Care to recommend some ECM albums?

(I also have John Abercrombie's Timeless, and maybe some other)

True. I guess I like a lot of that straight jazz 

ECM at early 70s gave us all the line of excellent avant-garde jazz albums, recorded with their precise and crystal clear sound mix. Unfortunately very soon (mid-late 70s) they switched to less experimental more simplified music, mixing soft fusion with lot of folklore,what very soon became their "classic 80s" sound - safe well polished chamber world fusion very often on the border with terrible new age sound. 

To be honest, they tried to return back to a bit more experimental (for its time) music, Molvaers some early albums were released on ECM, and some nowadays their releases are a bit more adventurous than all others, but historically looking they made the way (during few decades) from indie experimental label with very own face and sound to commercially successful conformist European chamber contemporary jazz /world fusion/new age label (still having their face and sound - and you don't expect no surprises from their well-crafted and super safe saloon music, still of highest standard though).

ECM by no way is the label associated with progressive (or just innovative) nu jazz nowadays as well. Their few nu jazz releases usually present mix of contemporary jazz (or new age) with some nu jazz elements - saloon conformist music for younger consumers. But - of high quality as well.

While there were lot of Garbarek's music  mentioning above, for me excellent examples of early ECM releases are three first Garbarek's album on label (his debut was released not on ECM).Starting from Witchi Tai-To he turned to more folklore influenced and much easier accessible music and very soon became one of jazzy folklore/ jazzy new age  standard ECM sound icon. Similar with Jarrett ( ok, his best albums are not on ECM but on US labels), but starting from one of the most successful commercially ECM release Koln Concert he showed the way how to mix jazz and classic in one attractive accessible and commercially successful product. I believe this his album is one which seriously influenced later Contemporary jazz ( post-bop mix with smooth jazz, with only small amount of classical elements - to make music even more accessible).

I believe the point of view on such music depends more on personal taste .

My very personal opinion is melting jazz and (authentic) folklore was great concept, but there are not many really successful examples of it. I could mention McLaughlin and Shakti's first release as good example, but can hardly remember really interesting ECM world fusion release. Almost all Garbarek's albums I heard (I didn't listen all - can't stand all the line of his releases from late 70s,80,90s at all) are good example of successful (or not very successful) world fusion idea's commercialization. Not much "folk" elements in his music are authentic ("raw") folklore, and his jazz element is soaped and polished to make the final product toothless, comfortable and very conformist listening to European middle class (and I'm far not a leftist rebel, my political platform is seriously right from center  ). I like mix of that rare cases of jazz and folklore synthesis which are alive but not smells like CDs with adapted folklore for rich tourists in popular tourist destinations.

Speaking about Garbarek's Novus releases, I think first of all they have nothing too much to do with jazz at all. There were two Garbarek & Hillard Ensemble's concerts in Vilnius few weeks ago (fist was sold in three days and then the second,additional one was announced), I perfectly know my hometown jazz funs for years,no one of them was interested in these concerts at all. I saw the public leaving the St.Katrine church (where the concerts happened), there were great middle class families with grandmothers and grandfathers,children - wearing nice clothes (as they were in opera or in church during Easter). It's great such music exists and such concerts are excellent event for community, but they have nothing to do with jazz at all. We all know there a lot of great music exists, not all is jazz though. Speaking about jazz (look at this genre's roots) one of cornerstone idea is free spirit, spontaneity, improvisation. How much of these elements you can find in Garbarek's world fusion or ECM chamber jazz releases? It's more pleasant listening for adults when children are gone to sleep .

O,Athos - I know this place . Two summers ago we spent two weeks in Ouranopolis - the last small town stell on Greek land, not "holy land" ,near Athos. I didn't visit Athos mountain though - as you know only men can visit this place, no women allowed cross "holy land" border (yes, we are speaking not about Iraq, but about nowadays Greece,which are one of European country). I've been on summer holidays with my wive, and had no intention to go there just alone (wasn't so much interested as well). I've seen some similar "holy" places before (catholic,orthodox and Muslim) ,all they have special aura for believers I think.

And I really like the the clip with paintings - looks peaceful and Greece-influenced.

I believe the main reason is ECM for years is successful commercial enterprise and they support every experimentation only till next successful formula (in their case - sound which could be sold in big quantities) is found. Than they are trying to produce as much variations of the formula found as possible (because of pure commercial reasons). When the formula doesn't work anymore, they try to find another profitable one. 

Very often it's not an artist's fault - label isn't interested in any experiments till artist's album sells well. Every change in sound could disappoint album's byers (listeners), label can't afford such risk. Small indie and non-commercial labels often release a lot of experimental music (big part of their releases are just garbage), but they have nothing to loose. Sometimes they release real brilliants. ECM were similar label at the beginning of their history, for last few decades they are successful business enterprise, producing high quality safe production :no big risk - no losses

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One ECM excellent album for all tastes I believe is Chick Corea's "Return To Forever", which isn't very characteristic ECM release musically, but demonstrates  their specific sound engineering well. Garbarek's Pepperbird is another ECM great release coming in mind.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome to the site! 

Here is Daniel Bennett's music... AMAZING!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c53xSit1yR4" rel="nofollow - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c53xSit1yR4

www.danielbennettgroup.com

http://www.danielbennettgroup.com" rel="nofollow - www.danielbennettgroup.com

Ralph Towner's Batik (1977)

First one was Iro Haarla's "Vespers"

 

Agreed and then some.

 

Sadly, for most music and jazz listeners, ECM mixes and matches and experiments way too much for the commercial jazz listener of today that pretty much is only tuned to the Blue Note or to the simplicity of some of the stuff that is often called "housewife jazz" in some of the "cool" FM stations.

 

While I would never criticize Blue Note and all that jazz that lived before the film studios killed it, I do think that the soft jazz and half baked jazz that most people tend to hear on the radio is not even close or indicative of what the description of the music is about, and ECM has been a total breath of fresh air, and it has never been afraid to try and do things that are totally out of the ordinary and different ... and in the middle you get some amazing things that would never get heard or released in America, because of the top ten design of things.

 

I have some favorites, but in the end, I have to tell you that I have never heard a single ECM album that was bad or I did not like ... though I will admit that some of the early Jan Garbarek used to send shivers up my spine ... that was jazz in its purest form and definition ... although we might disagree and often defy that description in lieu of some idealistic concept as to what jazz really is ... sort of like the sister board, that identifies "progressive music" with a non-definition that has nothing to do with music whatsoever, or the time, or the place, that it came from.

 

So after all that ... here are some things that I still listen to, and as I said before, I do not listen to "styles" ... I listen to music, meaning that I close my eyes and I fly away with it, and I don't care what it is supposed to be ... music is here for us all to fly and be free, not to be slaves to a social definition for everything.

 

Egberto Gismonti

Terje Rypdal

David Darling

Jan Garbarek

Pat Metheny

Keith Jarrett (the best piano player in the part 75 years, second to none!)

Eberhard Weber

Charlie Haden

Ralph Towner

John Abercrombie

Shankar

_____________ Khan (sorry, can never remember this name)

 

In the end, a lot of this stuff is considered "jazz" because it is nearly impossible to classify, but it is outstanding for my ear to hear eastern folks mixing with western folks and do music, regardless of what it is called.

 

The word "jazz" in America came about mostly because it needed to differentiate itself from more commercial, music that radio was offering you, augmented by many movie stars also singing, which kinda ended the beginning of the music recordings in America, almost all of which were the jazz and blues folks, who lost all of their voice in one swell foop. but the term survived, and described an attitude, a lot more than the music itself, and it wasn't until later that it developed into the behemoth that it is today ... so well separated from the rest of the music with its labels today that everyone has no excuse to not find something.

 

And thank you ... I have always thought that no label in music, has ever been so adventurous and so caring to so many artists, and the amount of music it has provided for 40 years is down right insane, and still to this day, few people can sit here and say ... ECM is about jazz ... because in the end ... ECM is about music and jazz is just one side of it.

 

And finally ... I wonder if someone did this for me, to get me here ... because in the sister board I was passionate about this label, and still think that it is the best music label ever ... and they have been at it 40 plus years ... which the majority of labels never do or have! You have to love the music itself to do that ...

 

Somewhere along the line, we're going to have to agree and disagree and give each other the ability and right to disagree ... and hten come together so we can have a very good definition, idea, and history of the art form.

 

Without that ability, our very own "personal taste" amounts to nothing but another bar-room drink and discussion that has very little value, and since we tend to not discuss the arts as they used to in the old Paris cafe's that were famous fro creating more than one artistic scene, and we could do the same thing here ... just like the sister board could do with the other music by killing it for the listeners right at the front door!

 

But I think it is fair to say that mixing things, and doing something different is what ECM is about and has been for 40 years, and that is not something that Blue Note or any other jazz label could ever say about their music.

 

Now, for you or I to say I like this but not that, or the mix of this and that is weird, yes it might be a strange mix, and what not, but sometimes that is what it takes to help spread the music and find new realms of expression and in that sense, there is no such thing as bad, or "personal taste".

 

You and I can put on "Eventyr" by Jan Garbarek and immediately we will say ... that's not jazz ... or we can put on Terje's and David's "Eos" and we will say ... that's not jazz ... but you and I can not sit here and say ... that's not far out music. One is more into the Ambient or World sound of things (Garbarek's) whereas the other is the best Chamber Concert set of pieces you will ever hear for Electric Guitar ... and it's beautiful and one of the finest things ever done in a guitar! And something that I really believe that folks like Jimi Hendrix would have loved to do and try, if he were not so tied up to the drugs and fame!

 

BTW, the mention of jazz history and the recording came from the special DVD on Tom Dowd ... if you have never heard of it, or seen it, it will be one of the greatest lessons in music history in America that you will ever hear about and see it explained. That same man, had an amazing ear for music and captured one of rock music's enduring and bautiful duets ever, but you can see in the end, that it was his ear for music and ability that caught it in the first place, because if you don't have the ear and the love for the feel and the music ITSELF it doesn't matter what it is or what it becomes ... it will never have that special secret feeling that makes us all slaves to its beauty!

 

The side effect? ... you're not gonna like a lot of movies right off the bat!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

l

 

Sorry, I was not able to watch this. The video which is irreproducible for me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ItDzss0vfs&feature=related" rel="nofollow - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ItDzss0vfs&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7c4cSXPphHc" rel="nofollow - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7c4cSXPphHc

He wrote music for many films and theater plays as well

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_YgtT4KePg&feature=related" rel="nofollow - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_YgtT4KePg&feature=related

All stars modern jazz team:

It's great to notice how ECM during some last years changing direction (very safely though) from polished,well calculated chamber jazz to more adventurous music. For sure they don't do fast moves, but after twenty or more years producing of lot and lot quality but faceless and bloodless sterile products they obviously feel they need changes to stay on the top.

New Formanek's album (second in row for ECM) is great example of such changes - music is still same ECM jazz, but less polished, less comfortable and more clever and adventurous. Don't expect freedom of solo Tim Berne's works though - on "Small Places" he is strictly controlled by project's formula, his function is to add very calculated amount of freer sax to well balanced brew. More adventurous is pianist Craig Taborn work ( on their live album's presentation he demonstrated some excellent improvs, unfortunately studio album is more safe and well balanced). It's interesting that during concert sound and music in whole sounded maximally close to what you can hear on studio album - almost minimum emotions, very professional,well calculated music, true ECM sound.

In all - one of best ECMalbum (at least from what I heard) from this year releases, enough accessible and nice to attract more conservative listener, but not too predictable or boring for those searching more adventurous music. Still for real experimental music I would recommend to search on Tim Berne solo albums.

Great and expensive cars from 70s and 80s rulled the world, but nowaday being very respectable name Mercedes lost his sales and image mostly sleeping in old fame's bed. In Germany average new Mercedes owner is successful man in his ... late 60s! I see here strong analog with ECM label, which started as high-quality quite an adventurous music company, but during last few decades in fact just became very safe and often too polished quality but almost always too predictable and often openly boring music's home.

Some label's last time actions promise some changes - and I believe they need changes just to survive in modern world. Tim Berne's debut on ECM is recorded in NY with bass-less quartet including such unusual drummer for modern ECM as Ches Smith (Mr.Bungle, Marc Ribot,Fred Frith,etc). Result is really interesting, but I can understand lot of not-so-positive reviews on this album as well. It is not your typical sharp, explosive and noisy Berne.Some said this album is compromise to ECM aesthetics,and in some sense it is  But - no even traces of "ECM sound"! Berne plays complex music, great balance between composed and improvised, with some European chamber music influence.  Don't expect "old" Berne and typical ECM - it's something a bit new and different. 

Still whole album sounds more like first steps in new direction - I am really curious to hear what will come next.  

First in line is new all-stars Nordic-British band's Food first studio release in 5 years:

Guests list is impressive - Nils Petter Molvaer and his regular guitarist Eivind Aarset among others

Will return with my impressions at first possibility when I will get one of three above mentioned albums.

Very soon after Keith Jarrett went solo, Garbarek participated in short-lived project with Charlie Haden and Brazilian pianist/guitarist Egberto Gismonti. In some sense this trio is Jarrett's "European quartet" with Gismonti instead of Jarrett and in trio format. Gismonti is obviously Jarrett influenced pianist, but with warmer and much more emotional sound. Originally trio release two studio albums in early 80s (under Haden as leader), quite ascetic and almost authentic folk tunes played by jazz musicians.

"Magico: Carta De Amor" is trio's live debut, coming from latest days of trio existing. Recorded in Munich's Amerika Haus in April 1981, recording sound quaility is great and comparing with studio material contains lot of improvisations. Still heavily folklore (from Latin American to North European) based music. From all fuss around this album it looks ECM see it as one of candidate for their 2012 most commercially successful release 

Not a real jazz album in conservative sense , this album is very rare example of successful synthesis of jazz and ambient, very different from so-hated new age. Think about early Brian Eno great ambient albums played by jazz musicians and recorded in ECM tradition. 

Very atmospheric music, a bit melancholic and right under ECM tradition

As a result the music is already traditional Nordic atmospheric ECM-style jazz, quite comfortable,but a bit too amorphous and not too much original.  Both Molvaer and Aarset solo albums are much more concentrated and original. Nice background listening though

New album opens with relaxed down-tempo melancholic composition and I was afraid if all double album will sound on the same way it would be to difficult to listen it all and avoid to fall asleep. Fortunately there are some up-tempo and even high energy composition there, so generally album's music is well balanced. I believe Stanko contemporary music fans will find a lot of his trademark Slavic soulful melancholy music here, mixed with cool Nordic ECM atmosphere, for me up-tempo freer songs are pleasant surprise though. In all traditionally strong if too predictable album it hardly brings any new Stanko sides but his regular  listeners will enjoy it for sure.

 

IMHO ACT is less adventurous then ECM, maybe you should try Clean Feed  

Julia Hulsmann 3rd ECM release, more jazzy than the previous two, duemainly  to Tom Arthurs trumpet contribution