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Share thoughts on Keith Jarrett

Last night, I saw Keith Jarrett performing solo at the Symphony Center. Tremendously emotional concert with four encores. Now, this is why I'm posting: The person who I was supposed to attend the concert with, informed me, on Tuesday night, that she couldn't go. "No problem", I thought: "Who wouldn't jump at the chance to see Keith Jarrett live", a performer who I consider to be right up there with the likes of Davis, Monk, and Coltrane, all jazz elite and all household names. It took me two full days to find someone who even heard of this guy. I'll continue to hold him in place of high esteem regardless of the comments I get here, but I'm curious: Am I incorrect to place him so highly, or are their others who find his relative anonymity amazing?
phaelon
phaelon OP
1,049 posts
 
"not unlike Kenny G. Highly subjective of course."

Subjective or not, that's a lousy thing to say! Take it back!
loomisjohnson
1,943 posts
 
i'm in the ok-but-not great camp; he's a trailblazer in terms of popularizing the long-form solo concert thing, but there's a certain new-agey, samey quality to much of his voluminous output (plus the humming is a turnoff). he's technically proficient, and i do still listen to him in my rare contemplative moments, but there's a number of other pianists with more swing and a broader palate that i prefer (e.g. vijay iyer, robert glasper)
raquel
841 posts
 
My thoughts on Keith Jarrett? The Koln Concert - wow.
chashmal
605 posts
 
The Koln concert an overdramatized, unmusical, bombastic ego-fest
russellrcncom
312 posts
 
And then there's the grunting :)...

Like a lot of artists, I just wonder if he's being a little too prolific with releases. I'm fond of the earlier stuff: Solo COncerts (Bremen - Lausanne - sp?), Koln Concert, Eyes of the Heart, etc.. His specialty is obviously improvisations but if the past is any indication it seems like its always hit or miss with Jarrett and it will continue to be that way.

Come to think of it, that probably says something about improvisation anyway. If the inspiration is lacking or even if its there you can't always capture it and make something beautiful from it. In essence, its a gamble.
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