By Daniel Biro Daniel Biro View Profile | Contact Me Joined AAJ in 2007

Comments (8)

[1] 2 | Next Page

Dear Keith:

After being present at your concert in Perugia as part of the Umbria Jazz Festival 2007 I feel the need to express my views on what has become predictable but unacceptable behavior on your behalf. I know this is not the first or last attempt to discuss the matter, but what the hell...

First the facts. The concert took place in the Perugia's open air arena in front of almost three thousand people. Before the concert, the Italian presenter politely asked the audience to refrain from using flash photography or recording equipment. We got the message, switched things off, and that should have been that. But no. You then came on and, before even playing a note, gave us a couple of minutes of verbal abuse of a particularly vicious nature, let alone incredibly rude and offensive: "I don't speak Italian,” you said, “but get someone who speaks English to tell you—turn those f***ing cameras off now... I reserve the right to walk off stage at any time if I see anyone taking pictures, and that goes for Jack and Gary too. If you see anyone with a camera, you have the right to take it off them... somebody tell those a**holes to put away their f***ing cameras... I see that red light there, and that means you, you, you…”.

This could have been mildly amusing but it wasn't. Your contempt and anger were tangible. Your violent tirade ruined the atmosphere of the evening before it had even started. People around me gave each other those "here we go again" looks and, despite being insulted by you, the Perugia audience behaved impeccably during your set, loving every note. At the end of a relatively short second set (presumably allowing for encores) there was a standing ovation and we asked for a bit more. You came back on stage to take a bow and at that point (not while you were playing), someone took a photo. Your instant reaction was to announce, "OK. Because of this we're not playing an encore!" and walk off. That was it and we all left the arena feeling cheated and wondering what gave you the right to be such an “a**hole,” as you put it. Following your “performance” the festival organizers decided rightly not to invite you to the Umbria Jazz Festival again.

Of course, over the years, these incidents have become part and parcel of the “Keith Jarrett experience,” and everybody expects you to behave this way (which, according to your twisted logic of not pandering to people's expectations, should be reason enough not to do it.). What exactly do you hope to achieve with this behavior? I completely agree that flash-photography and any other noisy distractions are unacceptable, and a serious impediment to the concentration of the artists. To ask for a reasonable level of sustained concentration from the audience is legitimate and needs to be pursued. The message is fine. It is the way you choose to deliver it that is fundamentally flawed.

First, if you accept to play in arenas with thousands of people, there will always be somebody who will not do what you want. An audience is not a unified mass that can be treated as a single entity or, in your case, like a naughty child. It is a gathering of individuals who are put together by chance for the sake of a couple of hours' music. Each person retains their free-will and will make independent choices. That night in Perugia, ninety-nine percent of individuals did things your way. But, like a sadistic schoolmaster, you decided to castigate everyone for the sake of the few who didn't. This was unfair and childish.

Second, if you feel big audiences are an invasion of privacy in your musical activities, don’t do these kinds of concerts. If you are so concerned with the integrity of your music, don’t do these kinds of concerts. Choose small venues where there is a more intimate relationship between musicians and audience. Big audiences = less control over what people are going to do. It's a fact. If don't like it, don’t do these kinds of concerts. If you want to be a recluse and can't deal with celebrity, stay at home! But that would mean making less money... Could it be that you are trying to have your cake and eat it too?

[1] 2 | Next Page

Keith Jarrett at All About Jazz.
Visit Keith Jarrett on the web.

Post your comment on:
An Open Letter to Keith Jarrett

Warren Lubline wrote on 2007-07-27 21:55:48: I can only second Mr. Biro's eloquent comments. I, too, witnessed similar behaviour at a Keith Jarret Trio concert in Minneapolis's concert house several years ago. A beautiful setting, an expectant evening - all of it was ruined by boorish behavior by Jarrett and by extension, his group. He didn't verbally harrangue the audience but played a miniscule second set bookened by repeat returns for encores that were achieved by making the audience wait minutes between each extra tune (the set was only 20 minutes long). If we paid sufficient tribute to him, expressed in volume and duration of applause,Jarrett would return. Each return required ever more supplication by the audience. This is an ethical stance one really must reject. One really does glimpse something of the totalitarian mind of an artist- or, maybe, of totalitarian art in Jarret's stance. And I think one really does think of this differently than, for example, the legions of stories of Charles Mingus' nightclub behaviour.(see note one), to take one example. At least as depicted in Santoro's biography, Mingus' tirades at audiences (and fellow musicians) didn't manifest the same kind of contempt for the audience. Mingus music was a difficult invitation, but an invitation no less. It would be nice if Jarrett, like an contrite Tour de France doper, would, not confess, but rethink the relation between artist and audience. A theoretical elaboration of his current stance would, no doubt, hardly endear him to those who listen to his music. Warren Lubline 1. and concert actions, too. By the way, the late Rolf Erikson told a completely different version of the famous 1962 Town Hall debacle on Swedish radio before he died. According to Erikson, who was an integral part of Mingus' project, the enormous band, many instruments doubled (two first alto sax players . . . )had indeed mastered the music we now know as Epitaph. It's just that when the musicians got onto stage, none of that music was there. There were note writers who handed out music which was not what they had rehearsed.)"The most fun I had in my entire life," as Erikson put it.   Jeffrey Wraight wrote on 2007-07-28 08:01:27: Jarrett sounds really annoyed in the clip. I reckon there was more to it - backstage stuff going on. I've played Italy a number of times & there were always problems with the promoters, usually about money and invariably just before the performance. Jarrett is known to be fractious, and his comments show, to me, a guy at the end of his 'tether' with the 'Politics'. Lets face it, If you are about to embark on an hour & a half of total concentration in front of a massive crowd you don't need any distractions, back, or front of house. In my opinion, if audience members don't like Jarrett's rules they can always go to the pub instead.   Doug Grover wrote on 2007-07-31 09:44:30: For one reason or another I have never seen Keith Jarrett Live and now I am happy I never did. He's just another idiot musician who is concerned with everything but the music. Play the fucking music and shut up. I have been playing professionally for 30 years and the music is what it is all about. Yes on many occasions there have been distractions and concentration breakers, but so what. Is he afraid someone will make a little change from a photo or have a bootleg recording, if so I suggest he stay home and play by himself. I wouldn't want to interfere with his artistic genious. His actions and concerns automaticaaly negate a fair portion of his musical capabilities. I didn't realize that Jack was such a dick also. I wonder why Gary didn't say something?   Sid Fewster wrote on 2007-08-04 09:13:34: I'm with Keith Jarrett on this one. I'd be quite happy for people not to be allowed to bring phones or cameras into concerts and theatrical performances. It could be done like it was done( in the USA for while) when it wasn't allowable to take cigarette lighters on planes. People could just dump them at the entrance. There are always the idiots who think that requests not to take flash pictures don't apply to them. I would prefer not to attend events with idiots like that. As for recording, impossible to control and I doubt that the performer would be aware of it at the time. But flashes going off all the time must be really distracting for the performer. If Jarrett had made the request for no cameras and flash before and been ignored, then he did the right thing by walking off when he did and saying what he said. Next time( not in Umbria, maybe at Brecon) he should put in his contract that flash and camera use would result in the immediate termination of the concert and have the organisers announce that at the beginning. Maybe they refused to in this case.   Marius Jontvedt wrote on 2007-08-15 20:50:40: I was in Perugia that night, and no matter how much I agree that taking pictures only seconds after the president of the festival had begged people not to is a stupid thing, I still find it even more stupid to insult the whole audience as only a handful took pictures. Jarret being pissed of is understandable, but a few cameras did not give him the right to use phrases as "this damn city" and "it's you privilege to be here, not mine" as this brought about a negative atmosphere affecting all people there. My girlfriend and I had spent our hard earned money to fly from Norway to Italy to see Jarret and Pat Metheny, and after the insulting words before even playing a note, the whole Jarret experinece was partly ruined. Three days later it was time for the Metheny gig, and not only did he (and Mehldau, Grenadier and Ballard) play fantastic, but Pat also took his time to thank the audience for coming out and tell how much he appreciated the Umbria Jazz festival, the city and italy. Live music to me is all about a connection between the audience and the musicians. Music can speak for itself, but the connection is ruined if added words are of the insulting kind. Metheny (and Stefano Bollani and Enrico Rava who we also got to see, for that matter) adds something postive to the already great music when opening their mouths. Jarret is a great musician, but that doesn't justify the behaviour he displayed that night.   Paul Brewer wrote on 2007-12-19 17:23:28: I'm a 56 year-old jazz trombonist. My hero was and still is the great J. J. Johnson. I had the opportunity to perform with him on stage in 1991. And it was one of the more profound peak experiences of my life. And guess what? J. J. made it that way for me because he wasn't just a great jazz musician. He was also a great man - an honor that Keith Jarrett, for all his musical greatness, cannot claim. This is a shame. But, I guess Keith just doesn't get it. While he was practicing all those hours everyday to become a great musician, he must have neglected to practice the art of personal integrity. It's too bad J. J. wasn't Keith’s teacher. Keith might have learned how to be more than a musician. He might have learned how to be a MAN. You're a great musician, Keith. But, evidently, you're also a petulant brat from time to time. Which brings me to this: I've bought very many of your CDs and videos in the past. But, unless you apologize publicly for your behavior at Umbria (and other past venues) and vow to abandon you’re childish tantrums toward audiences, I'll buy no more. I won't attend your concerts, either. And I assure you that I'll be far from alone in my decision to do this.   Kandie Le Britain Webster wrote on 2008-02-07 18:51:34: Thank you all for your well-stated opinions on Keith Jarrett's outrageous behaviour. So why does he continually keep rising to the top of the AAJ musician profiles? Go figure.... Kandie Le Britain Webster ~~ jazzylover59   David Cooper wrote on 2009-11-17 03:52:27: Having just purchased 'Yesterdays by Keith Jarrett I'm afraid I must report that my listening pleasure was diminished slightly by the tuneless and ill focused scatting emanating from the maestro's mouth during what is otherwise a pristine recording. Whilst acknowledging that this is a common and universally accepted idiosyncracy of this artist, may I suggest that he shuts the f**k up and plays the goddam music. Oh yes... and I promise not to take any photos of him if ever I am lucky enough to see him live.

Signup & post a comment!
Read more comments (8)

More articles by Daniel Biro

An Open Letter to Keith Jarrett