KEITH JARRETT SOLO PART ONE: Carnegie Hall 2005

On a quiet September 26th, 2005 I went to see Keith Jarrett at Carnegie Hall.  It was my first time seeing him solo. I went by myself, but I had friend who I was meeting there.  This friend like music, but really did not know what else to listen to.  A few months prior they asked me what music is so profound that seeing it live will blow your mind and have you talking about it forever and ever.  I was, at the time on a Keith Jarrett kick.  I recommend not only his group music, but his solo piano albums.  I also found out he was coming to NYC and if I can get that friend to go see this live then I need not to explain.  I explained to the friend that he should go and see for himself the power of one man and one piano can do.

As I prepped myself to see and hear Keith Jarrett I kept in mind that most of his solo shows are purely improvisational.  There is no setlist of solo interpretations of his older pieces with some of the bands he played with or the trio he plays with as well. Once in a while, and that is a rare once in a while he will play a solo version of some of those band or trio groups recordings.  It give the song new life and for some people like myself will give me a wonder of astonishment.

For me this was a first solo piano gig at Carnegie Hall.  I have seen shows here and I have seen solo piano shows.  I have seen Cecil Taylor at a small club setting, and also Brad Mehldau in the same setting and same club.  I have seen Larry Fast from Peter Gabriel's band play a five to ten minute solo in the middle of a set and same goes for Keith Emerson who opened the second set with a twenty minute solo piano piece he wanted to try on us.  These were a bit different.  I bet each had a set list that they wanted to do and a goal for us the listener and for themselves.  The music in some of these cases were popular songs they originally did or groups they performed with.  Keith is different.  Majority of his solo stuff is totally improvised.  He will do that for a little over and hour.  I have most of his solo piano pieces and they last about CD in length.

When my friend me at the show he asked me what to expect from the performance and before I mouthed an answer another friend came skating by and said two words.  "Anything goes," he said.  I told my other friend just be aware of things Keith does on stage.  These things include moaning and making noises, moving up and down and making motions around the keyboard, and lastly stomping his foot in some kind of groove in pace with the piano.  Also he might be talkative between songs, but that too is rare.

As the show started the person next to me asked if he has a set list.  I shook my head no.  Keith does not believe in them and even his trio or band recordings show they can go from one song to the next with the greatest of ease.  After each solo piece we had a huge round of applause knowing that his creative fire was on full display tonight.  There were ten of them and each had it's own identity and sound and feel like no other Keith Jarrett piece.  He did speak, but not about the music, but he got political with all the trouble at the time here in America and abroad.  He usually is reserved, but this time he had enough.  Some of the audience wanted him just to play and that I think effected not only his mood, but his playing.

After over an hour of improvisation that turned into ten pieces.  I counted the applause between songs.  He walked off stage for his encore.  There was not just one or two like most artists have, but there were five. After each one the crowd was louder and louder and he seemed more and more friendly and receptive to us.  He treated us to a tune we were familiar with called "My Song." It's off the album of the same name from 1978.  One of my favorite of his "European Quartet" groups that included Jan Garbarek.  He seemed like he had more energy after them too.  His quick pace on the song "True Blues" felt like he had excitement running through it.  He was having a blast making his signature sounds and gyrations around the piano.  His final encore he mentioned he keeps feeling things and the crowd responded with more applause and energy.  It was a cover of a song written by Vincent Youmans called "Time On My Hands."  Once again his moaning was in display and excitement was coming out of his hands.

After the almost two hour performance with crowd ovation I was drenched with astonishment.  Keith Jarrett showed the crowd and possibly himself that he still has the energy to pull it off.  My friend who was at the show just shook his head and seemed in awe.  My other friend who I saw there looked at me and said, "This has to be one of his finest performances."  The music ran through us for quite a while that night and once in a while I relive the performance with the CD of the same name.  Keith Jarrett Live at Carnegie Hall is not the signature Koln Concert, but a performance that is unique and full of beauty like it.  Keith's piano playing makes me want to try to play like him or have an ounce of playing like him, but I could never in a million years be like him.  Whatever was in his brain that night shows that he can be creative and unique and beautiful all rolled into one. His music can touch us in ways that are hard to explain, but once we hear it, the emotion is oh so awesome.  If you can find this, check it out and hear why I speak Keith's praise every time I talk about piano, jazz or solo instrument.  This thing simmers and then by the end boils over in such beauty that no one can ever be like him again.  Enjoy!!