Keith Jarrett on the importance of audio sound quality


My little contribution to the forum.

Leave aside KJ is my favorite pianist, his trio my favorite trio (RIP Gary Peacock).

Found this article, him talking about the importance of reproduction quality of what he records.

Good read, many good points that elicit reflection and appreciation.

http://www.soundsgoodtome.us/2011/01/05/keith-jarrett-on-high-performance-audio-and-its-influence-on...
jjss49

I saw KJ live in I believe the mid-70s at Orchestra Hall in Chicago.  It was a memorable evening for a few reasons. I had my Dad with me as I knew he was a keyboard person.

We got seated and shortly after a very drunk person was seated behind us. Shortly after he was seated he proceeded to vomit. I finally got the ushers to remove him and get the mess cleaned up.  All this before the concert started.

Towards the end of the first act someone about 3 rows back from the front started coughing. Instead of leaving they continued coughing. At the break before KJ left the stage he looked into the audience in the general area of the person coughing and said “I hope that bothered you as much as it did me” and he walked off.

At the start of the 2nd act as he got into the song he started to cough in rhythm with what he was playing.


Particularly like the Charles Ives' quote. Would make a great separate thread topic. 
You might notice that Keith Jarrett did not last very long with Miles and that none of Mile's players at the time ever related to Jarrett again very much unlike say, Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter who are glued together at the hips. 
I have an original vinyl copy of the Sun Bear Concerts. Only one LP was ever played, once. It is a testament to a man whose ego is the largest Jazz has ever seen. I just remember him for his phenomenal singing voice.
Needless to say I have no interest in whatever he thinks of high fidelity reproduction. 
Jarrett played a special piano with 97 keys called a Bosendorfer because he liked the additional body in the sound produced by the resonance of the additional bass notes. 

I adore Jarrett's playing but I find him unlistenable because of his quirky vocalizations he does while playing. I just can't get past it.