Keith Jarrett Biography
8 May 1945, Allentown, Pennsylvania, USA. Growing up in a highly musical family, Jarrett displayed startling precocity and was playing piano from the age of three. From a very early age he also composed music and long before he entered his teens was touring as a professional musician, playing classical music and his own compositions. He continued with his studies at Berklee College Of Music in the early 60s but was soon leading his own small group. From the mid-60s he was based in New York where Art Blakey invited him to join his band. Jarrett stayed with Blakey for only a few months but it was enough to raise his previously low profile. In 1966 he joined Charles Lloyd's quartet, which made his name known internationally, thanks to extensive tours of Europe and visits to the Soviet Union and the Far East. It was in this quartet that he befriended Jack DeJohnette.
During his childhood Jarrett had also played vibraphone, saxophone, flute and percussion instruments, and he resumed performing on some of these instruments in the late 60s. In 1969 he joined Miles Davis, playing organ for a while, before turning to electric piano. This was during the jazz/fusion period and although the best music from this group was never recorded they released Live At The Fillmore and Live-Evil. By now, word was out that Jarrett was one of the most exciting new talents in the history of jazz piano. During his two years with Davis he also found time to record under his own name, enhancing his reputation with a succession of fine albums with Charlie Haden, Dewey Redman, Paul Motian and others. After leaving Davis he resumed playing acoustic piano and established a substantial following for his music, which he has described as "universal folk music". Facing You in 1971 created a considerable response and was a brilliant demonstration of speed, dynamics and emotion. The now familiar Jarrett characteristic of brilliantly adding styles was first aired on this album. Country, folk, classical, blues and rock were given brief cameos, this was a remarkable solo debut. Subsequently, Jarrett has become a major figure not only in furthering his own music but in "showing the way" for contemporary jazz and in particular the growth of ECM Records and the work of Manfred Eicher. Eicher and Jarrett complement each other like no other business partnership. Jarrett's success with huge sales of his albums enabled ECM to expand. Eicher in turn will record and release anything Jarrett wishes, such is their trust in each other. He has often worked and recorded with artists including Jan Garbarek, Gary Burton, Palle Danielsson and Jon Christensen. In performances over the years, Jarrett has regularly returned to DeJohnette and bass player Gary Peacock. Known as the "standards trio", there can be few units currently working that have such intuition and emotional feeling of each member's musical talent. Albums such as Changes, Standards, Vol. 1 and Standards, Vol. 2, Live Standards and The Cure represent the finest possibilities of an acoustic jazz trio. Jarrett's greatest achievement, however, is as the master of improvised solo piano. It is in this role that Jarrett has arguably created a musical genre. His outstanding improvisational skills have led to his ability to present solo concerts during which he might play works of such a length that as few as two pieces will comprise an entire evening's music. His pivotal and often breathtaking Solo Concerts: Bremen and Lausanne released in 1973, received numerous accolades in the USA and Europe. Similarly in 1975, The Köln Concert was a huge success becoming a million plus seller. It remains his biggest selling work and is a must for any discerning music collection, even though it was recorded on a badly tuned piano. In Ian Carr's biography, Jarrett explains that in addition to feeling unwell on the day of the concert the right piano did not arrive in time. Instead he had to make do by restricting his improvisation to the middle keys as the top end was shot and the bass end had no resonance. Additionally the ambitious multi-album set The Sun Bear Concerts is a rich journey into the improvisational unknown. This solo improvised work has not resulted in Jarrett turning his back on composing and he has written and recorded music for piano and string orchestra resulting in albums such as In The Light and The Celestial Hawk. His interest in this form of music has added to his concert repertoire and during the 80s, in addition to solo and continuing small group jazz concerts he also played and recorded classical works. Jarrett's continuing association with ECM Records has helped advance his constantly maturing musical persona. Technically flawless, Jarrett's playing style draws upon many sources reaching into all areas of jazz while simultaneously displaying a thorough understanding of and deep feeling for the western classical form. Comparison with Bill Evans is obvious, but Jarrett is unquestionably one of the most dazzling improvising talents the world of music has ever known. He is also remarkable for having achieved recognition from the whole musical establishment, as well as the jazz audience, while also enjoying considerable commercial success. He has continued to produce excellent work, despite having to battle chronic fatigue syndrome in the late 90s.
Source: The Encyclopedia of Popular Music by Colin Larkin. Licensed from Muze.
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