Sun Bear Concerts

Sun Bear Concerts is a multi-concert album compilation of solo piano performances by Keith Jarrett that took place during his November 1976 tour in Japan. It was originally released as a ten-LP set and then as a six-CD box set [1] containing 5 concerts plus encores, totalling 6:37:46 of music (applause included).

Sun Bear Concerts
Live album by
Keith Jarrett
Released1978, January [1]
Recorded1976, November 5–18
VenueKyoto, Nagoya, Tokyo, Sapporo, Osaka (Japan)
Length6:37:46
LabelECM Records
[ECM 1100]
ProducerManfred Eicher
Keith Jarrett chronology
Hymns/Spheres
(1976)		 Sun Bear Concerts
(1978)		 Byablue
(1977)
Keith Jarrett solo piano chronology
Staircase
(1976)		 Sun Bear Concerts
(1976)		 The Moth and the Flame
(1979)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[2]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[3]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide[4]

The structures of the documented concerts follow a similar pattern: two very long non-stop improvisations (from 31 to 43 minutes approx) plus a possible encore. Accordingly, it was not until the 1989 CD release (ECM 1100, 843 028-2) that the full performances could be heard as a whole.[5]

November 1976 solo tour in Japan

All the music included in Sun Bear Concerts was recorded during Jarrett's solo tour in Japan which, according to www.keithjarrett.org, consisted of 8 concerts in 14 days:[6]

  • 5 - Kaikan Hall, Kyoto
  • 6 - Denki Hall, Fukuoka
  • 8 - Sankei Hall, Osaka
  • 10 - NHK Hall, Tokyo
  • 12 - Aichi Auditorium, Nagoya
  • 14 - Nakano Sun Plaza, Tokyo
  • 16 - Kanagawa Kenmin Hall, Yokohama
  • 18 - Hokkaido Kosei Nenkin Hall, Sapporo

Reception

The Allmusic review by Richard S. Ginell awarded the album 4 stars, stating, "While Sun Bear breaks little ground that his earlier solo piano albums had not already covered, it is nevertheless richly inventive within Jarrett's personal parameter of idioms. If price is not a barrier, the Jarrett devotee need not hesitate".[2]

Track listing

All music by Keith Jarrett

  • CD box-set
Kyoto
November 5, 1976		 Osaka
November 8, 1976		 Nagoya
November 12, 1976		 Tokyo
November 14, 1976		 Sapporo
November 18, 1976		 Encores
Part 1 - 43:55Part 1 - 38:58Part 1 - 35:36Part 1 - 40:22Part 1 - 41:05Sapporo - 10:56
Part 2 - 34:05Part 2 - 31:09Part 2 - 39:56Part 2 - 35:22Part 2 - 33:56Tokyo - 8:23
Nagoya - 4:03
  • LP-set
Kyoto Osaka Nagoya Tokyo Sapporo
Side 1, Part Ia - 25:13Side 1, Part Ia - 19:58Side 1, Part Ia - 17:30Side 1, Part Ia - 24:34Side 1, Part Ia - 22:07
Side 2, Part Ib - 19:44Side 2, Part Ib - 19:27Side 2, Part Ib - 18:50Side 2, Part Ib - 16:07Side 2, Part Ib - 19:16
Side 3, Part IIa - 17:03Side 3, Part IIa - 21:29Side 3, Part IIa - 20:02Side 3, Part IIa - 22:08Side 3, Part IIa - 26:24
Side 4, Part IIb - 18:31Side 4, Part IIb - 9:40Side 4, Part IIb - 24:19Side 4, Part IIb - 21:58Side 4, Part IIb - 19:16

Total effective playing time: 6:34:00 (the album contains 3:46 applause approximately)

Personnel
  • Keith Jarrett – piano

Technical Personnel
  • Okihino Sugano, Shinji Ohtsuka - Recording Engineers
  • Klaus Knaup, Tadayuki Naitoh, Akira Aimi - Photography
  • Barbara Wojirsch - Cover Design and Layout
  • Manfred Eicher - Production

References
  1. ECM Records Sun Bear Concerts accessed May 2020
  2. Ginell, R. S. Allmusic Review accessed August 18, 2011
  3. Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Omnibus Press. ISBN 9780857125958. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
  4. Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 112. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
  5. Discogs Sun Bear Concerts accessed May 2020.
  6. Keith Jarrett 1976 live concerts accessed May 16, 2020
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