Keith Jarrett: A One-of-a-Kind Artist Prepares for His Solo

[JSngry]

To the Dead's credit (based on what very little of them I've heard), when the zone was not there for them, they accepted that it was going to suck, at least for a little while. They didn't pretend or try to convince anybody that they were there when they weren't.

Can't say that about Jarrett, and, rightly or wrongly, that bugs me.

[JSngry]

And fwiw, I hope my comments about Jarrett aren't viewed as part of the "attacking" contingent, nor as argumentative towards his more unconditional fans. I hope I've made it clear that there is much of Jarrett's music that I find very appealing, and my intent in discussing my ambivalence towards the rest of it is just that - discussing. There's artists that I feel about the way that some feel about Jarrett, and those artists are often felt about by others the way that I feel about Keith. No big deal one way or the other in my book.

Just want to make that clear & avoid any misunderstanding, if there was any to be had.

[ejp626]

To the Dead's credit (based on what very little of them I've heard), when the zone was not there for them, they accepted that it was going to suck, at least for a little while. They didn't pretend or try to convince anybody that they were there when they weren't.

Can't say that about Jarrett, and, rightly or wrongly, that bugs me.

The other thing about the Dead is that they were mellow in the extreme about where their audience was -- some being fully committed to the music, some only interested in the recreational aspects of following the Dead around, most somewhere in between with a bit more emphasis on the music. They didn't insist on everyone experiencing the magic the same way as the artist, which is part of Jarrett's problem IMO.

I guess the reason Keith gets under my skin so much is that he is following in the footsteps of Glenn Gould but hasn't a 10th of the talent, again IMO. Glenn ultimately had the courage of his convinctions and stopped doing live concerts, since the interaction with the audience was so distracting to him. If Keith feels that strongly that the auditorium should be like a recording studio (he has now taken to berating the audience for coughing according to the BBC), then he should stop performing live. I for one am more than willing to help him on his way by no longer buying tickets to see him perform.

[WorldB3]

besides, assuming i want to buy just one jarrett record (which is actually the case, you guys got me curious) from the ones popping up around here cheaply... which is a good place to start? fort yawuh, standards live, bye bye blackbird, facing you[, gnu high]...? or none of those... ?

If I could only have 3 my picks would be Changeless, My Foolish Heart and the Koln concert. I think these are 3 of the better examples where the music is playing him and the Trio. Tokyo 96 and Facing You would also be good places to start as well as Kenny Wheeler's - Gnu High.

[WorldB3]

If Keith feels that strongly that the auditorium should be like a recording studio (he has now taken to berating the audience for coughing according to the BBC), then he should stop performing live.

It goes even beyond the audience, I have a friend who saw him do a solo concert at Oberlin many years ago and after intermission he had the piano tuner come out, he wasn't happy with the tuning, bitched the guy out and started to tune the piano himself. Someone from the audience yelled "sounds good to me asshole" where Jarrett said "only at Oberlin" and walked off.

Despite how much I love his talent I have yet to see him live as it always seemed like a high risk or high reward type of proposition.

[Dan Gould]

If Keith feels that strongly that the auditorium should be like a recording studio (he has now taken to berating the audience for coughing according to the BBC), then he should stop performing live.

It goes even beyond the audience, I have a friend who saw him do a solo concert at Oberlin many years ago and after intermission he had the piano tuner come out, he wasn't happy with the tuning, bitched the guy out and started to tune the piano himself. Someone from the audience yelled "sounds good to me asshole" where Jarrett said "only at Oberlin" and walked off.

Despite how much I love his talent I have yet to see him live as it always seemed like a high risk or high reward type of proposition.

And what are his extraordinary fees per concert? Give me a musician who gives a shit about his audience any day.

[7/4]

It goes even beyond the audience, I have a friend who saw him do a solo concert at Oberlin many years ago and after intermission he had the piano tuner come out, he wasn't happy with the tuning, bitched the guy out and started to tune the piano himself. Someone from the audience yelled "sounds good to me asshole" where Jarrett said "only at Oberlin" and walked off.

[RDK]

If Keith feels that strongly that the auditorium should be like a recording studio (he has now taken to berating the audience for coughing according to the BBC), then he should stop performing live.

It goes even beyond the audience, I have a friend who saw him do a solo concert at Oberlin many years ago and after intermission he had the piano tuner come out, he wasn't happy with the tuning, bitched the guy out and started to tune the piano himself. Someone from the audience yelled "sounds good to me asshole" where Jarrett said "only at Oberlin" and walked off.

Despite how much I love his talent I have yet to see him live as it always seemed like a high risk or high reward type of proposition.

Yeah, I'm seeing Jarrett's trio next month for the first time though I've been a fan for over 25 years. Partly for those reasons.

[danasgoodstuff]

I've seen Keith only once, the American Quartet, a long time ago (obviously). It was magic. Never could find any records that quite got there, although many of them were quite good. Gave up looking awhile ago. Yes, I think he's psycho (for lack of a better word). No, it wouldn't stop me from buying any recording if I thought it was truly 'all that' (Cellar Dorr is truly all that, not that I bought for Keith particularly, but he does his part and more). Might make me think twice 'bout going to see him live...

[JSngry]

I've seen Keith only once, the American Quartet, a long time ago (obviously). It was magic. Never could find any records that quite got there, although many of them were quite good. Gave up looking awhile ago.

Pretty sure the American Quartet (Quintet, actually, Guillermo Franco had been added by then) did a show for NPR, or one that aired on our NPR station. Has that ever been made available commercially?

Edited February 6, 2009 by JSngry

[.:.impossible]

If Keith feels that strongly that the auditorium should be like a recording studio (he has now taken to berating the audience for coughing according to the BBC), then he should stop performing live.

It goes even beyond the audience, I have a friend who saw him do a solo concert at Oberlin many years ago and after intermission he had the piano tuner come out, he wasn't happy with the tuning, bitched the guy out and started to tune the piano himself. Someone from the audience yelled "sounds good to me asshole" where Jarrett said "only at Oberlin" and walked off.

Despite how much I love his talent I have yet to see him live as it always seemed like a high risk or high reward type of proposition.

That is hilarious. I would have felt like I got my money's worth that night.

[marcello]

I've seen Keith only once, the American Quartet, a long time ago (obviously). It was magic. Never could find any records that quite got there, although many of them were quite good. Gave up looking awhile ago.

Pretty sure the American Quartet (Quintet, actually, Guillermo Franco had been added by then) did a show for NPR, or one that aired on our NPR station. Has that ever been made available commercially?

I have a tape of that. No percussionist I believe.

It's very good and I transferred it to cdr.

I sent it to Frank Kimbrough, who has a vast collection of Jarrett.

[JSngry]

That;'s a different one then, because the one I saw definitely had Franco.

[umum_cypher]

I get the feeling that if Trane were cleaning up his house and found a beer can, he'd just throw it away

Coltrane was a good man. He would RECYCLE!

[mikeweil]

Funny thing about Jarrett though, for all his railings against electricity in music, I think that his least "self-conscious" playing was his electric work with Miles. That stuff just...came out in a way that appears to be uninterrupted and unfiltered. "Unworried about" might be the best way to put it. And not just for that work, but for all of his best work. Unworried about.

The time to worry is when you practice. When you play, it's time to play, not worry. If you're constantly worrying about your playing while you're doing it, something ain't right yet.

My thoughts exactly!

[JSngry]

I've seen Keith only once, the American Quartet, a long time ago (obviously). It was magic. Never could find any records that quite got there, although many of them were quite good. Gave up looking awhile ago.

Pretty sure the American Quartet (Quintet, actually, Guillermo Franco had been added by then) did a show for NPR, or one that aired on our NPR station. Has that ever been made available commercially?

I have a tape of that. No percussionist I believe.

It's very good and I transferred it to cdr.

I sent it to Frank Kimbrough, who has a vast collection of Jarrett.

That;'s a different one then, because the one I saw definitely had Franco.

I'm sorry, I meant PBS, not NPR. It was TV, not radio, DOH!

[Guest youmustbe]

Franco was in the American 'Quartet' with Dewey, Charlie, Paul. I saw them at the Vanguard.

The concert video of same 'Quartet' with Franco might be from Berlin. That's the one I have.

Keith told me a funny story about Charlie on that tour with regard to his drug use.

I won't post it because Charlie's wife might get on the blog, the thread would have to be deleted by Jim because it would cause Organissimo's Japan tour to be cancelled.

[Joe G]