“Keith Jarrett: In a State of Improvisation” by Kijun Lee

A new book in Korean about Keith Jarrett, 키스 자렛: 즉흥의 상태 (Keith Jarrett: In a State of Improvisation), was published on October 25, 2025 by Time of Flow. Written by Kijun Lee, a New York-based pianist, journalist, and producer who has been researching Keith Jarrett for more than thirty years, it is a 376-page hardcover in a slipcase, with a foreword by Lewis Porter and about fifty previously unpublished photographs by Roberto Masotti.

Keith Jarrett: In a State of Improvisation
Keith Jarrett: In a State of Improvisation

The book is based on interviews with people close to Keith Jarrett who had rarely been heard from before, such as Christopher Solliday (who studied with the same piano teacher and later owned the Deer Head Inn), Eugene P. Schantzenbach (a high school classmate), Ray Santisi (his teacher at Berklee), and Stephen Cloud (his former manager), as well as John Coates Jr., Bill Goodwin, Ron McClure, Bob Moses, Richie Beirach, Timothy Hill, and Ethan Iverson. As Lewis Porter writes in his foreword:

In addition, Kijun has collected a wide range of relevant quotes from previously published interviews with Jarrett and others. He arranges these materials with care and originality, presenting readers with new connections and perspectives. The result is an example of what a jazz book can be: well-researched yet deeply personal, archival yet immediate.

An English edition is in preparation.

Thanks to Kijun for letting me know.

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“Köln 75” screenings at Peter Barakan’s Music Film Festival in Tokyo

Köln 75 will be shown twice during Peter Barakan’s Music Film Festival at the Kadokawa Cinema Yurakucho in Tokyo: on September 18, 2026 at 7 PM, and on September 30 at 11 AM. The September 18 screening will include a talk with Peter Barakan and the pianist Yoko Nozaki.

Keith Jarrett’s iconic album ‘The Köln Concert,’ recorded in 1975, remains a best seller to this day. The concert was the idea of Vera Brandes, who was an 18-year-old high school student at the time. This drama is her story, rather than Jarrett’s, but it brings to life the unlikely sequence of events that led to this classic record, in a very entertaining way.

Thanks to Daniel for the information.

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“Roma” to be released on November 6, 2026

Roma, a recording of the July 12, 2016 solo concert at the Sala Santa Cecilia in Rome, will be released on November 6, 2026, on CD and vinyl (2 LPs). It is the fifth and last concert from the 2016 European tour to be released, after Munich 2016, Budapest Concert, Bordeaux Concert, and New Vienna.

"Roma" cover
“Roma” cover

The tracklist is as follows:

  1. Roma, Part I
  2. Roma, Part II
  3. Roma, Part III
  4. Roma, Part IV
  5. Roma, Part V
  6. Roma, Part VI
  7. Roma, Part VII
  8. Roma, Part VIII
  9. Roma, Part IX
  10. Roma, Part X
  11. Somewhere Over the Rainbow
  12. It’s A Lonesome Old Town

“It’s A Lonesome Old Town”, the last track, can already be heard on streaming platforms. Both standards were also played four days later in Munich, on the last night of the tour.

Source: ECM Records.

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“Roma,” the last of Keith Jarrett’s 2016 concerts, coming from ECM

ECM will release Roma, a solo concert Keith Jarrett gave at the Sala Santa Cecilia in Rome on July 12, 2016. It is the fifth and final volume drawn from his final European tour, following the concerts from Budapest, Bordeaux, Vienna, and Munich. ECM describes it as music that “stands apart, even within this remarkable series.”

"Roma" cover
“Roma” cover

Reviewing the concert at the time, the Italian daily La Repubblica wrote: “He pays tribute to the act of creation, to spontaneous composition, and he does so in front of an audience, sharing with listeners the excitement of discovery.”

The album is ECM 2880. No release date has been announced yet.

Thanks to Jonas and Michael for the tip.

Source: ECM Records newsletter, “ECM and Italy: A Preview of Upcoming Releases.”

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“On the Edge”, a new book by Keith Jarrett, to be published in March 2027

On the Edge: An Improvisation on My Life, a book by Keith Jarrett, will be published by Allen Lane on March 25, 2027 (hardback, 304 pages; a Kindle edition will also be available). According to the publisher, the book is “the first and only time that Jarrett will tell the story of his life in music”, covering his approach to composition, improvisation, practice, technique, collaboration, and creativity.

The description also mentions Jarrett’s early years: he began playing drums with celery sticks on the kitchen table at the age of two, his perfect pitch was discovered at three, and he gave his first public recital at seven, including a piece of his own invention.

More details on the Penguin website.

Thanks to Lennart for the link.

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