The ongoing celebrations that surround ECM Records’ 50th birthday,
will, we are reliably informed, continue well into 2020, but are
represented In London this month with concerts by ECM artists gathered
together on two days of the EFG London Jazz Festival. Sunday 17 November
is the big day with four events, while Friday 15 November has two more
(though you will have to make that difficult choice because they run
simultaneously).
Here is the festival’s press release drawing attention to them:
Nik Bärtsch & Sophie Clements
Barbican, Friday 15 November (7.30pm)
ECM artist Nik Bärtsch joins forces with visual artist Sophie
Clements in an evening fusing piano with sculpture, film and
installation design. The two began collaborating in 2015 and have since
drawn on a variety of influences for their performances including Asian
philosophy, minimalism and fine art.
Marcin Wasilewski Trio
Cadogan Hall, Friday 15 November (7.30pm)
Celebrating more than one anniversary, including their own
25th anniversary, the Marcin Wasilewski Trio offer a journey reflecting
emotions and experiences with their distinctive sound which merges
several cultural landscapes. New ECM artist Fred Thomas will open the
gig – a member of the FIRE collective, known for his breadth of musical
styles and re-interpretations of J.S.Bach.
‘Recording for ECM’ – talk with Jane Cornwell
Purcell Room, Sunday 17 November (12.30pm)
To kick start the day of celebrations, join Julia Hülsmann and Joe
Lovano for a conversation, moderated by Jane Cornwell, focusing on their
experiences recording for ECM and how the label has been home to their
music with its values, culture and aesthetics.
Julia Hülsmann Quartet
Purcell Room Sunday 17 November (2.30pm)
Often nicknamed ‘the poet of German Jazz’, Julia Hülsmann has been
affiliated with ECM Records for over a decade and will be joining the
anniversary celebrations with her
long-time collaborators Marc Muellbauer (bass)
and Hendrich Köbberling (drums). For her seventh album Not Far From Here –
released this month – Hülsmann expanded her trio into a quartet,
welcoming the addition of tenor saxophonist Uli Kempendorff and with
him, a brand-new timbre to the group.
Joe Lovano’s Trio Tapestry + Elina Duni & Rob Luft
Queen Elizabeth Hall, Sunday 17 November (5pm)
Jazz saxophonist legend, Joe Lovano, has appeared on numerous ECM
records over the past 40 years including albums by Paul Motian and John
Abercrombie. Earlier this year Lovano released his first recording as a
leader with the label – Trio Tapestry –
which features Marilyn Crispell (piano) and Carmen Castaldi (drums). Swiss-Albanian
singer Elina Duni will open the evening with guitarist and BBC New
Generation Artist Rob Luft, who will take us on a journey from timeless
folk songs to original material about contemporary issues facing us all.
Jan Garbarek Group
Royal Festival Hall, Sunday 17 November (8pm)
As one of the most influential musicians on the European jazz
scene, Jan Garbarek has been one of the key musicians defining ECM’s
sound with his ethereal, meditative and undeniably Scandinavian tone. At
the age of 72 he is on tour again with pianist and
keyboarder Rainer Brüninghaus, bassist Yuri Daniel and the Indian
percussionist Trilok Gurtu. Immerse yourself in Garbarek’s musical
imagination, his self-described ‘rolling thing’ of
creativity, which ranges from Norwegian songs to African sounds.
Other artists who have recorded with ECM will feature
across the festival including Martin Speake, Steve Swallow, Nils Okland,
Dave Holland, Art Ensemble of Chicago, Barry Guy, Zakir Hussain, Kit
Downes, Chris Potter, Savina Yannatou and John Scofield.
from https://londonjazznews.com
Edited by snobb - 07 Nov 2019 at 7:29am