About this episode
Keith Jarrett's "The Köln Concert" is the best selling solo piano album of all time. But why this album? Possibly because it sounded like nothing else in popular music at the time of its release in 1975. It is cinematic, genre-fluid and masterful – in many ways ahead of its time. Jazz musicians Adam Maness and Peter Martin listen to one of the most popular albums in the history of jazz, pulling apart all the elements that make it great: the melodies, the vamps, even the "soul" of Jarrett's notoriously flawed piano. If you know "The Köln Concert" well, watch for the analysis and hot takes. If you haven't heard this album before, it may just become the soundtrack to your life! Start your free Open Studio trial for ALLLLL your jazz lesson needs: https://osjazz.link/yhi 00:00 - Is it Köln or Cologne? 06:30 - Part I 09:20 - How Jarrett Made Music for the Moment 17:00 - Jumping Back Into Part I 23:00 - Joyful and Fearless 29:00 - All the Genres 33:20 - Legit Amazing AND Popular 36:05 - The Harp 42:00 - Part II a 48:25 - 80s Cinema Vibes 54:20 - Part II b 1:00:55 - Part II c 1:04:00 - Apex Moments & Categories 1:11:45 - GALA + Black Friday at Open Studio! Play better in 2026 and beyond at Open Studio. Join today with our last BIG savings of the year at openstudiojazz.com/yhi