Author Archives: Olivier Bruchez

BBC Radio 4: 50 years of The Köln Concert

BBC Radio 4 has produced a programme about Keith Jarrett’s landmark recording. From their description:

“Fifty years after Keith Jarrett performed the Koln Concert to a sellout crowd, Kevin le Gendre explores the enduring appeal of the biggest selling solo piano record of all time, and unpicks a new musical language born out of adversity.”

The 28-minute programme features Jacob Collier, Geoff Dyer, Nikki Yeoh, Django Bates, and Maki Namekawa. It was broadcast on January 14, 2025 and will be available for over a year on the BBC Radio 4 website.

Thanks to Jason for the link.

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Two upcoming performances of Keith Jarrett’s music

Maki Namekawa will perform Keith Jarrett’s Ritual on February 9, 2025 at 4 PM in Liège (Belgium). The pianist will also present works by Philip Glass and Chick Corea during this concert, programmed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of Liège.

Dutch pianist Ralph van Raat will mark the 50th anniversary of the Köln Concert with a complete performance at Muziekgebouw Eindhoven’s Hertog Jan Hall on January 24, 2025 at 8:15 PM. Van Raat, internationally acclaimed for his virtuosic interpretations, will present a note-for-note transcription of this historic improvisation.

Thanks Toon and Cynthia for the information.

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François Mardirossian announces album and Köln Concert performances

French pianist François Mardirossian will release a new album featuring interpretations of Keith Jarrett’s compositions, including “Ritual,” three encores, and the “Fughata for Harpsichord.” The release comes alongside a series of performances where Mardirossian will present his interpretation of the legendary Köln Concert.

L’hommage de François Mardirossian au compositeur Keith Jarrett ! En 2025, le pianiste légendaire Keith Jarrett va célébrer ses 80 ans. François Mardirossian, admirateur passionné du pianiste, a trouvé la partition d’une pièce composée par Jarrett une année avant le fameux concert de Cologne en 1975 : c’est Ritual ! Pour célébrer cet anniversaire, Mardirossian a créé un programme consacré aux compositions du pianiste légendaire, fait de cette pièce Ritual, d’une fugue et de trois pièces majeures, également compositions de Jarrett, qui sont des bis de concert. Un hommage unique de François Mardirossian à l’un des pianistes les plus importants du XXème siècle et de l’histoire du Jazz

The album will be available in February 2025.

"Ritual et encores" cover

The pianist will perform the complete Köln Concert at three venues across France in January 2025:

More information about the artist can be found at francoismardirossian.com.

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“Köln 75” to be premiered at the Berlinale

“Köln 75”, by director Ido Fluk, will be premiered at the Berlinale (Berlin International Film Festival) in February and released on March 13, 2025 (at least in Germany).

Here’s what Ido Fluk shared on Facebook:

KÖLN 75 will premiere at the Berlinale! Truly an honor. Cannot wait for you to see it. It’s a film about love and passion: for music, for youth, for the act of creation, a reverberating string reaction of events and improvisation that started with Vera Brandes and lead to Keith Jarrett’s 1975 masterpiece, The Köln Concert.

This thing is a labor of love, interminable, indefatigable love, and I am so thankful for my partners in this, because it truly takes – not a village – but a city:

Producers and true partners in this: Sol Bondy, Fred Burle, Daniela Ramin of One Two Films and Oren Moverman who have been there from the very start.

The real Vera Brandes, who was generous enough with her story, and the brilliant and brave Mala Emde, who embodied Vera Brandes, who became Vera Brandes, who carries this film on her very strong shoulders.

My brilliant cast: John Magaro, Michael Chernus, and Alexander Scheer, Jördis Triebel and Ulrich Tukur, Shirin Lilly Eissa, Leo Meier, Enno Trebs, Leon Blohm, Susanne Wolff and Marie-Lou Sellem.

My creative collaborators: DP Jens Harant, Editor Anja Siemens, PD Jutta Freyer, AD Gregor Stitzl, Costume Designer Ola Staszko
Casting Emrah Ertem HMU Sabine Schumann & Waldemar Pokromski. Music and sound: Stefan Rusconi, Gregor Bonse, Tarn Willers, Hubert Wałkowski, Frederik Van de Moortel

Co-producers and EPs Lilianne Lasalle, Ewa Puszczynska, Dries Phlypo, Leontine Petit, Erik Glijnis, Julianne Hausler, Jennifer Fox

Stephen Kelliher and Bankside team.
Tobias Lehmann and Fabien Arséguel of alamode.

And many many many more!

Thanks to Nate for the information.

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Bill Goodwin on recording Keith Jarrett at the Deer Head Inn

Paul Wilkinson published a conversation with Bill Goodwin, who produced the two Deer Head Inn albums (At the Deer Head Inn and The Old Country). They talk about how Goodwin organized the recording of the Deer Head Inn performance (with rather basic equipment, surprisingly), how Goodwin first met Keith Jarrett in the 60s, and much more.

A Complete Live at The Deer Head Inn vinyl box set should be released by ECM in the near future, apparently.

Thanks to Paul for the link.

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