One of the most creative musicians of today, globally recognized as a master of piano and genius improviser, celebrates today his 67th birthday.
Keith Jarrett was born in 1945 in Allentown, Pennsylvania. He started playing piano when he turned three, and had his first concert at the age of five where he played compositions by Mozart, Bach, Beethoven and two own pieces.
His longtime collaboration with record label ECM started in 1971 and has resulted in over 60 releases that influenced many generations of young musicians. Albums like Facing You, Staircase, Moth And The Flame, Paris Concert, Vienna Concert and The Köln Concert consolidate a wide spectrum of genres: classic, jazz, folk, gospel, blues.
The solo album The Köln Concert is without precedent the best selling piano recording in the history of jazz. Till this day it was sold over in 3,5 mil copies and is still selling.
Watch a documentary The Art of Improvisation by the British director Mike Dibb, done in collaboration with Ian Carr, the author of Jarrett’s biography. The movie was shot in 2005 on the occasion of his 60th birthday, featuring many interviews with his former and present collaborators: Jan Garbarek, Palle Daniellsson, Jon Christensen, Gary Peacock, Jack DeJohnette, Chick Corea, Garry Burton and Manfred Eicher, producer and owner of ECM in whom Jarrett found the perfect creative partner at the beginning of his career.