Köln Conversations
Free Variations on Keith Jarrett’s Köln Concert
Celebrating the upcoming 50th anniversary, Dorian reaches back through time to have an intimate conversation with Keith Jarrett’s iconic improvised 1975 Köln Concert.
Blending his passion for Jarrett’s brilliant original with his own improvisations, Dorian’s riffs and grooves re-ignite the spark of genius of the young Jarrett.
For lovers of jazz and classical music this captivating concert is a celebration not to be missed.
Next Events
Thursday 15th May
Köln Concert 50 Leicester Jazzhouse
at Attenborough Arts Centre, Leicester
Latest News
Japan Tour 2024
29 February 2024
Looking forward to playing this 10 date tour with my UK/Japan trio. The trio features the versatile and sympathetic bass playing of Mao Yamada, and the one of a kind powerhouse that is Yasuhiro Yoshigaki on drums. We’ll pick up where we left off in Tokyo, and visit trusted friends and venues across the two main islands. I’ll also be playing Köln Conversations, my solo tribute to Keith Jarrett, in Tokyo at the start of the tour. For additional support, Kawaii vibes, and distraction, I will be joined by three members of my immediate family, or the girls, as they’re known.
New project, Köln Conversations
21 May 2023
I’ve been looking for a way to acknowledge the tectonic shift in solo piano improvising that the Koln concert represents.
On the anniversary of Keith Jarrett’s Koln concert (24th January 1975), I like to remind myself of this awesome event, its impact on me, and countless others. Since 2015, I’ve been doing this, by performing this work in intimate and not so intimate spaces, starting with front rooms, and going through to churches and concert halls.
In 2019, I took the project to the Edinburgh Festival, and performed to an enthusiastic audience at Stockbridge Church, at the invitation of Graham and Townley productions, who have been supporting the project ever since.
New album, keeping it manual
18 October 2021
Really pleased to have produced this limited edition beautiful vinyl LP of solo piano recorded on the Stuart mega grand (102 notes and 4 pedals) at the Newcastle Art Gallery in NSW, Australia. The cover illustration is a painting by Tim Maguire.
I tried to make it a very local effort, with the mastering and the design layout all done by local heroes Chuck Norman and Eva Farrington. Limited and Lo Fi as I am, I’m basically selling them out of my house (manual distribution), but equally very happy to come to you within a zero carbon footprint (I like walking in London).
Interpretations, Renditions and Improvisations
15 November 2016
“Mr Gershwin, music is music” – Alban Berg to George Gershwin
But when is music “Music”? Perhaps it would be best not to aim so high and be content with just making music (so to speak). Nevertheless I am keen to find the right balance between the formal/informal (or art/popular) when performing or indeed practicing piano. So in this somewhat formal situation of a recital I would like to actually play (or maybe perform) what I practice. What do I practice? It’s a combination of notated, semi-notated (chord structures and melodies) and freely improvised (metric and non-metric, tonal and atonal) music: Interpretations, renditions and improvisations.
Video
Dorian Ford solo piano, excerpt from “To the Surface”
performed at Bluebird Theatre, Beppu, Japan, Nov 2017