The concert that Keith Jarrett gave in Cologne in 1975 is source to one of the most famous recordings in the history of music. I deliberately avoided using the term jazz because Jarrett defined his music at that time as transcending the boundaries of the genre. The American pianist had already played in Miles Davis’s band, which was considered a peak in jazz, but he had left that group and launched a solo career precisely to demonstrate his creative power as an independent musician and to surpass himself in concerts based on pure improvisation. Every night was different. The story of that legendary concert and the history of the individual that made it possible are the subject of the film ‘Köln 75‘ written and directed by Ido Fluk. A film that fascinated me and not only because I am a fan of this musical genre and of Keith Jarrett, but also or especially because it manages to reconstruct in detail and with passion the jazz scene of the ’70s and the world around it.
The other heroine of the film, Vera Brandes, belongs to a generation of Germans born after the Second World War, who in various ways expressed their desire to separate themselves (historically and culturally) from their parents’ generation in the 1960s and 1970s. This desire took various forms, from social and political activism to violent rebellion, from choosing alternative ways of life to rebellious creativity in various fields of art. For Vera, the daughter of a wealthy dentist and a tyrannical father, rebellion meant a passion for jazz music. Since adolescence, she had been frequenting jazz clubs, and her enterprising nature combined with an extraordinary audacity led her to launch a career as an impresario before she reached the age of majority. She brought to her hometown of Cologne many of the musicians associated with Ronnie Scott’s legendary London club. But the revelation for her was hearing Keith Jarrett sing at a jazz festival in Berlin. The American pianist was experiencing his own rebellion, trying to create a new artistic image for himself, exploring artistic paths that no one had traveled before. His music was pure improvisation, eliminating the ballast and themes of the standards of the genre. Each concert was a unique event, with Jarrett playing music that had never been played before and would never be played again in the future. Without hesitation, Vera decided to organize a concert for Keith Jarrett in Cologne, nowhere else than on the stage of the Opera House. Even for the daring 18-year-old, it was not easy to put these plans into practice.
I really liked the film, and not just because it combines two of my great passions: cinema and jazz. In fact, the soundtrack makes little use of original music, and not the one from the concert that would generate the best-selling live jazz concert album in history. At times, it seems to use precisely the improvisation technique that Miles Davis and Keith Jarrett elevated to the rank of art. Ido Fluk wrote an intelligent and moving script that combines love for music, empathy for his heroes, and the delicacy of psychological analysis. He skillfully wields the tools of docu-drama and creates characters that introduce viewers behind the scenes of music, but also the lives of those who make it possible. Mala Emde is formidable in the role of the young jazz enthusiast, and this only highlights even better John Magaro‘s creation, which brings to the screen the portrait of a pianist who is confronted with his own ambitions but also with personal problems (physical and psychological), an artist in constant search for perfection and in constant doubt about his own ability to surpass himself. Even though both actors are (and look) a little older than the roles of the characters they play, the quality of their interpretation makes us quickly forget this disadvantage. ‘Köln 75‘ is a cinematic homage to a unique moment in music history, a reverence for the generation of rebellions from half a century ago, and a film that lovers of good cinema should not miss.