Keith Jarrett - Paris Concert

MINDBENDINGLY CHALLENGING AND BEAUTIFUL

there are few people on earth who can do something like this and keith is one of them . what a brilliant monster . i won't even grope for the adjectives to describe how magnificent this is (those around me already have) . their right . BUY THIS CONCERT and leave the chrysalis behind . July 6, 2008

Sublime

I've been a Keith Jarrett fan since 1977, when, as a college student, I attended one of his solo improvisation concerts in Boston. Some 30 years later, I own over 40 of Jarrett's discs, part of an extensive collection of classical and jazz piano recordings numbering almost 2000. I like to think that I know good piano music when I hear it. The Paris Concert is one of my top-10 "desert island" discs, and when I read the one-star "review" by Mr. Feldman, I felt I had to offer a counter-perspective.

The first track, "October 17, 1988", is, in my opinion, Jarrett's finest improvisational effort. A little over 37 minutes in duration, its beauty sweeps the listener away from the first note to the last. Yes, the composition reflects Jarrett's early classical training, but can't be strictly classified as a "classical" piece. Neither is it jazz, in the formal sense. Jarrett's music is, simply and truly, raw human emotion distilled into melody. I've listened to this disc many times, most recently tonite, at the very beginning of the new year, and I'm always stunned at Jarrett's ability to stir feelings in me that I rarely experience in day-to-day living. To me, this is the essence of music: to remind human beings of our humanity, to directly touch our emotions without any intervention by the conscious mind. One would have to be very cold indeed to listen to "October 17", especially its last two minutes, and not be stirred, or stilled. A man who can conclude only that this is a "navel-gazing narcissistic atrocity" is a man who's lost his heart somewhere along life's way.

The late tenor Luciano Pavarotti was criticized for expanding his song catalogue to include pop music from the likes of Bono, Elton John, and the Spice Girls. He said, in somewhat broken English, "There is only good music and bad music. Why should be elite, music? Music must be for everybody?" The Paris Concert is good music, exceptionally good. There is very little of Jarrett's humming, and the audience is exceptionally quiet; I like to think they were experiencing the same kind of rapture that I experience every time this disc is in my CD player. If you don't have this disc, get it. That simple. December 31, 2007

A treasure

This solo Piano album really grows on you. My intial reaction to hearing it was, well this is nice but it certainly isn't Jazz. However after a few listens I began to appreciate the beauty in his 'Classical' improvisations. And for those who don't know, all of Keith Jarretts solo non-classical Piano concerts are improvised from scratch on the spot. This does occasionally lead to some moments where you can literally hear him hold down a vamp whilst he awaits inspiration. But remember rhythm alone can be music. On this CD the level of inspiration is kept high all the time.

The second and third track were probably originally encores and both are memorable for different reasons. 'The Wind' is a lovely tune which Jarrett plays beautifully, demonstrating his immaculate touch and phrasing. 'Blues' is a minor blues and as a way to finish the album I can't think of anything better. This is a return to very routes of Jarretts Jazz playing and after the intensity of the first track and the beauty of the the second, its a marvellous contrast.

This isn't the best of Keith Jarretts solo Piano concerts (try the Breman/Lausanne concerts) hence I've not given it 5 stars, but it is still a staggeringly good recording from one of the great musicians alive today.
July 23, 2007

A nice Jarrett sampler

Paris Concert is nice cross section of Jarrett's bag, with a free improvisation, a blues, and a jazz standard. If I could only own one Jarrett CD, this one would be it. March 16, 2007

we get it already

If you wish to learn something interesting re the fact that the keys of b minor and Bb major share the note D as their third, you would do far better to consult a decent recording of Beethoven's Hammerklavier Sonata than this navel-gazing narcissistic atrocity. February 11, 2006

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