‘Köln Tracks’ – London Screening and Q+A

A fresh documentary titled “Köln Tracks” delves into the lasting significance of Keith Jarrett’s 1975 Köln Concert, a performance that has become a defining moment in solo jazz piano. Marking the dual milestones of Jarrett’s 80th birthday and the concert’s 50th anniversary, the film will be showcased in London on 1 November, featuring a post-screening discussion with its director, Vincent Duceau.

The screening is part of the Doc’n’Roll Festival and will take place at The Garden Cinema in central London. This event provides a rare opportunity to engage with a film that reconstructs a singular night that transcended its initial reception to become a cultural and musical landmark.

“Köln Tracks” embarks on a layered narrative that challenges widely held assumptions about the concert’s origins and impact. Despite the scarcity of archival footage, Duceau employs a blend of investigative storytelling and personal inquiry to piece together the evening’s unfolded drama. The director’s pursuit is driven by an intriguing quest to locate the exact piano Jarrett played during the concert, a journey spanning several years that reveals both factual insights and dismantles myths surrounding the event.

The documentary stands apart from other cinematic interpretations of the Köln Concert story, such as Ido Fluk’s “Köln 75,” by focusing on a factual and investigative lens rather than a fictionalized portrayal. Duceau’s approach introduces audiences to a diverse range of voices, including French jazz critics, contemporary musicians such as pianist Yaron Herman and saxophonist Raphael Imbert, who offer varied reflections on improvisation and musical philosophy.

Notably, the film highlights the challenges faced during production, with ECM Records and its founder, Manfred Eicher, opting not to participate, and Martin Wieland, the original concert engineer, maintaining distance from the project. Nonetheless, key figures like Vera Brandes, the concert’s teenage promoter, lend invaluable firsthand perspectives. A particularly evocative moment features Brandes conversing with Duceau on the very stage where the historic performance took place.

Archival institutions play a significant role in the film’s narrative fabric. The Cologne City Archives and the Bösendorfer piano company provide crucial support and leads, underpinning the documentary’s depth of research. Contributions from respected French jazz broadcaster Alex Dutilh and Swiss archivists with unique recordings enhance the contextual scope, enriching the exploration of this pivotal jazz event.

In an innovative storytelling choice, “Köln Tracks” incorporates black-and-white animated sequences to visualize hypothesized scenarios, a technique that reflects on the tension between myth and documented history. This artistic device invites viewers to contemplate what might be lost or gained through efforts to demystify a cultural icon.

Ultimately, the documentary interrogates how a single performance can come to overshadow an artist’s broader oeuvre and probes the nature of artistic legacy itself. Jarrett’s absence from the film paradoxically amplifies his presence, underscoring the enduring mystery and fascination surrounding the Köln Concert.

The London screening promises a thoughtful engagement with this landmark moment in jazz history, offering audiences a chance to reconsider the concert’s significance through a critically informed, multi-faceted lens. While some aspects of the story remain elusive, “Köln Tracks” stands as a compelling testament to the power of music to inspire inquiry and reflection across decades.