Solo - Concerts Bremen/Lausanne

Bremen/Lausanne has become my little obsession very early on, I think when I was about 10.

I didn't hear the album then, or for many more years, actually, but parents of my mate at school (all family were pianists, by the way) owned the LP boxset.

I noticed it lying on the floor beside their grand piano once, and my mate, Frank, excitedly informed me that it's a super cool release because Jarrett does not prepare for these concerts, he just goes out and plays.

That blew my mind and his words, as well as that particular album stuck with me ever since.

I eventually get to hear it. (Interesting fact, Bremen/Lausanne was the very first digital album I bought. I probably still have that iTunes edition somewhere on a backup disc.)

What really struck me, apart from it containing amazing music, of course, was how bright the tone was. Every edition I tried usually caused me some level of listening fatigue, up to small headaches with the iTunes edition, because of the highs pushed so forward.

I'm happy to report that this current reissue, the first ever hi-res edition of this album, fixes that problem. The tone is finally closer to neutral, even with a touch of warmth, and you can listen to the whole album without fatigue.

Before I talk more about the sound, the only real change between all of this album's editions, after all, let's do some due diligence on Solo Concerts...

Some facts about this album

• This is the first hi-res mastering of Solo, Concerts Bremen/Lausanne, released by ECM via Qobuz’s Advent calendar in December 2025, sourced from a 24/96 FLAC edition.

So, what about the new sound

Well, the best way to describe it is as warm and real.

Those piercing high tones I remember from earlier editions I owned seem reduced, and I no longer get the headaches I used to when listening to this album. And just that small change makes this album feel more real. Because, somehow, I can't imagine the piano in Bremen or Lausanne having the highs pushed so much...

The rest is pretty much as I remember it. Transients are clearly audible, but there is still a slight softness at the very front of attacks. It is reduced compared to the previous versions I owned, too, but still there.

You do hear the hall, too. Another thing I am happy to report - the recent mastering didn't turn this sound sterile. In Bremen 2, you still hear the room reverb, even to the point where, in busier passages, it blurs the notes slightly. I am not considering this as a negative, though. Small imperfections like this give this, and many other Jarrett's solo albums that authentic feel, after all, right?

There is a nice sense of dynamics, too. Perhaps not as much as on Jarrett's next ECM solo album - Koln Concert - but it is there.

Sounstage is moderately wide, with the piano centered and placed more in depth than spread. Because of that, I get a lovely feeling of sitting a few rows back in the room, and the room reverb means that listening to Solo Concerts truly feels like being in the room there.

Final note

I am very happy with this reissue. For the first time, I get to enjoy the record I've been obsessed with from my pup years, and listen to it without fatigue.

If you haven't heard Solo Concerts before, this reissue is definitely the best way to explore it.

If you have, then I recommend you try it out, too. The slightly warmer tone does make a difference to how you enjoy this album.