Photo: Published by ABC/Impulse! Records. Photographer uncredited and unknown. / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Keith Jarrett occupies a singular place in my listening life. Plenty of pianists have technique; almost none have his willingness to walk on stage with nothing prepared and trust the moment completely. The improvised solo concerts he pioneered remain, to me, the purest gamble in modern music. His apprenticeships with Art Blakey, Charles Lloyd, and Miles Davis gave him deep jazz credibility, but he transcended category, moving between jazz and classical as if the border never existed. The Guggenheim, the Sonning Prize, the NEA Jazz Masters honor: all deserved, all beside the point. What matters is that first note emerging from silence. Late at night, nothing else comes close.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Keith Jarrett
- Name (Japanese)
- キース・ジャレット
- Reading
- きーす・じゃれっと
- Born
- May 8, 1945 (age 81)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Taurus / Rooster
- Origin
- Allentown, Pennsylvania, United States
- Occupation
- pianist / composer / jazz musician / recording artist / musician
2. Background
- High school
- Emmaus High School
- University
- Berklee College of Music
Awards & achievements
- 1972 Guggenheim Fellowship
- 2004 Léonie Sonning Music Prize
- NEA Jazz Masters
- Steinway artist
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Keith Jarrett born?
Born May 8, 1945 (age 81).
Where is Keith Jarrett from?
Keith Jarrett is from Allentown, Pennsylvania, United States.
What does Keith Jarrett do?
Keith Jarrett works as pianist, composer, jazz musician, recording artist, musician.
Pianist — see all → · Composer — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-10
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.