Keith Jarrett Still Hates His Fans

sts9fan · « **on:** 12 Jul 2013, 07:37 pm »

Sad
http://jazztimes.com/articles/96482-keith-jarrett-s-dark-night-in-perugia

Tyson · « **Reply #1 on:** 12 Jul 2013, 08:04 pm »

What a jerk.

wushuliu · « **Reply #2 on:** 12 Jul 2013, 08:09 pm »

Quote from: sts9fan on 12 Jul 2013, 07:37 pm

Sad
http://jazztimes.com/articles/96482-keith-jarrett-s-dark-night-in-perugia

Pretty badass actualy. He DID perform after all... The cell phone picture taking at shows has to stop it is is ridiculously distracting.

jarcher · « **Reply #3 on:** 12 Jul 2013, 08:27 pm »

I'm conflicted. On the one hand the whole camera / phone picture taking thing at all events is annoying. Is anyone actually ever going to watch it - or just post it online to micro-brag to friends?

On the other hand, seems a bit extreme to get so worked up over it. As the author said - if 99%+ are complying, do you really need to flip out over the the very few who don't?

What is a reasonable expectation for the performer of environment?

Devil Doc · « **Reply #4 on:** 12 Jul 2013, 08:56 pm »

Jarrett is a lucky man. In Italy they would do bodily harm to a football player for less, and they love their football players.

Doc

FullRangeMan · « **Reply #5 on:** 12 Jul 2013, 09:30 pm »

I also hate Keith Jarrett music, mainly when he is humming like a sheep

Snobbish guy.

FullRangeMan · « **Reply #6 on:** 12 Jul 2013, 09:31 pm »

double post

jimdgoulding · « **Reply #7 on:** 12 Jul 2013, 09:45 pm »

Quote from: FULLRANGEMAN on 12 Jul 2013, 09:30 pm

I also hate Keith Jarrett music, mainly when he is humming like a sheep
Snobbish guy.

FRM, you funny.

thunderbrick · « **Reply #8 on:** 12 Jul 2013, 09:55 pm »

I am so sick of seeing a sea of cell phones being held up at events I could puke. Are they going to blow up the photos for their walls? Sell them? Of course not! It's all drivel that will be posted on FB to say "oooh, look at me!"
Makes as much sense as taking a photo of your dinner and posting it. With the exception of BISL's fare

, WHO CARES??

I was on a photo shoot with a big lens and people were taking cell shots of the images of the back of my camera.

Problem was they were friends of my wife so I couldn't kill them!

And yes, if you have to ask, I HAVE had a bad day!

rbbert · « **Reply #9 on:** 12 Jul 2013, 10:45 pm »

Quote from: jsaliga on 12 Jul 2013, 09:53 pm

...Don't even miss him a little...
--Jerome

Unfortunately (because I agree with your basic sentiment) I would miss his music

rbbert · « **Reply #10 on:** 12 Jul 2013, 10:52 pm »

Jarrett may well be the worst, but he's not the only musician, and especially not the only "artist", who disrespects his fans.

barrows · « **Reply #11 on:** 13 Jul 2013, 01:53 am »

I think it might be instructive to find out why KJ has such an dislike of photography during a performance. As a fan of KJ, and of the rock band King Crimson (whose leader Robert Fripp has been known to halt performances when photos are taken), I might offer some ideas. King Crimson is a rock band who do a lot of improvising in live performance. Robert Fripp has retired from live performance, a big contributing reason for his retirement has been that he has found it difficult, to impossible, to achieve the proper environment (in terms of venue, audience, musicians, technical matters) which is necessary for musical magic to be supported. He strongly believes that the audience is part of the process of a creative musical experience, and that audience members who are distracted from the power of the moment, by expectations, or by the intention of trying to capture a moment through recording or photography are destructive to the creative process.
Robert Fripp appears to believe that the intent held by the audience members as a whole, has a huge impact on the chance of the music becoming sublime. Considering how much the power of the moment, and group improvisation, matters to the KJ Trio, I suspect that KJ may hold similar views to Robert Fripp, and that it is not hatred of his audience which he is expressing, but rather an intense frustration in the difficulties of trying to reach musical nirvana.
Certainly we have all attended concerts of many types, where the distractions from the musical moment were too many to ignore. Certainly I cannot stand people chatting away incessently, holding up their phones with lit screens for pictures or video capture, etc.

sts9fan · « **Reply #12 on:** 13 Jul 2013, 03:02 am »

Quiting live performance because of cameras is a cop out. KJ has no respect for his fans that pay money to see him. They pay to see him play live. They do not pay to be told what to do.

jarcher · « **Reply #13 on:** 13 Jul 2013, 03:15 am »

I certainly can appreciate barrows point - and especially thunderbricks about the annoyance brought about by bright digital device screens (at concerts / theaters / etc). Don't understand why if photo / video is prohibited, why are these camera phones / pocket digital cameras considered ok? Seems these days we give a pass to the cell / "smart" phone for all kinds of obnoxious behavior.

On the other hand, if KJ feels that the audience behavior is so critical to his / his group's performance, he either needs to choose venues that are more conducive to that (such as smaller clubs), or perhaps retire from doing live concerts if it's that disruptive to him. It's not right to throw temper tantrums or not perform to potential in front of paying customers because of less than ideal environment. Don't think anyone tolerates or want to promote that kind of prima-donna behavior.

P.s. I also find KJ's excessive hmming / grunting / bleating accompany to his playing annoying & distracting. Too bad because otherwise I like how he plays.....

Tyson · « **Reply #14 on:** 13 Jul 2013, 03:31 am »

Interesting how many parallels there are between KJ and Glenn Gould.

jhm731 · « **Reply #15 on:** 13 Jul 2013, 03:41 am »

KJ's behavior doesn't bother me.

I don't understand why it's so hard for people to turn off their cell phones
when they go to a concert.

Anyone that's a jazz fan and doesn't own any KJ recordings is missing
some great music.

His latest ECM release, Somewhere, is one of the best I've purchased
this year.

barrows · « **Reply #16 on:** 13 Jul 2013, 06:15 am »

I would suggest there is a problem at concerts these days, and perhaps, musicians like Keith Jarrett and Robert Fripp are doing what they can to work, and play, in an untenable environment for making music. I have seen lots of concerts in my lifetime, rock, jazz, and classical; and there is a fundamental difference between concert experiences in the last 15 years or so, and before that time. 15, 20, 30 years ago concert goers were music lovers, for the most part they were at a concert in hope that a transcendental musical experience might develop. Now, I have a really hard time at concerts, as the audiences are terrible. Everyone is so self involved, i often wonder why they even bother to be there. It is frustrating for me as music lover, I cannot imagine the level of frustration which must be experienced by musicians who are trying to get the music to take off and fly.
This is not just a problem at large venues. A few years back I went to see Shelby Lynne during the Just A Little Lovin, album tour. The show was at a small club in Denver, a very intimate space, for very intimate music. A pair of women standing a couple of rows behind my friend and I (center, about 15 feet from the stage) chatted away incessently during some of the most quiet moments of the performance. I imagine that Ms. Lynne would have had to been able to hear them.
I do not think that think that purchasing a ticket gives one carte blanche to act disrespectfully, and in a way which has the potential to ruin the chance for musical magic to occur. Sure, if you are going to see Beyonce lip sync a choreographed dance show that is another thing. But when musicians are attempting to bring audience and music together in the creation of magical, transformational experience, acting in a way which does not respect that possibility is incredibly insensitive, rude, and unacceptable. I would suggest that we are lucky we may get the chance to be present when someone of the capability of Keith Jarrett transcends ordinary human capabilities and gives us the opportunity to take that trip, and it is respect for the experience which I feel is often lacking in the audience.

North Star · « **Reply #17 on:** 13 Jul 2013, 06:27 am »

Quote from: Tyson on 12 Jul 2013, 08:04 pm

What a jerk.

Who?

sts9fan · « **Reply #18 on:** 13 Jul 2013, 12:48 pm »

I find it very hard to believe that people did not chat and annoy people with flash photography in the 60s and 70s. I tend to get annoyed with chatters. When your at a concert you don't have to look at other people.
Also, maybe KJ should where opaque goggles.

dB Cooper · « **Reply #19 on:** 13 Jul 2013, 02:28 pm »

I applaud barrows and others here for a valuable discussion of what I consider an important issue... civility.

I am a fan of the now defunct Toshiko Akiyoshi-Lew Tabackin Big Band. Years ago I saw them live on several occasions, one time in Fort Dupont Park in DC. Toshiko was introducing and explaining tunes and some idiots (more than you might think actually) in the audience started making fun of her accent. They didn't play a very long set compared to the other times I saw them and I am convinced they cut the concert short due to the assholery. Worst part was, it was a free concert. They hadn't paid a dime to hear this great music.

We've all seen the bar band phenomenon where there is always some drunken buffoon up front who just has to get the attention of the entire band. Now bad behavior is becoming commonplace. I go to performances to hear the performer, not the ego problems of some idiot(s) in the audience.

While Jarrett is somewhat over the top, I can understand his frustration.