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Keith Jarrett

Keith Jarrett is an NEA Jazz Master

Over the past 40 years, Keith Jarrett has come to be recognized as one of the most creative musicians of our times - universally acclaimed as an improviser of unsurpassed genius; a master of jazz piano; a classical keyboardist of great depth; and as a composer who has written hundreds of pieces for his various jazz groups, plus extended works for orchestra, soloist, and chamber ensemble. Born May 8, 1945 in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Keith Jarrett began playing the piano at age 3 and undertook classical music studies throughout his youth; performing as a child in programs at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia and at Madison Square Garden.

He undertook formal composition studies at age 15, before moving to Boston to briefly study at the Berklee College of Music. While still in his late teens, arrangements were made to study composition in Paris with the great pedagogue Nadia Boulanger, but then canceled at the last moment in favor of moving to New York in 1964 to play jazz.

After a tentative period sitting in at the Village Vanguard and other New York jazz spots, Jarrett toured first with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. From 1966 to 1968 he was the pianist with the Charles Lloyd Quartet which quickly became one of the most popular groups on the changing late-Sixties jazz scene with best-selling records and worldwide tours. He soon led his own trio with Charlie Haden and Paul Motian (which in 1972 expanded to a quartet with the addition of tenor saxophonist Dewey Redman). Then in 1970/71, Jarrett became a featured member in Miles Davis' electric fusion group, playing electric piano and organ - his last stint as a sideman, thereafter, dedicating himself exclusively to performing acoustic music as a solo artist and as a leader.

In 1971, Keith Jarrett began his recording collaboration with German producer Manfred Eicher and ECM Records (Editions of Contemporary Music). This fruitful collaboration has produced over 60 recordings to date, unparalleled in their scope, diversity, and quality. The foundation of the Jarrett/ECM discography is made up of the landmark solo piano recordings which have helped redefine the role of the piano in contemporary music. The piano improvisations on Facing You, Solo Concerts, The Köln Concert, Staircase, Sun Bear Concerts, Moth and The Flame, Concerts, Paris Concert, Dark Intervals, Vienna Concert, and La Scala incorporate a broad spectrum of musical idioms and languages - classical, jazz, ethnic, gospel, folk, blues and pure sound - revealing a creative process based on a deeply conscious state of awakeness and listening in the moment, producing music both deeply personal, yet universal. This body of solo piano work is without precedent with the Köln Concert being the best selling piano recording in history.

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Brent Jensen
saxophone, alto
Gene Ess
guitar
Jerry Tachoir
vibraphone
Jake Hanlon
guitar
Chris Abelen
trombone
Tommy Smith
saxophone, tenor
Omar Sosa
piano
Jim Head
guitar
Pete McCann
guitar
Felipe Alonso
guitar, electric
Petros Klampanis
bass, acoustic
Mike Lorenz
guitar
Martin Fabricius
vibraphone
Oscar Penas
guitar
Rev Chris
piano
Laila Biali
piano and vocals
Bruno Schorp
bass, acoustic
Paul Unger
bass, acoustic
Majamisty TriO
band / orchestra
Thomas Dahl
guitar
Matthias Broede
harmonica
Chet Chwalik
trumpet
Kari Antila
guitar, electric
Jorge Garcia
guitar, electric
Phil Wilkinson
organ, Hammond B3
Michael Lake
trombone
Michael Waldrop
multi-instrumentalist
Julian Hartwell
keyboards
Benjamin Boone
saxophone
Jason Kush
saxophone
Zac Zinger
saxophone, tenor
Alex Koo
piano
Toggi Jonsson
bass, acoustic
Claudia Vorbach
voice / vocals
Jay Riley
saxophone, tenor
Tim Bruer
piano
Gregg Fine
guitar
Martin Fabricius Trio
band / orchestra
Mavis Pan
piano
Lisipi
piano
José Canha
bass, acoustic
Kamil Abt
guitar
Amanda Addleman
voice / vocals
Muhammad Dawjee
saxophone
Sukyung Kim
keyboards
Johan Grim
guitar
Evgeny Abramov
keyboards
Alex Hand
guitar
David Cain
multi-instrumentalist
Barba Negri Ziliani
band / orchestra
Pepito Montes
piano and vocals
Antti Annola
voice / vocals
Lucas Amorim
vibraphone
Kahoma Trio
band / orchestra

Photos

Album Discography

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Gnu High

ECM Records
2023

buy

Bordeaux Concert

ECM Records
2022

buy

Budapest Concert

ECM Records
2020

buy

Munich 2016

ECM Records
2019

buy

J.S. Bach: The...

ECM Records
2019

buy

After the Fall

ECM Records
2018

buy

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