Keith Jarrett's «Köln Concert»

Perhaps the Japanese pianist Maki Namekawa will lean a little deeper over the keys than is usual, just as Keith Jarrett once did when he sent his sequence of notes G-D-C-G-A out into the world, which would later become world-famous. Do you remember? This simple motif marks the beginning of Jarrett’s «Köln Concert». It is a solo concert, an iconic, hour-long improvisation that, with its irresistible groove, its contemplative-lyrical, and gospel-like sections, continues to captivate audiences today, half a century after its creation.

A Winter Night in 1975

The story of the piece is legendary. It was the afternoon of January 24, 1975, at the Cologne Opera House. The large hall, which the then 18-year-old concert organizer Vera Brandes had booked, was sold out. But she was close to despair. She was expecting Keith Jarrett, the extraordinary American pianist who mastered both jazz and classical music. However, the wrong grand piano had been delivered. On stage stood an old practice instrument, barely playable, out of tune, and with sticking keys. A fiasco!

The concert seemed doomed before it even began. The piano tuner did his best to salvage the instrument. Shortly before midnight, the piano was ready. The sold-out hall was buzzing, and Keith Jarrett, despite all the inconvenience, was ready to play. The pianist was suddenly in an euphoric mood for playing, remembers Manfred Eicher. The CEO of ECM Records had driven the pianist from Switzerland to Cologne in the passenger seat of his Renault 4 and decided to let the microphones run.

The Best-Selling Jazz Album

The evening turned into a sensation. The recording, «The Köln Concert», became the best-selling jazz and solo piano album of all time. The cover, with the simple black-and-white photo showing Jarrett deeply hunched over the keys, has burned itself into memory as an iconic image. In 2025, the pianist, who no longer gives concerts following a stroke, celebrated his 80th birthday.

His «Köln Concert» traveled the world, also serving as a soundtrack for ballet and film. In the 1990s, a transcription of the work, authorized by Jarrett, was published, allowing the work, originally created ex tempore, to be played note for note ever since. With Maki Namekawa, who is personally friends with Jarrett and has performed in Ernen several times, Jarrett’s music is in the best of hands. Her tribute to a luminous moment in recent music history should not be missed.

New and Familiar Faces

The performances of pianist Charl du Plessis are a must-see at the summer jazz concerts. This time, he is bringing Levy Sekgapane to Ernen. The internationally sought-after young bel canto tenor, like du Plessis, hails from South Africa and has performed at the Salzburg Festival and the Zurich Opera House alongside Cecilia Bartoli, among others. One can be curious to see what tricks Charl du Plessis will use to lure him into the world of jazz.

Charl du Plessis will give two further concerts: his Trio will present a diverse selection of pieces from across music history—always with a surprising, jazzy twist—to mark his 20th-anniversary jubilee at the Musikdorf. And the sensational collaboration with the clarinetist Matthew Hunt from the summer of 2025 will be reprised in 2026.

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Written in November 2025, by Marianne Mühlemann