Keith Jarrett receives The Polar Music Prize today

[Bataki]

As most of you know, Keith Jarrett today, on the 12th of May, 2003, receives The Polar Music Prize from the hands of His Majesty the King of Sweden, in the Berwald Hall in Stockholm. Here you can read the prize committee’s citation, and after that, I’ll say something about my own personal experiences of Keith Jarrett from The Golden Circle in Stockholm, during the 1960’s, hoping that all of you who also have personal experieces of him would like to reply to this post.

The prize committee´s citation for:

Keith Jarrett

”The Polar Music Prize for 2003 is being awarded to the American musician, Keith Jarrett, pianist, composer and master of the field of improvisational music. Keith Jarrett’s musical artistry is characterised by his ability to effortlessly cross boundaries in the world of music.

Keith Jarrett began playing the piano at the tender age of three. He gave his first solo concerts as a child, touring with both classical works and his own compositions. His musical journeys have always transcended borders, as in his early trio recordings with their influences from blues, ragtime, gospel, folk music, pop and art music. In the late 1960’s, his pioneering efforts with the Charles Lloyd Quartet contributed towards breaking down the barriers between jazz and rock music. He followed up this musical fusion as a member of Miles Davis’ ground-breaking band, mthis time in a more electrified form. In “Spirits” (1985), in which all the instruments are played by Jarrett himself, the music moves into a limitless landscape of tones from distant times and worlds.

Keith Jarrett, who has found his natural home on the ECM label since the 1970’s, has expressed himself over the years in the context of both jazz and compositions for various chamber music ensembles and orchestra.

Through a series of brilliant solo performances and recordings that demonstrate his utterly spontaneous creativity, Keith Jarrett has simultaneously lifted piano improvisation as an art form to new, unimaginable heights.

In the 1980’s, Keith Jarrett worked with his trio project, “Standards”, and turned the spotlight on “The Great American Songbook”. Together with bass player, Gary Peacock, and drummer, Jack DeJohnette, his further development of the art of group improvisation, in what can only be described as chamber music forms, has been completely outstanding. As a classical interpreter, Keith Jarrett has given us masterly versions of J.S. Bach, Handel, Mozart, Shostakovich and Pärt. As a pianist, he is unique in his position of being one of the foremost in both the worlds of jazz and classical music”.

The three masters of the piano who more than anyone else touched up the Golden Circle were Bud Powell, Bill Evans and Keith Jarrett. Bud Powell set the tone and the rythm. Bill Evans made the piano sing, and the supremely gifted Keith Jarrett made the music flow over all boundaries.

In April 1966 the Charles Lloyd Quartet came to the Golden Circle. Except for Lloyd there was Cecil McBee on bass and the 17 year old Jack DeJohnette on drums, and last but not least, the white Keith Jarrett, in afro hair style! The group’s performance on the stage included sound experiments, dances, invocations of higher powers etc. Lloyd conjured up an extatic mood, that fascinated us, and the young Jarrett started his musical express train. It was unbelievable! Wen the keyboard wasn’t sufficent, he used the strings, and what a swinger he was! He seemed to master everything. The quartet played at the Golden Circle in April, July and October of 1966, and I sat there at their feet everyone of these 15-16 nights (and an amazed Erroll Garner did, one night). In October though, Ron McClure had replaced McBee on the bass.

By 1968 Jarrett formed his trio with Charlie Haden and Paul Motian, and a Europe tour was planned, so the trio was engaged for a two weeks' stint at the Golden Circle in August 1969, but Haden and Motian never showed up, so Gus Nemeth and Bob Ventrello replaced them. It didn’t matter so much, because Jarrett was in superb form. Again I was there every night at the Golden Circle. Jarrett then used flutes, soprano sax, piano, percussion and some other instruments, also including an oil drum, if I remember rightly. Personally I have seen Keith Jarrett playing about 15 different instruments, I think.

With the ECM LP ”Facing you” from 1971 Jarrett started his career as solo pianist, and as such he gave a fascinating concert in Stockholm in 1972. Later, in 1976, he also gave an organ concert in the church of the Old Town in Stockholm. But so, in 1983 I think, he resumed his cooperation with Jack DeJohnette and together with Gary Peacock an excellent piano trio was formed. And the rest is history.... as they say. But I would want everyone who has listened to Keith Jarrett live, to tell us his impressions of him.

Here are a couple of links:

Keith Jarrett's web page

The Polar Music Prize

Edited May 13, 2003 by Bataki

[Christiern]

At the ceremony, he will be introduced by George Avakian.

[jpmosu]

The three masters of the piano who more than anyone else touched up the Golden Circle were Bud Powell, Bill Evans and Keith Jarrett. Bud Powell set the tone and the rythm. Bill Evans made the piano sing, and the supremely gifted Keith Jarrett made the music flow over all boundaries.

The Holy Trinity of Piano: Powell, Evans, and Jarrett. Hmmmm...

Can't forget about Monk, right? Or McCoy Tyner? Or Herbie? (or a handful of others)

[Bataki]

jpmosu you have totally misunderstood what I'm saying in my post, because you didn't read it too well. I'm not talking about a definite Holy Trinity of piano players in the world, I'm saying that Bud Powell, who was the artist on the Golden Circle's opening night 1962, Bill Evans, who practicly lived at the Circle for weeks under his stints there and the truly great Keith Jarrett were the three greatest pianists who played at this famous jazz club in Stockholm, and really got the Golden Circle going.

They were not alone though; about 200 of the world's most wellknown jazz musicians played at the Circle during the years 1962-1969. But, since you mentioned him, Thelonious Monk never played at the Circle, he and his quartet just visited the club one spring night in 1964, to listen to Idrees Sulieman. And although both McCoy Tyner and Herbie Hancock are great musicians, they never came to play at Gyllene Cirkeln (The Golden Circle), and I don't know why. Should you, or anyone for that matter, want to know more about the Golden Circle or about Swedish jazz, don't hesitate to ask me.

[jpmosu]

jpmosu you have totally misunderstood what I'm saying in my post, because you didn't read it too well. I'm not talking about a definite Holy Trinity of piano players in the world, I'm saying that Bud Powell, who was the artist on the Golden Circle's opening night 1962, Bill Evans, who practicly lived at the Circle for weeks under his stints there and the truly great Keith Jarrett were the three greatest pianists who played at this famous jazz club in Stockholm, and really got the Golden Circle going.

They were not alone though; about 200 of the world's most wellknown jazz musicians played at the Circle during the years 1962-1969. But, since you mentioned him, Thelonious Monk never played at the Circle, he and his quartet just visited the club one spring night in 1964, to listen to Idrees Sulieman. And although both McCoy Tyner and Herbie Hancock are great musicians, they never came to play at Gyllene Cirkeln (The Golden Circle), and I don't know why. Should you, or anyone for that matter, want to know more about the Golden Circle or about Swedish jazz, don't hesitate to ask me.

Point taken, Bataki.