So this Sunday I was in Montreux to see the 44th Montreux Jazz Festival. Being one of the most prominent music events in Europe, this was nothing I could pass up on.
The weather was superb. 30 degrees Celsius and sunshine, and a light breeze over Lac Léman. Perfect. Music was played in almost every corner, from a bluesy trio playing tunes by Ray Charles (plus a classic Montreux song)…
…to a funky German jazz band, here performing Herbie Hancock’s funk tune “Butterfly”.
But the real reason for coming to the festival was to see Keith Jarrett.
(Photography was not allowed, so I had to borrow a stock photo)
One of the greatest pianists this world has ever seen, Jarrett, together with bassist Gary Peacock and drummer Jack deJohnette played at 19:00 in the Stravinsky Auditorium. I won’t even try to describe the awesomeness of these musicians, my English just isn’t up to the task. A picture is a thousand words, so I believe a video clip is a few million words. Check out this (same trio as above, crazy soloing), this (solo, completely improvised) or this (solo) recording. Note that those clips are from other performances.
I was sitting in the second row, and had an unobstructed view of the whole stage and musicians. The mixing was superb, with the majority of the sound coming directly from the instruments. The second half of the performance was definitely the best, as Jarrett asked the audience to become more alive and not be afraid of interacting with the music. The two last encores were my favorites, I will carry the melodies with me for as long as I live. Expensive concert? Yes!! Worth it? You bet. (It was a birthday present for myself)
Oh, and now I have serious bragging rights, having seen KJ live. At the Montreux Jazz Festival 2010 
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