Doc's Jazz Music Reviews

I am a huge fan of Keith Jarrett - to me he is a musical genius. When I realized that I did not own this album I hurried up to buy it. This is early Jarrett at his finest. I love the improvision on this album and the fact that it is not rushed into 5 or 7 minute clips for commercial reasons. Get your hands on this album and enjoy it. Jim
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Product Details
Audio CD (November 16, 1999)
Original Release Date: January 24, 1975
Number of Discs: 1
Format: Live Label: Ecm Records ASIN: B0000262WI

A musical chameleon, pianist Keith Jarrett was at his finest when he recorded these sustained solo improvisations in a German concert hall in 1975, the first lasting 26 minutes, the second 40. Melodies and rhythmic figures arise fluidly from his fingers as he moves from one idea to another, while his strong left hand is often used for repeated motifs that generate a rolling hypnotic power. This couples with strongly consonant harmonies to impart the flavor of gospel music at times, dance musics and Debussy at others. Above all, it's Jarrett's ability to knit all of his moods and wanderings into an almost seamless tapestry of warm and tuneful ideas that gives this music its enduring appeal. --Stuart Broomer

Generally I resist the urge to hurl superlatives at something; but for this particular disc, only words like "transcendent" and "sublime" will do. Twenty years on, it still floors me. The third track ("IIb") alone is a gem that is worth the price of the disc. I've listened to it a hundred times, and I continue to be astonished by the journey it takes you through: a steady progression over moody, lyrical landscapes, spiralling up to a jagged peak, urged on by Jarrett's mesmerizing left-hand work and annotated at the crest by his own gasped vocalizations, as if he, too, were amazed at the scenery. Its the climax of the whole concert --there's nowhere to go but gently retrace our steps back down to the sweet coda of "IIc". Truly a masterpiece of improvisation.

The recording that, unfortunately, launched a thousand New Age noodlers seeking to capture its mood in simplified imitation; its no wonder that Jarrett has mixed feelings about it. And yes, as a long-time fan, I wouldn't even say its his best work. But it still speaks to me across the years like few other pieces of music I have ever known, in any category. I can't imagine ever tiring of it...and those who have heard it know what I mean.

And finally: if you like Jarrett's solo piano improvisations but haven't heard 'La Scala' yet, PLEASE do yourself a favor and click on over to get it asap. More technically brilliant than 'Koln' (as you would expect given the interval between the two performances), and the encore of "Over the Rainbow" is achingly beautiful. An absolute must-have. - George Counts

I was one of the few who discovered Jarrett's solo work through recordings other than this one (I first heard "Concerts" and "Solo Concerts" many, many years ago and only discovered this one about two years ago), and for that reason it took a little longer for me to really understand and appreciate it...not because it lacks anything, but only because other Jarrett works held a special place in my heart.Now, as my appreciation of all of Jarrett's masterful recordings has increased, I can appreciate this, the Cologne Concert, for what it is: A transcendant piece of music in its own right, unique from all the others. The story of its creation is remarkable: Jarrett was forced to play on an inferior piano with weak high and low ranges...as a result he concentrated on the midrange, accentuating that particular instrument's potential and creating music that sounds unlike anything else he's ever done.

I initially thought it was "lighter" in texture than his other solo work (particularly the two mentioned above), now I realize that it simply speaks a different language.
I think that hard-core Jarrett fans tend to regard this album with just a bit of suspicion, precisely because it has enjoyed such continuing popularity. This, of course, is nonsense: Just because this particular album enjoys mass appeal doesn't take anything away from it, and it is not this album's fault that it has spawned a score of imitations from lesser artists.

The "bottom line" is that this album contains a special quality, a "magic" that transforms it into music for the ages. From the opening expression (listen for the barely-audible sound of a woman's laughter right after the first five notes) "the Cologne Concert" captures something mystical, and beyond explanation. If this is your first exposure to Keith Jarrett, I envy your voyage of discovery. Just don't let it stop here. - Doc Sarvis

A Little Bit Of The Koln Concert