Jazz piano has a long tradition and is a difficult skill to master. Keith Jarrett is known as one of the most accomplished pianists and composers and has made a big contribution to the genre as a group leader and for solo work. He is especially feted for his work in improvisation and he enjoys fusing different types of music with jazz, such as gospel, blues, classical and traditional folk tunes. His career, dating from the early 1970s, has taken him all over the world. Tours have included dates in Japan, Paris and Vienna and such musical landmarks as The Carnegie Hall Concert.
He was born in 1945 in Pennsylvania and developed as a child prodigy on piano. After graduation from high school and music school in Boston, Massachusetts, he re-located to New York City and played gigs at the prestigious Village Vanguard Club. His breakthrough came when Art Blakey asked him to become a member of his group, the Jazz Messengers. This was followed by a stint in the Charles Lloyd Quartet. Keith Jarrett also formed his own trio, alongside Charlie Haden and Paul Motian, recording a number of albums.
The trio would later add a saxophone player called Dewey Redman and they called themselves the American Quartet. Keith Jarrett also performed on soprano saxophone and percussion whilst working with the quartet. The music was an intriguing blend of jazz, gospel and even traditions from the Middle East. Jarrett had been a huge fan of the legendary Miles Davis and he was thrilled to become a member of his group. He made four albums with Davis, on which he played electric organ and electric piano.
He has also made many solo recordings on piano, including live albums of his freeform, improvised concerts. One of these improvisations was captured on The Köln Concert in 1975 and was one of the most successful jazz albums ever. Keith Jarrett was also involved in another trio, recording jazz standards and freeform music, with bassist Gary Peacock and drummer Jack DeJohnette.
The musician and composer is a perfectionist and has ruffled some feathers in pursuit of acoustic excellence. He is very choosy about where he plays live and has been known to pointedly give out cough sweets to audiences. Jarrett demands complete silence during his performances, particularly when improvising. See Keith Jarrett - Art of Improvisation
He has resisted being boxed in to any one genre and has recorded some classical pieces, from the repertoire of Mozart, Handel and Bach. He has also shown his classical credentials by composing classical music of his own.
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