wouldn’t usually listen to this. Each piece goes on a bit too long for me as well, but you can hear the talent in the music, it’s just too sophisticated for me.
Yea, he’s pretty good at piano. The moaning and grunting seemed unnecessary but I’m not sophisticated enough to understand this genre so maybe that’s part of it? I gave it a chance but an hour of noodling around on a piano isn’t for me. 3 stars
9 / 10 Virtuosismo al piano, pero que en ningún momento aburre. El punto de más es escuchar al pianista como está disfrutando y va incluso gritando.
Relaxing
Just a load of piano to be honest. He's clearly very talented, but not really for me. If I wanted to make a film about a lovely hotel lobby, I'd call Keith for the soundtrack (and I imagine he'd be insulted and say no).
70’s
I don't like piano music
Not my bag baby
These always so difficult as I understand the talent behind it but I just don’t care for it.
Just too much piano for me. I can recognize the skill and talent but one and done
beautiful and powerful. hard to believe it's improvised with how well he controls the listener's emotions. constant shifts in the tempo that pull you in a different emotional direction with each switch. sometimes i wish he stuck with a melody for longer but im sure it's a difficult balance when live and it does keep the pieces moving forwards to not linger too long.
4 stars
Pleasant. 4
Super Nice piano muziek
This is a live, improvised jazz piano concert from Cologne in 1975. Allegedly it's the best selling solo jazz album and best selling piano album ever. It's genuinely pretty impressive that anyone can improvise over an hour's worth of material at this quality, so major credit to that. He does these strange vocalizations (moans) at times which I'm not super into, so minus one star for that. He seems like a bit of a diva honestly (almost cancelled the show because they had a bad piano there, hates any audience noise, is opposed to electronic instruments), but he's obviously incredibly talented. A nice album for a morning listen with a cup of coffee. Favorite song: Pt. II C Other: Pt. I 6/28/24
i wasn’t expecting to enjoy this much but i did, the fact this guy played the piano live for 26 minutes straight on the first track is really impressive, i haven’t heard a piano sound so good in a while, it’s like it had personality, it was really good
An incredible performance by an amazing artist - I had never heard of Keith Jarrett before but that is changing. The sounds he got out of that piano are so absurd - it blows me away listening to it and I was left wanting more. Absolutely wonderful album for jazz fans.
while the guy is freakishly talented, spending over an hour listening to instrumental piano music is just not my idea of a good time. not my jam.
Ehhhhhh
Fantastic…10/10
7/10. Really innovative, and a great listen, but it gets a little bit boring over time. :)
bof 2/5
If you’re in that kind of mood…
No idea who this is. Catchy and positive piano playing. Makes me think a little of a bluesy Reich set of pieces.
Very nice
What a spellbinding performance and hence album.
Very boring
Some beautiful piano playing, amazing really.
Precioso, sobre todo la primera canción.
Nice album. My wife teaches piano and all of my kids took lessons and play. I appreciate the music and talent. Would not listen to this most of the time but would be nice background music
Nope.
3,5
Not something I ever would have listened to but in the end I kind of enjoyed it.
I would never have been listened to stuff like this away from the list. But I really appreciate what I´m hearing. One can hear the talent and although it´s only piano it doesn´t become boring. 2,5
Allegedly fully improvised piano concert. The skill for that is incredible. There is one reoccurring section of notes (motif?) That feels so familiar I could swear I've heard it before. Doing that while improvising is incredible.
Started off really liking this, but it quickly started to sound like a performance intended to be impressive rather than one that sounded good and I was bored by the end of part I.
Was nice background / study music.
So long, so boring don't bother
I just bloody love this album. Jarrett gets some incredible sounds out of a poor instrument and the way he adapted his playing style to get the most out of the piano is so interesting and honestly incredible. It's the best-selling solo jazz album and the best-selling piano album for a reason, it just blows me away every time I listen to it.
didnt fully listen. i think mostly piano
The recording was harsh and the highs didn’t seem to be rendered faithfully. Additionally the live ambiance of coughing and such was distracting.
Not interesting
Better than expected
It’s okay
This album is to classical music as smooth jazz is to jazz. That is, an insipid shadow of what it’s trying to emulate. That’s my ungenerous take. But I’ve avoided my album of the day listening for three weeks now - I have a lot to catch up on - in part because I couldn’t stand the thought of listening to this through to the end. Today’s the day I’m biting the bullet.
Not for me
Probably one of the best solo piano albums I’ve ever listened to. But solo piano isn’t really my jam.
Genius personified. And it’s not even Keith Jarret’s best album.
love this music very nice piano !! 4 stars
I've always really liked this album but now that I know he was using a very beat-up piano that was not his choice almost didn't play it is even more remarkable for that alone that it also happens to be an incredible performance.