Today marks the birthday of one of the most recognizable jazz musicians of all time. American pianist and composer who performed with Miles Davis, Charles Lloyd, and Jan Garbarek, and whose music is characterized by spontaneous solo improvisation – Keith Jarrett.
Keith Jarret represents the jazz avant-garde. His music reflects both a fascination with rock and ecstatic trans-like forms, as well as inspirations drawn from exotic Eastern music traditions, late neoclassicism, and gospel funk. Elements of European Impressionism are also quite prominent in his work. The artist himself cited Fryderyk Chopin, Franz Liszt, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Alexander Scriabin among his influences.
He is one of the most innovative pianists of all time!
And that’s not all:
- he also plays a variety of percussion and wind instruments, including the vibraphone and alto saxophone
- he studied at the Berklee School of Music in Boston for just one year
- he has been playing the piano since the age of three.
Keith Jarret’s most famous album is The Köln Concert (1975). The album documents an improvised live performance given on 24 January 1975 in Cologne. Instead of the requested concert grand piano, the artist performed on a not entirely reliable rehearsal instrument. It remains the best-selling solo jazz album in history and the best-selling piano album of all time, with almost 4 million copies sold.
You can find the artist’s full biography in one of our new encyclopaedic entries – be sure to check it out!
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