Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner What piano does Keith Jarrett use?

There is probably not one answer to this question. On some album photos you can see the Steinway logo (Carnegie Hall). But I have been listening to the Koln Concert (my favorite, from the 1970s) forever and ever, thinking it was Steinway, and it's only since I've been piano searching and listening to the different piano signature tones and I have realized that of course it is not! How could I ever have thought that? The Koln is likely a Bosendorfer or similar European piano, which would make sense since it is a German concert hall.

Anybody know which one was used for this and other performances? It's fun trying to figure it out, it really sharpens your listening skills.

Steinway. All the time.

Doogs :

Is there any reason that the Koln Concert might not have been performed on a Hamburg Steinway?

Regards,

Whatever it is, it has been Stanwoodized with a Precision Touch Design.

No reason. However, I had the opportunity to play part of the transcribed concert on both a Hamburg Steinway and a Bosendorfer (thanks, Cunningham Piano). I don't sound much like Jarrett, but mine certainly sounded much more like his performance on the Bosendorfer!

I have not checked recently, but I seem to remember he is listed on the Steinway "artist" link...

Doogs :

Don't forget, as well, that many recordings are highly engineered, and while doing so may not affect the characteristic tone of a piano, comparing the sound of a piano on an engineered recording to one played live - to say nothing of differences in prep and voicing - might not be a solid comparison.

Regards,

I don't know what piano it was, but I remember reading somewhere (over in the nonclassical forum?) that Jarrett was unhappy with the sound of one section of this particular piano, which he studiously avoided during the Koln concert improvs. I tried to find that post to see if it was more detailed but couldn't, but I did find a review on the Barnes & Noble website that said that Jarrett "hated" that piano.

But it's sublime music in any event.

He brought a Steinway that he had selected from Steinway's basement for a show at the Opera House in San Francisco a few years back. Midway through the show, he stopped and complained about the piano. The producer of the show let him know that that was unacceptable behavior. Since then, he has not been as picky about the piano, although it is still a Steinway. But he is still a difficult person.

He had a Hamburg Steinway with a Stanwood action a few years back. Of recent, I think he is using Faziolis when possible.

I stumbled across a review over on Amazon that mentioned this about that concert piano... which may or may not be true:

"The history behind this famous recording is now legendary. Jarrett hadn't slept for 24 hours prior to the concert. The wrong Piano was brought along for the event and couldn't be changed. Jarrett was kept waiting in an Italian Restaurant prior to the concert and had to bolt his food down to be back the auditorium in time.

The recording very nearly never took place, but in the end Eicher and Jarrett decided to make a documentary recording because they had already paid for the recording facilities."

He's definitely listed as a Steinway artist:
http://www.steinway.com/steinway/artist_roster/roster.php?artistSection=main&artistListing=j

Howard

Thios case slearly shows how stupid it is to clang to a certain brand.

A piano that has a good, normally weighed action, is in tune and has a sound that is acceptable to the majority should do for every pianist.

Only if the response is uneven, and the keys feel abnormally heavy or light and sloppy, or for some other reason is difficult to play on, you should have the right to complain or even refuse to play. A dark or bright sound per se should not be a major obstacle. Nor should the name on the fallboard

If a pianist is a registered "Steinway Artist" s/he may be obliged to stick to Steinway where Steinways are available, which is almost everywhere. Artist "fidelity" to the brand may well be in the contractual agreements.

Who was the (American?) pianist - I've ready the story a number of times - who, although a Steinway artist, chose not to perform at a certain venue on a Steinway, and Steinway made his professional life very difficult for him, subsequently?

Who remembers the details? Who knows if the story is true, although it certainly was reputed to be factual.

Regards,

Anyone who registers as a Steinway Artist should want to perform on a Steinway whenever Steinways are available. Anyone who does otherwise is a fraud.

I see - the Steinway gang is really sort of mafia.

I have nothing against Steinway & Sons's pianos -those which I have experienced as listener have been top class. And in a shop I once tried the action feel of oen smaller grand and is was perfect IMO, although it had probably not been Stanwoodized.

Koln Concert is a Bosendorfer and he disliked the high register of that particular one.
He had selected an Imperial Grand but because of a mismatch a baby grand in poor conditions was put on stage.
Because of this, his fatigue after driving all day and some heavy food he had, him and Eicher decided to cancel the recording.
Until last minute, since it was already paid for, they decided to keep as a record.

I read it in his bio but also found it here:
http://www.boesendorfer.com/en/current-news.html?page=5408

N.

By the way, in the nearly three years that this thread lay dormant there have been other threads discussing Jarrett's piano choices.