The Koln Concert
by Keith Jarrett · first published 1991
6mentions
6recommended by
6HN commenters
2018–2025first – last mentioned
100% recommend
Why HN recommends it
Improvised solo piano concert with lots of ostinato passages and a fresh, engaging feel on repeated listens; often suggested as a starting point for jazz beginners and as good focus or driving music.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
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Just going to say - for those that don't know Keith Jarrett.. go listen to the Koln Concert. When listening, remember that he improvised - meaning made up on the spot - every note that evening. One of the most powerful moments on the piano, at least to me. Amazon link to Koln concert: https://www.amazon.com/Koln-Concert-Keith-Jarrett/dp/B000026...
on “Pianists for Alternatively Sized Keyboards” ↗-For something same, same but decidedly different, you could do worse than checking out Keith Jarrett. I usually recommend his Köln Concert as a starting point - a recording of a 1975 concert which even though I've probably listened to it a thousand times over the years still sounds fresh and brings a smile to my face every time I put it on. Among the contemporaries, I have a soft spot for Iiro
on “Chick Corea has died” ↗> That may have forced him to improvise a lot more as whatever pre-composed melodies he could use as a crutch may have not been workable with the piano he had. Hmm I doubt it. I'd expect that to exert force more in the other direction. Anyway, it's all speculation. There is a book called Keith Jarrett’s The Köln Concert which seems well-written. p.s. I just keep mentioning Facing You because I
on “Chick Corea has died” ↗…well that gives you a starting point for finding recordings. - for recorded music, start with crossover or fusion jazz that shares a musical border with stuff you already like. Perhaps Keith Jarrett's Koln Concert might be worth a try (solo piano with lots of ostinato passages - not 'like' Glass, but perhaps appealing to some of the same impulses). Jazz isn't the hermetically sealed thing it used to be, and you'll…
on “Broken Time: “Nardis” and the Curious History of a Jazz Obsession” ↗…fixed. Of course other jazz is still pushing, and because of that it is a less clear defined part of the genre. My personal favorite is Keith Jarrett, clearly owing to Monk, with the Tokyo concert. His Koln concert is better known, and less avant guarde, the Tokio requires full attention from the listener. I like the articles focus on a single person, as jazz itself grew so wide it is hard to say anything about…
on “Jazz Is Freedom” ↗Yes I love that piece, such a trip - good for driving too. When I was at school and revising for exams I used to listen to a lot of classical music, mainly Beethoven, Rachmaninov, Elgar, Britten - I found that it really helped (also The Köln Concert by Keith Jarrett). So maybe the ultimate focus music is a bit like classical but with added noise and hypnotic rhythmic patterns ...
on “Music for Programming();” ↗