Metaphysical Pro Piano With Keith Jarrett – True Dat!
Well, this one is really on another metaphysical plain. The amazing pianist Keith Jarrett had visited Pro Piano San Francisco at its 2nd Headquarters. The 1st, was 2685 Diamond Street, the 2nd, 3916 18th Street, the 3rd and current, still in San Francisco is at 760 Tennessee Street.
Regardless, he visited on a day in 1978, when previously departing visitors had included hugely important Keith Emerson of ELP, and the super talented legend, Barry Manilow …each was there to select a piano for their tours and performances.
However the 2-Keiths loved the same piano, a certain HSTD-274, that Pro Piano later sold to Herbie Hancock. It is now a resident of Min-On Music Museum, Kobe, after being removed from their more historic antique classic-piano collection in Tokyo, Japan.
Because of its brilliance and immediacy or attack, Mr. Manilow went for a nearly brand new High-Polish White Yamaha C7.
The story here mysteriously unfolds whilst Keith was practicing in the ground floor shop of Pro Piano San Francisco. Imagine a piano and a pianist seated 10’ feet from you, about 45 degrees behind your right shoulder. There he’d been practicing as I whiled away the time bench-regulating a grand piano action. Selection went on long enough that I was certain he loved that piano.
At some time during his selection process, I casually but quickly glanced-back and over to witness Keith astride his piano bench and the piano itself …all levitating slightly off the ground. I knew for years I’d seen it, but never thought too much more about it …no verifiable Hippie would have done so.
In 2016, about 40 years later, Steve Cloud, then still his North American agent, called and asked if I had a similarly enthralling instrument for Mr. Jarrett’s appearance in San Francisco.
Somewhat fearful, because one of the biggest death traps in the concert piano provision universe is to assume what you had 40 years earlier, will match-up in the rear-view-memory of an artist’s recollection. He was near the height of his creative and artistic reign all those 40 intervening years. Would the piano live up to his expectations?
I was full time at the helm of Pro Piano New York, so all this intrigue was handled strictly on the phone between Mr. Cloud and me. Never one to flinch, how could I flinch to be writing story after story like these, I confidently accepted the gig and offered to bring a few. Steve wisely left the judgement to me, so only one was dispatched.
Well, everything went amazingly smooth for the entire day, including when Keith had nearly finished rehearsal, I gradually and warmly moved into the arch of the piano, and leaned onto the rim with my elbows, listening politely and respectfully.
At one point he glanced welcomingly and we began to talk a little about this and that, and why he’d wanted my piano and me on the date …
I knew it was my time: “Keith, do you remember visiting that time on 18th Street when everybody had come to try the same piano, etc.? “Sure I do” he replied to which I continued, “Well I glanced around and swear you, the bench and the piano were all-3 levitating.” He paused just barely and looked me dead in the eye “You’re the first person who has ever confirmed it, but I’ve often thought I was levitating while at the piano?”
About that legendary piano, Keith soon thereafter wanted to purchase it, but was annoyed to learn that ELP had instead taken in on a world tour. Maestro Claudio Arrau also loved that piano so very much and told me “Ricard, please bring this instrument to New York” which prompted PPNY’s beginning there in 1979.
Herbie eventually bought it out of our Pro Piano New York Headquarters, used it in his own magical ways, then bequeathed it to the museum in Japan …they wanted to have his piano, as well as Beethoven’s.
So, Jump ahead 40 years or so, I was walking around Tokyo in a horrible typhoon-like wind and rain storm.
Way, way, way-off in the distance, I saw a big new modern office-looking building whose front doors appeared to have a sizable roofed overhang that could protect me from the storm. So I wandered over there, only to find the doors locked until opening time, let’s say 1:00pm. It was probably 12:15pm. Long distance vision distortion had tricked me; the awning was actually on an adjacent building. So, I was hunkered down under my umbrella, when a friendly staff member came out to position umbrella sheaths and containers for soon to arrive guests. Incorporating my best if primitive Japanese language ability, I offered my business card, and a conversation ensued. I was graciously invited in to freshen-up until opening time.
At the moment I didn’t realize why or what was about to unfold. I was startled but gradually realized I had serendipitously discovered a historic piano and keyboard instrument museum.
Climbing upstairs and glancing straight toward the back of 2nd floor, maybe a distance of 125 feet, precise observation led to such realization that my immediate thoughts were “I know that grand piano …way back there on that 12” riser. I recognize it because of its purfeld legs, lyre and rim …and its general chiseled-gothic look.
Those characteristics are extremely rare, and I’ve known that piano from the day we purchased it used, from Norm Rotenburg, Palo Alto, CA.”
Sure enough, the doorman-staff member, my new best friend, brought a museum brochure to me… BINGO!!! it was none other than the Hamburg Steinway Model D-274 that Herbie Hancock purchased from us after opening the Pro Piano NYC shop at 17 W. 60th Street, shipping it to his home in Los Angeles.
It was the same piano Keith J. wanted years before, but ELP took it on the road …and it finally went with an initial truckload of instruments bound from Pro Piano San Francisco with Brian Alexander at the helm, to their new home at the immediately opened Pro Piano New York, 17 W 60th Street NYC 10023, ½ block from Columbus Circle, directly across the street from the old New York Coliseum, where the initial lease was to be $400 per month but it was independently raised to $800 per month when we actually signed, early 1979. F.M. Ring was always a fair and cooperative if stern landlord who taught me all you need to know about Manhattan Real Estate: Don’t be late or casual about rent payments!!! RIP Frank!
Herbie had bequeathed that piano to the Keyboard Instrument Museum in Tokyo, and had actually called me to ask about its provenance …a fact of which only much later did he remind me.