Koln 75, the Movie, Premieres in Berlin
Keith Jarrett's Signature Evening and Engaging Film
By: Susan Hall - Mar 05, 2025
Keith Jarrett’s performance in Cologne, Germany, in 1975 is widely regarded as one of the great solo concerts of all time.
The new film Koln '75 about this iconic moment asks, “How did the concert come to be?” Ido Fluk directs.
Keith Jarrett himself didn’t want to relive the experience. His financial difficulties, his struggle to find an audience, and his retreat to Europe were periods he perhaps wished to forget.
However, he agreed that the concert was made possible by an 18-year-old entrepreneur who had no interest in becoming a dentist. Vera Brandes, the entrepreneur in question, didn’t want to follow in the footsteps of her tyrannical father and practice dentistry.
To bring Jarrett to Cologne, she borrowed $10,000 from her mother to pay the manager of the Cologne Opera House to book Jarrett's performance at 11 p.m., following an evening performance of Alban Berg’s Lulu. Vera even promised to become a dentist if the concert failed.
There was a lot at stake.
How did Vera Brandes get into artist management?
Jazz legend Ronnie Scott met her at a London club and hired her at age 16, believing no one could resist an ask from Vera. He was right.
Warren Buffett and other billionaires often say that the ingredients of success are twofold: grit and determination, hard work, and luck. Vera Brandes had it all before she was 18. Producer Sol Bondy discovered her again on a beach in Greece and she cooperated on Koln 75.
Watching Maia Ende, who plays Vera in the film, is a delight. She brings an infectious energy and focus to the role, inspiring young women to take bold risks that could lead to wild success. Vera’s charm and relentless persistence will make audiences laugh and cry. Even when she faces rejection—such as when the promised Bosendorfer piano with extra keys doesn’t materialize—Vera convinces Jarrett to perform on an old, malfunctioning Bosendorfer. This piano’s limitations might have helped produce the extraordinary music that followed.
John Magaro portrays Jarrett, capturing the essence of the musician’s depression and commitment. Magaro’s career began as an extra in the 2005 film Munich, when director Steven Spielberg noticed him. He cast Magaro in September 5, a film about the 1972 Summer Olympics terrorist attack in Munich. In Kelly Reichardt’s First Cow, he offers a touching portrait of male friendship.
Koln '75 was shown at the Berlin Film Festival and will soon be released in Germany. The U.S. deserves to see it too. Even though we know the concert was performed, the film builds tension around whether or not it will happen. It offers tantalizing, yet agonizing, suspense.