Listen to this when
The Köln Concert
Wrong piano. No sleep. A back brace. He almost walked out. Instead he made the best-selling solo piano album in history. Start anyway.
Who it's for
The story behind the record is its own lesson in flexibility over perfectionism.
Overwhelmed→Calm
Feelings it meets
What it is
The Köln Concert is a live solo piano improvisation by Keith Jarrett, recorded at the Cologne Opera House on 24 January 1975 and released by ECM, produced by Manfred Eicher. Instead of the concert grand he requested, Jarrett was given a small, poorly maintained rehearsal piano with a thin upper register, weak bass and faulty pedals, and he arrived exhausted and in pain.
Where to find it
Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Tidal; ECM catalogue on CD and vinyl.
Before you start
Age: Not verified (instrumental; suggested all ages)
Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string.Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Self-Reliance”
