Imagine walking onto a stage with no plan for what you will play. That is what Keith Jarrett did on January 24, 1975, in Cologne, Germany. Born on May 8, 1945, Jarrett was a prodigy who started playing piano at age three. The Cologne concert almost did not happen. The instrument provided was in terrible condition. Several keys stuck. The pedals did not work. Jarrett nearly refused to play. But the young concert organizer convinced him to try. Jarrett sat down and began to improvise. improvisation means creating music in the moment, without a written score. For over an hour, Jarrett played music that no one had ever heard before. The recording of that night became the bestselling solo jazz album in history. It has sold over four million copies. The broken piano actually helped create the album's unique sound. Because the high notes were unreliable, Jarrett played more in the middle and low ranges, giving the music a warm, rich quality.