A capacity crowd in an unusually somber mood converged on Symphony Center on Saturday night to hear what was billed as Keith Jarrett's "first solo piano recital in Chicago since 1985 and his only solo recital in North America in 2007." No pressure, Keith...!
A pre-concert announcement informed us that the performance was being recorded and to therefore refrain from extraneous noises and coughing — so the audience responded in turn with a chorus of coughs followed by tittering, self-satisfied chuckling. Welcome to Chicago in February.
Mr. Jarrett was greeted by riotous applause as he appeared on stage wearing dark sunglasses and what appeared to be the same austere outfit worn during two previous appearances here with his trio.
Surprisingly, he began by speaking to the audience using a stand-up microphone set up on the side of the stage, grasping at tenuous Chicago connections from his past and even calling out an audience member for illegally recording: "I can see those two little red lights... you should at least change the color or unscrew the bulbs."
In general, I was taken aback by Keith's chattiness — throughout the evening he frequently addressed us from the mic and the piano, name dropping philosophers and classical composers, debating the relative merits of American vs. German pianos, and once even wondering aloud what to play next... "how do I follow myself?" I have to wonder — Is this a common occurrence at his solo concerts that gets edited out of the recordings, or was he just in a talkative, Midwestern mood?
His often playful demeanor even extended to a large white towel he periodically used to wipe the sweat from his brow — at one point relishing the sound of dropping it onto the Steinway strings repeatedly, and later revealing that "I tell my grandchildren I get paid to fold towels on stage" (Many Jarrett fanatics in attendance would probably pay good money to see that, actually).
A few misguided groupies even attempted to talk back to Keith, shouting out things like "you're great," "thanks for all you give", and "easy on the starch!" I'm glad these folks were having a fun time, but it sort of ruined the mood for the rest of us (and probably reduces the likelihood that a CD of this concert will ever be released... at least that guy on the Main Floor was recording it for himself.)
Article comments
1 - Stephen Connolly
How humorless can Jarrett be to request that his audience pipe down when his own groaning mars otherwise enjoyable live recordings?
Jarrett's "bite-sized chunks" of improvisation may be suited to "random ipod shuffling," but the inclusion of "boisterous, rock-star worthy applause" defeats the purpose.
I have the Carnegie Hall cd and don't much enjoy the suite of imrovisations. (I prefer his trio work) The encores are another matter, each is a gem. The audience obviously agrees, as their tidal wave of applause to coax another encore is nearly the same length as each piece. It must have been great to be there, but for the cd listener the effect is self-indulgent and annoying.