Keith Jarrett: the Art of Improvisation

“When you improvise it’s the whole nine yards, all at the same time. It’s content, nuance, the way you play it, the subject itself, the dynamics, and the risk all at the same time" ... Keith Jarrett is seminal in the history of improvised music, a pianist who has devoted a large part of his artistic power to the present moment, trusting it to deliver magic. 

This fantastic documentary by Mike Dibb delves into Jarrett's early life first, exploring a young prodigy who performed his first classical recital at the age of 7. After that, we journey through his career chronologically, following his breakthrough with the bands of Art Blakey, Charlie Haden and Miles Davis. Though this period established his reputation, the legend that he became developed through his own groups, his staggering output on the mythical ECM label and The Köln Concert, widely regarded as the best live album of all time. 

With serenity and poise, Jarrett illuminates space between the notes, a harmonic explorer whose relationship with the music formed the basis of all he did. A glance at the list of speakers in this documentary says something about his influence on the jazz world: Miles, Chick Corea, Gary Peacock, Jack DeJohnette, Charlie Haden and many more.