Keith Jarrett is one of the greatest jazz pianists in history, and I consider him a true inspiration. His technique probably surpasses that of any jazz artist I’ve ever heard, and his overall accomplishments as a musician are astonishing. Focusing on jazz and classical music, he has a delicate, expressive touch while playing ballads, yet demonstrates his virtuosity with full force during his free-jazz performances. He is especially renowned for his impromptu improvisations at concerts, many of which are recorded as albums. He is a versatile musician who, besides piano, plays a variety of instruments, including: soprano saxophone, organ, drums and the melodica. He has even sung on some recordings. More importantly, he is a serious composer.
Jarrett, who has perfect pitch, showed signs of his extraordinary musical gifts at an early age and started taking piano lessons when he was two years old. By age seven, he performed his original compositions at a solo concert. He later attended the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts.
Having gained notoriety while performing with Miles Davis during the 1960s, Jarrett has recorded numerous successful album projects with a variety of groups. Over the years, he has had some of the best-selling recordings in history. Remarkably, he has been recorded on at least 116 group or solo albums.
In 2003, Jarrett received Sweden’s Polar Music Prize (the equivalent of the Nobel Prize), and, in 2004, he received Denmark’s Léonie Sonning Music Prize. He later performed at Carnegie Hall in both 2005 and 2011. More recenty, in 2008, he was instated into Down Beat magazine's Hall of Fame by the 73rd Annual Reader's Poll.
A brilliant artist who performs a wide variety of genres, Jarrett has broad appeal to diverse audiences, ranging from the typical listener seeking pleasant background music to the intellectual who enjoys listening comprehensively to complex improvisations and compositions. Below are links to a few videos which depict his different styles so you can decide which you prefer. As for me, I own a couple of his albums and especially enjoy his "Tokyo '96 (Live)" CD.
A brilliant artist who performs a wide variety of genres, Jarrett has broad appeal to diverse audiences, ranging from the typical listener seeking pleasant background music to the intellectual who enjoys listening comprehensively to complex improvisations and compositions. Below are links to a few videos which depict his different styles so you can decide which you prefer. As for me, I own a couple of his albums and especially enjoy his "Tokyo '96 (Live)" CD.
Videos:
Keith Jarrett - "All the Things You Are" - YouTube Video
Keith Jarrett - "Last Solo," Tokyo '84 Encore - YouTube Video
Keith Jarrett - "One Day I'll Fly Away" - YouTube Video
Keith Jarrett - "La Scala" - YouTube Video
Keith Jarrett - Videosurf.com - Various Videos
Albums/Tracks:
http://www.last.fm/music/Keith+Jarrett/+albums
Source:
Wikipedia.org
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