Palle Danielsson (1946-2024)

Palle Danielsson died on 18 May 2024, at the age of 77. He played on multiple Keith Jarrett albums with the so-called European quartet, such has Belonging and My Song.

This is a statement from his sister Monica Dominique:

Bassist Palle Danielson fell asleep at his home after a period of illness on May 18.
He lived to be 77 years old.

He leaves behind his life partner the artist Ulla Lööf.

Early in his career, Palle became an obvious profile in the Swedish jazz world, but perhaps better known internationally through his collaborations with greats such as Bill Evans, Eje Thelin, Peter Erskine and others.

But perhaps he became best known through his many years of collaboration with Keith Jarrett and his “European Quartet” with whom he toured all over the world for several years.

Palle has been awarded several times for his efforts in music with e.g. The Monica Zetterlund
Scholarship, the Jan Johansson Scholarship and most recently last year, he was awarded the
honorary Lifetime Achievement Award by the Swedish Jazz Association. Palle was the brother of composer and pianist Monica Dominique, who toured together for many years with their duo program. In 2012 came the album “Togetherness”.

Palle was not just a beloved little brother. He was also a highly respected and extremely
knowledgeable fellow musician. I don’t think everyone really understands how famous he was internationally. The grief is double and very heavy now.

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“Keith Jarrett” by Ludovic Florin 

A new book in French about Keith Jarrett will be published on November 9, 2023 by Éditions du Layeur. Written by musicologist Ludovic Florin, “Keith Jarrett” is a 260-page disco/biography.

Ludovic Florin, "Keith Jarrett"

La discographie exhaustive de Keith Jarrett, surement le pianiste le plus célèbre que le jazz ait porté. Un ouvrage exceptionnel et rare. Keith Jarrett est et restera l’un des grands génies musicaux des XXe et XXIe siècles. Pour la première fois, un ouvrage s’arrête sur l’intégralité des enregistrements réalisés par le musicien, qu’il soit leader ou sideman. Avec ce parcours en 127 textes, on découvrira non seulement les productions du jazzman auteur de l’album de piano solo le plus vendu de l’histoire, le Köln Concert, mais aussi celle de l’interprète classique de Bach, Mozart ou Chostakovitch. Organisé selon plusieurs thématiques (expériences fondatrices, la pratique en solo, Standards Trio, etc.), ce livre peut aussi se lire de manière chronologique à la façon d’une disco-biographie. Après Chick Corea, avant Herbie Hancock, ce livre constitue le deuxième volet dédié par les Éditions du Layeur au triumvirat des pianistes passés chez Miles Davis dans les années 1960-1970.

Thanks to Michel for the information.

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Previously unreleased portion from Bremen 1973 to be broadcast on BR-Klassik

BR-Klassik will broadcast a previously unreleased portion from the July 12, 1973 concert at the Sendesaal in Bremen to commemorate the 50th anniversary of this concert, released by ECM as Solo Concerts: Bremen / Lausanne.

Here’s an (automatic) translation from the article above:

Jarrett Unheard: Archive Discovery

On July 12, 1973, Keith Jarrett performed one of his first piano solo concerts at the Bremen Sendesaal. Despite being plagued by back pain, he impressed the audience with his two sets, which can now be heard on the ECM release “Concerts: Bremen / Lausanne.”

However, the second half of the first set has remained unreleased to this day and slumbers in the archive. In this improvised half, Jarrett transforms the romantic tone into an energetic boogie-woogie improvisation.

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of this concert, Keith Jarrett’s tones, which until now have only been heard by a few, are finally to be presented to the public.

The 40th anniversary of that concert was already commemorated by a “virtual concert” at the Sendesaal:

Forty years later, on July 12, 2013, a “virtual concert” (that is, without Keith Jarrett) will take place at the same venue. A complete recording of the 1973 concert will be played, “including the unpublished portion of the first set” (“inklusive des unveröffentlichten Teils des ersten Sets”).

The broadcast will take place on Wednesday, July 12, 2023 at 23:30 on BR-Klassik.

Thanks to Matthias for the information!

Update (July 22, 2023). A recording of the broadcast is available online. Thanks to Simon for the link!

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“Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach: Cembalosonaten Wq.49 Nr.1-6 ‘Württembergische'” to be released on June 30, 2023

A recording of Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach’s Wurttemberg sonatas by Keith Jarrett will be released by ECM in June 2023.

Keith Jarrett’s account of Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach’s Wurttemberg Sonatas is a revelation.

“I’d heard the sonatas played by harpsichordists, and felt there was room for a piano version,” says Jarrett today.

This outstanding recording, made in 1994 and previously unreleased, finds the pianist attuned to the expressive implications of the sonatas in every moment.

The younger Bach’s idiosyncrasies: the gentle playfulness of the music, the fondness for subtle and sudden tempo shifts, the extraordinary, rippling invention…all of this is wonderfully delivered.

The fluidity of the whole performance has a quality that perhaps could be conveyed only by an artist of great improvisational skills.

In Jarrett’s hands, CPE’s exploration of new compositional forms retains the freshness of discovery.

Recorded at Keith Jarrett’s Cavelight Studio in May 1994, the album includes liner notes by Paul Griffiths.

“Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach: Cembalosonaten Wq.49 Nr.1-6 ‘Württembergische'” cover
“Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach: Cembalosonaten Wq.49 Nr.1-6 ‘Württembergische’” cover

The tracklist is as follows:

CD 1

  1. I. Moderato (Sonata No. 1 in A Minor, H. 30) (7:33)
  2. II. Andante (Sonata No. 1 in A Minor, H. 30) (3:15)
  3. III. Allegro assai (Sonata No. 1 in A Minor, H. 30) (5:29)
  4. I. Un poco allegro (Sonata No. 2 in A-Flat Major, H. 31) (6:52)
  5. II. Adagio (Sonata No. 2 in A-Flat Major, H. 31) (3:08)
  6. III. Allegro (Sonata No. 2 in A-Flat Major, H. 31) (3:51)
  7. I. Allegro (Sonata No. 3 in E Minor, H. 33) (6:02)
  8. II. Adagio (Sonata No. 3 in E Minor, H. 33) (3:16)
  9. III. Vivace (Sonata No. 3 in E Minor, H. 33) (2:59)

CD 2

  1. I. Un poco allegro (Sonata No. 4 in B-Flat Major, H. 32) (5:47)
  2. II. Andante (Sonata No. 4 in B-Flat Major, H. 32) (3:01)
  3. III. Allegro (Sonata No. 4 in B-Flat Major, H. 32) (4:30)
  4. I. Allegro (Sonata No. 5 in E-Flat Major, H. 34) (7:42)v
  5. II. Adagio (Sonata No. 5 in E-Flat Major, H. 34) (3:21)v
  6. III. Allegro assai (Sonata No. 5 in E-Flat Major, H. 34) (3:32)
  7. I. Moderato (Sonata No. 6 in B Minor, H. 36) (7:02)
  8. II. Adagio non molto (Sonata No. 6 in B Minor, H. 36) (3:43)
  9. III. Allegro (Sonata No. 6 in B Minor, H. 36) (4:30)

Thanks to Matthias for the information.

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“Köln Concert” live performance by Thomas Enhco and Maki Namekawa in Paris

Two pianists, Thomas Enhco and Maki Namekawa, will perform the Köln Concert by Keith Jarrett at the Cité de la Musique in Paris on April 4-7, 2023. The four concerts are apparently sold out, but a waiting list is available.

“Deux pianistes inspirés venant de sphères musicales différentes – Thomas Enhco et Maki Namekawa – s’emparent de The Köln Concert, mythique album live de Keith Jarrett, et restituent l’incroyable luminosité de cette musique en liberté, entre jazz et classique.”

“Le 24 janvier 1975, en tournée en Europe, Keith Jarrett fait étape à l’Opéra de Cologne. Très fatigué, ayant mal au dos, il doit de plus jouer avec le piano en piètre état mis à sa disposition. Résultat : un concert magique, entièrement improvisé, durant lequel va s’écouler une musique épurée mue par une ferveur intense. Publié en 1975 par le prestigieux label ECM, l’enregistrement du concert va rencontrer un succès démesuré, devenant l’un des disques de jazz les plus vendus, et rester dans les annales. Jeune pianiste français, qui oscille entre jazz et classique, Thomas Enhco s’allie ici avec Maki Namekawa, jeune pianiste japonaise, dont le répertoire s’étend du classique au contemporain, pour interpréter dans son intégralité cet album unique à l’éclat inouï.”

Thanks to Daniel for the information.

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