Keith Jarrett facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Keith Jarrett
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Jarrett in 1975
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| Background information | |
| Born | May 8, 1945 Allentown, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz, classical, jazz fusion, free improvisation |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer |
| Instruments | Piano, harpsichord |
| Years active | 1966–2018 |
| Labels | Atlantic, Columbia, ECM, Impulse!, Universal Classics |
| Associated acts | Art Blakey, Sam Brown, Gary Burton, Dennis Russell Davies, Miles Davis, Jack DeJohnette, Charlie Haden, Charles Lloyd, Airto Moreira, Paul Motian, Gary Peacock, Dewey Redman, Kenny Wheeler |
Keith Jarrett (born May 8, 1945) is an American pianist and composer. He is famous for his amazing skills in jazz and classical music. Keith started his career playing with famous musicians like Art Blakey and Miles Davis.
Since the 1970s, he has led his own groups and performed solo. His music mixes different styles, including jazz, classical, gospel, blues, and folk music.
His album The Köln Concert, released in 1975, is the best-selling piano recording ever. In 2008, he was added to the DownBeat Jazz Hall of Fame. Keith Jarrett has won many awards for his music. Sadly, he had two strokes in 2018 and has not been able to perform since.
Early Life and Musical Start
Where Keith Grew Up
Keith Jarrett was born on May 8, 1945, in Allentown, Pennsylvania. His mother's family came from Slovenia, and his father's family was mostly German. He grew up in a town near Allentown and was around music from a very young age.
A Young Musical Genius
Keith had a special gift called absolute pitch. This means he could tell what any musical note was just by hearing it. He started piano lessons before he was three years old. When he was five, he played on a TV talent show.
At age seven, he gave his first big piano concert. He played music by famous composers like Bach and Mozart. He even played two of his own songs! His mother encouraged him to take classical piano lessons.
Discovering Jazz
Keith went to Emmaus High School in Emmaus, Pennsylvania. There, he learned about jazz and became very good at it. He loved modern jazz after seeing a Dave Brubeck concert. He was even asked to study classical music in Paris, but he chose to focus on jazz instead.
After high school in 1963, Keith moved to Boston. He went to Berklee College of Music and played piano in local clubs.
Keith Jarrett's Music Career
Playing with Jazz Legends
In 1964, Keith moved to New York City. He played at the Village Vanguard, a famous jazz club. Soon, Art Blakey hired him to play with his band, The Jazz Messengers. Keith's first recording was with this group.
After a few months, Keith joined Charles Lloyd's band. This group was very popular in the mid-1960s. They played at famous places like The Fillmore in San Francisco. Even The Beatles went to one of their concerts! This made Keith a well-known musician in both rock and jazz.
Starting His Own Groups
Keith also began recording his own music. He formed a trio with Charlie Haden and Paul Motian. Their first album, Life Between the Exit Signs, came out in 1967. He also made an unusual album called Restoration Ruin where he played many instruments and even sang.
Joining Miles Davis
In 1968, Miles Davis, a legendary trumpeter, asked Keith to join his group. Keith played electric organ and Rhodes piano in Davis's band. Even though Keith didn't really like electric instruments in jazz, he stayed because he respected Miles Davis. He also wanted to keep playing with drummer Jack DeJohnette.
Keith played on several of Miles Davis's albums, like Miles Davis at Fillmore. He often says that Miles Davis greatly influenced his music and how he thought about improvisation. Keith left Davis's band in 1971.
The 1970s Quartets
After leaving Miles Davis, Keith formed a new group called the "American quartet." It included Charlie Haden, Paul Motian, and saxophonist Dewey Redman. They recorded many albums together. Their music blended different styles, including free jazz, gospel music, and Middle-Eastern sounds.
Later, Keith started working with producer Manfred Eicher and the ECM label. He also formed a "European quartet" with Norwegian saxophonist Jan Garbarek. This group had a sound influenced by European folk and classical music.
Amazing Solo Piano Concerts
Keith Jarrett became famous for his completely improvised solo piano concerts. This means he would sit down at the piano and just start playing, making up the music on the spot. These concerts were incredibly popular.
His album The Köln Concert (1975) became the best-selling piano recording in history. Another big release was Sun Bear Concerts (1976), a huge collection of his solo performances.
Keith often said his best performances happened when he had no idea what he would play next. He felt the music just flowed through him. He also recorded classical pieces, showing his love for composers like Bach.
In the late 1990s, Keith became very ill. He recorded a beautiful album of jazz songs called The Melody at Night, with You as a gift for his wife. By 2000, he was able to tour again.
The Standards Trio
In 1983, Keith formed a trio with bassist Gary Peacock and drummer Jack DeJohnette. They decided to play jazz standards, which are well-known jazz songs. This group became one of the most important and long-lasting jazz groups ever. They played together for over 25 years.
The trio also created their own original music. Their musical connection was so strong that their improvisations often sounded like carefully written pieces. They toured all over the world, playing in concert halls. The Standards Trio stopped performing in 2014.
Classical Music Performances
Since the 1970s, Keith Jarrett has also had a successful career as a classical musician. He recorded many classical albums for ECM Records. He played his own compositions for piano and orchestra.
He also recorded classical works by famous composers like Bach, Handel, and Shostakovich. In 2004, he received the Léonie Sonning Music Prize, an award usually given to classical musicians. Only one other jazz musician, Miles Davis, has won it.
Other Musical Interests
Besides piano, Keith has played harpsichord, clavichord, organ, soprano saxophone, and drums. He often played saxophone and percussion in his American quartet. He has said he regrets giving up the saxophone.
Keith was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live in 1978. His music has also been featured in films, like the 2001 German movie Mostly Martha.
Music Similarity Issue
In 1980, the rock band Steely Dan released their album Gaucho. The main song on the album sounded very similar to Keith Jarrett's song "Long As You Know You're Living Yours" from his 1974 album Belonging.
The band members of Steely Dan admitted they were influenced by Keith's song. Because of this, Keith Jarrett's name was added to the song's credits, and he received payments for it.
Unique Habits During Performances
Keith Jarrett is known for making sounds, like moans, while he plays jazz and improvised solo music. He says these sounds are not planned but come from how deeply he feels the music. He doesn't make these sounds when playing classical music.
He also doesn't like audience noise during his solo concerts. He feels it affects his playing. He has even stopped playing to ask the audience to be quiet or to offer them cough drops. He also doesn't like people taking photos during his concerts.
Keith is also not a fan of electronic instruments in jazz. He believes that music should be played using acoustic (non-electric) instruments.
Keith Jarrett's Life Today
Keith Jarrett lives in an old farmhouse in Oxford Township, New Jersey. He uses a barn nearby as his studio for practicing and recording.
He has been interested in the teachings of George Gurdjieff and has recorded an album of Gurdjieff's music. He also connects with the Sufi tradition and mystical Islam.
Keith married Margot Erney in 1964, and they had two sons, Gabriel and Noah. They divorced in 1979. He later married Rose Anne, and they divorced in 2010. Keith is currently married to Akiko Jarrett. His sons, Noah and Gabriel, are also musicians.
Keith Jarrett had two strokes in February and May 2018. The second stroke left him partly unable to move his left side. He spent almost two years getting better. While he can now walk with a cane and play piano with his right hand, he is not expected to perform concerts again. He shared in October 2020 that he doesn't feel like a pianist anymore.
Discography
See also
In Spanish: Keith Jarrett para niños
