The Köln Concert
The Köln Concert | ||||
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W. Germany | ||||
Genre | Jazz | |||
Length | 1:06:07 | |||
Label | ECM 1064/65 ST | |||
Producer | Manfred Eicher | |||
Keith Jarrett chronology | ||||
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Keith Jarrett solo piano chronology | ||||
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The Köln Concert is a live solo double album by pianist Keith Jarrett recorded at the Opera House in Köln, Germany on 24 January 1975[1] and released on ECM later that year.[2]
Concert and recording
The concert was organized by 18-year-old Vera Brandes,[3] then Germany's youngest concert promoter.[4] The concert took place on a Friday at the late hour of 11:30 pm, following an earlier opera performance. The late time was the only one the administration would make available to Brandes for a jazz concert—the first at the Köln Opera House. The show was sold out, filled to capacity at over 1400 people at a ticket price of 4 DM ($1.72).
At Jarrett's request, Brandes had selected a
Jarrett had performed a few days earlier in
A notable aspect of the concert was Jarrett's ability to produce very extensive improvised material over a
The performance was recorded by ECM Records engineer
Subtle laughter may be heard from the audience at the very beginning of "Part I" in response to Jarrett's quoting of the melody of the signal bell which announces the beginning of an opera or concert to patrons at the Köln Opera House, the notes of which are G D C G A.[7] Jarrett himself noted that while he does not remember doing it consciously, he credits it for putting the audience in a good mood that helped him through a difficult concert experience.[8]
Transcription
Subsequent to the release of The Köln Concert, Jarrett was asked by pianists,
Reception
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Tom Hull – on the Web | A−[15] |
According to music critic Tom Hull, the album "cemented his reputation as the top pianist of his generation".[16]
In 2000, it was voted number 357 in Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums.[17]
The album was included in Robert Dimery's book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[18]
Legacy
In 2011, the Witness program on the BBC World Service broadcast "Keith Jarrett in Cologne" in which Vera Brandes describes the difficulties surrounding the performance.[6]
In 2019, The Köln performance was the subject of an episode of the Cautionary Tales podcast by British journalist and broadcaster Tim Harford, which looked at the role of obstacles and difficulties in fostering the creative process.[19]
It became the best-selling solo album in jazz history and the best-selling piano album[20] with sales of around 4 million.[21]
Usage in popular culture
- The 1980 Nicolas Roeg movie Bad Timing has part of the concert in its soundtrack.[citation needed]
- The 1993 Nanni Moretti movie Caro diario ("Dear Diary") has part of the concert in its soundtrack.[citation needed]
In a 1992 interview with the German magazine Der Spiegel, Jarrett complained that the album had become nothing more than a soundtrack and also said that "We also have to learn to forget music. Otherwise we become addicted to the past."[7]
Track listing
Original release – ECM 1064/65 ST[2]
All tracks are written by Keith Jarrett
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Part I" | 26:01 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Part II a" | 14:54 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Part II b" | 18:13 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Part II c" | 6:56 |
Total length: | 1:06:07 |
The first three tracks were issued on CD in 1983, followed by a reissue with all four tracks in 1984.[2] There is also a single-layer SACD, released by ECM for the Japanese market.
Personnel
- Keith Jarrett – piano
Technical personnel
- Manfred Eicher – producer
- Martin Wieland – engineer
- Barbara and Burkhart Wojirsch– cover design
- Wolfgang Frankenstein – photography
Charts
Chart (2011) | Peak position |
---|---|
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[22] | 60 |
Italian Albums (FIMI)[23] | 74 |
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[24] | 17 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[25] | 14 |
UK Jazz & Blues Albums (OCC)[26] | 6 |
References
- ^ Fordham, John (2011-01-31). "50 great moments in jazz: Keith Jarrett's The Köln Concert". The Guardian. Retrieved 2011-02-03.
- ^ a b c "The Köln Concert". ecmrecords.com. Retrieved 2019-06-16.
- ^ a b c d e f g Brandes, Vera (2015-01-22). Krüger, Sabine (ed.). "Wie Keith Jarretts Welterfolg fast ausfiel. "The Köln Concert"". WDR 3 (Interview). Jazz bei WDR 3 (in German). Westdeutscher Rundfunk. Archived from the original on 2015-01-23.
- ^ BBC Radio 4 For One Night Only [1], accessed 2011-12-30
- ^ da (2015-01-24). "The Köln Concert". Bösendorfer. Archived from the original on 2012-03-04. Retrieved 2011-02-03. [2]
- ^ a b c "Keith Jarrett in Cologne". BBC World Service. 2011-11-01. Retrieved 2019-01-23.
- ^ a b c d Da Fonseca-Wollheim, Corinna (2008-10-11). "A Jazz Night to Remember: The unique magic of Keith Jarrett's 'The Köln Concert'". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2011-02-03.
- ^ a b "The making of Keith Jarrett's 'The Köln Concert'". GRAMMY.com. 2014-01-07.
- ISBN 978-3-7957-9519-1
- ^ Jurek, Thom (2011). "The Köln Concert". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2011-07-14.
- ISBN 978-0-85712595-8. Retrieved 2019-05-01.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
- ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
- ^ Rigby, Paul. "Keith Jarrett - the Köln Concert". Record Collector. Retrieved 2018-06-14.
- ^ Hull, Tom (n.d.). "Grade List: Keith Jarrett". Tom Hull – on the Web. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
- ^ Hull, Tom (2018-02-28). "Streamnotes (February 2018)". Tom Hull – on the Web. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
- ISBN 0-7535-0493-6.
- ISBN 0-7893-1371-5.
- ^ "Bowie, jazz, and the unplayable piano". 2019-12-20. Retrieved 2019-12-24.
- ^ Keith Jarrett Biography All About Jazz accessed 2010-04-06 Archived 2010-06-15 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Sandner, Wolfgang (2020). Keith Jarrett: A Biography. Translated by Jarrett, Chris. Equinox. p. 124.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Keith Jarrett – The Köln Concert" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2022-12-15.
- ^ "Italiancharts.com – Keith Jarrett – The Köln Concert". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2022-12-15.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Keith Jarrett – The Köln Concert". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2022-12-15.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Keith Jarrett – The Köln Concert". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2022-12-15.
- ^ "Official Jazz & Blues Albums Chart Top 30". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2022-12-15.
Further reading
- BBC Witness: Keith Jarrett in Cologne 2011-11-01
- BBC For One Night Only. Keith Jarrett: The Cologne Concert 2011-12-30
- Brandes, Vera (2015-05-08). Paul, Conny (ed.). "Weltstar des Jazz: Keith Jarrett ist 70" (Interview) (in German). Deutsche Welle. Archived from the original on 2022-02-12. Retrieved 2022-02-12.