See Hear Episode 130 - Interview with Ido Fluk, director of Koln 75

History is full of famous tales that are told from one perspective. As we all know, everyone has their own version of how something went down....even if it doesn't contradict the popular narrative, there's always something that happened in the background whose importance is diluted or not told at all.

Welcome to episode 130 of See Hear Podcast.

In 1974, a German teenage jazz fan named Vera Brandes was inspired to book jazz pianist Keith Jarrett to perform at the Koln Opera House. This seemed like a gigantic task however you look at it. Vera had gained a little experience in helping touring musicians perform around Germany

(already a big task) but getting one of the then new leading lights

in jazz to perform a large venue like the Koln Opera House at the age

of 18???? Adding to the degree of difficulty, Jarrett arrived in Koln

to discover that there was only an out of tune, broken pedal baby

grand with stuck keys. Things happened, the concert was recorded, and

the resulting album sold more than any other solo piano jazz album in

history.

The thing is....everyone talks about Jarrett's ability to improvise on a

(partly repaired) piano for an hour and create wonderful art. The