The Koln Concert

 

I was recently invited to join a WhatsApp Album Club group chat by my friend Josh. I admire and respect Josh's music taste and record collection, so I was delighted to accept the invitation.

The concept is simple. Going in alphabetical order (by forename), members choose an album of the week on Sunday and it is discussed throughout the week. A new album is then chosen for the following week.

1-month in and I have already been taken out of my comfort zone on several occasions. 

Album club started with Forever Breathes The Lonely Word by Felt. An album I own on CD. It's a good album. I personally wouldn't describe it as brilliant, but the jangling guitars, Martin Duffy's Hammond sounds and Lawrence's poetry and humour shine throughout. All The People I Like Are Those That Are Dead is my favourite song on the album.

Next up was Sister by Sonic Youth. I wasn't aware of this album or any of the songs from it. My exposure to Sonic Youth was exclusively through mixtapes made by my friend Grant Mitchell at High School and immediately afterwards. Grant was heavily into American underground music and culture and was always on the ball, always exploring. I got to know songs from the bands Daydream Nation album -So songs like Teen Age Riot, Eric's Trip, then Dirty Boots from Goo, and Sugar Kane (my personal favourite from Sonic Youth) from Dirty. Yet, I never bought a Sonic Youth record or CD. I'd be lying if I said I listened to all of Sister. It's way too noisy and abstract for me. I like melodies, hooks, grooves and choruses.

Likewise, Rain Dogs by Tom Waits was difficult. There was a lot of chat about needing to create the right environment to listen to an album like this. I appreciate why people like Tom Waits and admire his work. However, it just ain't for me.

Anyway, the whole point of this blog is to discuss The Koln Concert album by Keith Jarrett. Recorded live in January 1975 at Cologne Opera House, The Koln Concert is the biggest selling solo piano record of all time. 

There is a great story behind the performance. Jarrett was booked by Vera Brandes, a young 18 year old promoter who booked the 1,400 capacity Opera House for an 11.30pm show, as there was an opera on beforehand.

Jarrett, by all accounts, was in a foul mood. He had exchanged Brandes ticket for a flight to Cologne for cash and instead he drove with ECM Records Manfred Eicher from Lausanne, Switzerland, where had performed a few days earlier. The pair travelled for 350-miles over 5-hours in Eicher's old Renault 4 and arrived at the Opera House late in the afternoon. Jarrett was in pain and wearing a back brace. The long drive can't have helped!

Then there was the piano. Jarrett had requested a Bosendorfer 290 Imperial concert grand piano, yet there was confusion among opera house staff and they found and set up a smaller Bosendorfer baby grand piano. The error was discovered too late for the correct Bosendorfer to be delivered to the venue ... 

The venue staff had set up a piano that was intended for rehearsals only. It was poor condition and required several hours of tuning and adjustment to make it playable. The pedals didn't work properly.

Jarrett, understandably, was on the verge of refusing to play. Brandes somehow convinced him otherwise. The recording equipment was set up, the venue was sold out ... the show must go on.

He probably played it the way he did because it was not a good piano. Because he could not fall in love with the sound of it, he found another way to get the most out of it. Manfred Eicher, ECM Records

Jarrett's performance is extraordinary, improvising for over an hour. I was blown away and listened to the album 3 times over the week. It is truly beautiful. I hear gospel, a bit of Carole King, some psychedelic flourishes (particularly towards the end of part 1) that are sure ripe for sampling, and moments where I think - how many hands does this guy have?!

I love when Jarrett rides the bass notes for a while, playing effortlessly over the top. It's kind of bluesy bass, it also reminds me of Ray Manzarek from The Doors. I enjoy when some notes do sound a little out of tune, but he plays on and makes them part of the piece. 

So, yeah, Album Club has taken me out of my comfort zone in a number of ways. On this occasion, it has worked big time. Check out The Koln Concert.

This week, I'm back to more familiar sounds with Reading, Writing and Arithmetic by The Sundays.