Keith Jarrett's moaning is annoying. (IMHO)

Koln Concert is one of my favorites but the moaning bugs me.

 

I have a solution! Can he play with one of these on his head? Worked for these guys.

 

It's completely annoying. It makes his music a joke, IMO. It's unfortunate. He should have strapped a trumpet mute over his face or something.

 

Anybody have a list of the moaning intensity on different Keith Jarrett albums? I'm another one who can't stand it when it gets so loud and so constant. If you're going to vocalize that loudly, why don't you learn to sing? It would not be that hard for such a brilliant musician. Jarrett is way, way louder on the moaning than Bud Powell and others.

The reason it is so irritating is tied up with his musical brilliance. Ugly sounds distract from the music and from the art, and disrespects those who have learned the vocal instrument that Jarrett mangles so badly.

Most of the selections on the fabulous :rarum collection are blessedly on the low moan side. So are Belonging, Spirits, and The Melody at Night, With You. The Cure is high-moan and I can usually only listen to it from another room. It would be great to have a list of albums rated 1 to 5 moans (Belonging = 1, The Cure = 5). I would probably buy quite a few more of his albums if I had that information!

Once upon a time someone sent me a hilarious spoof radio ad advertising a special recording of "Keith Jarrett's Music Without the Music". Probably long gone from the net but if I can track down a link I'll send it on.

- Joe