Featured Label,
New releases and classic reissues from ECM Records
Highlights of ECM's Autumn releases include Keith Jarrett's Bordeaux Concert taken from his final 2016 European tour, as well as a reissue of his 1987 Clavichord album Book of Ways. Other upcoming ECM releases include Wolfert Brederode's Ruins and Remains, and the vinyl edition of Avishai Cohen's acoustic quartet album Naked Truth.
New Releases
This new live recording from Keith Jarrett, taken from the pianist's last European tour in 2016, is presented here across thirteen tracks. Much like Munich 2016 and Budapest Concert, each date from Jarrett's 2016 tour presented their own unique characteristics, with this improvised suite described as some of his most lyrical material of the tour.
Bordeaux Concert releases later this month on CD.
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
Bordeaux Concert releases next month on vinyl.
Available Formats: 2 Vinyl Records, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
This new ECM release features the meeting of two prominent jazzmen - Italian flugelhornist Enrico Rava, who has been recording for ECM for almost 50 years, and American pianist Fred Hersch, with The Song Is You marking the latter's first release on the label. This duo session features improvisations, Rava and Hersch originals, and standards by Thelonious Monk, Jerome Kern and Antônio Carlos Jobim.
The Song Is You is available now on CD and digital download.
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
The Song Is You releases on vinyl in November.
Available Formats: Vinyl Record, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
On paper Ruins and Remains may straddle a little into classical territory for a jazz round-up, but pianist Wolfert Brederode has plenty of experience in both styles. Written as a suite for piano, string quartet and percussion to mark the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I in 2018, the piece itself captures wider sentiments of grief, loss and new beginnings. Here Brederode performs with jazz percussionist and drummer Joost Lijbaart, as well as the versatile Matangi string quartet.
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
Face à Face, too, doesn't bear much resemblance to traditional jazz, but it does make for one of the more out-there releases from the label this year. A collaboration between double bassist Barre Phillips and electronic musician György Kurtág Jr (son of György Kurtág), it's an eccentric yet subtle listen, with crackling digital textures enveloping delicate bass improvisations.
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
Julia Hülsmann follows up her 2019 record Not Far From Here with the very same quartet of musicians - tenor saxophonist Uli Kempendorff, Marc Muellbauer on double bass and drummer Heinrich Köbberling - and is comprised of largely original compositions inspired equally by '60s modal and contemporary jazz.
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
After more than 40 albums as bandleader, American guitarist John Scofield has finally decided to release a purely solo effort. The aptly-titled John Scofield, which released just a few months back, features Scofield performing re-arrangements of his favourite standards and original tunes, accompanying himself via overdubs.
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
Following-up 2020's electric band album Big Vicious, trumpeter Avishai Cohen releases Naked Truth, a new acoustic quartet record. Although Naked Truth forms a suite in nine parts, it also marks Cohen's most improvisation-led record to date, taking shape over the course of the recording sessions with pianist Yonathan Avishai, bassist Barak Mori and drummer Ziv Ravitz.
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
Naked Truth releases on vinyl next month.
Available Formats: Vinyl Record, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
This double-album by American guitarist Steve Tibbetts consists of selected tracks from his four-decade ECM archive. However, rather than being a straightforward "best of" compilation, Tibbetts divides the record into electric and acoustic segments, making for an all-encompassing tour of his influences from minimalism, ambient and rock music.
Available Formats: 2 CDs, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
Drummer Gard Nilssen made his ECM bandleading debut earlier this year with his Acoustic Unity trio - featuring André Roligheten on tenor sax and Petter Eldh on bass - with all three members contributing original compositions to Elastic Wave.
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
Classic Reissues
Dave Holland's seminal album Conference of the Birds received a reissue last month; recorded with Sam Rivers, Anthony Braxton and Barry Altschul and released in 1973, this is still one of the finest free jazz records out there.
Available Format: CD
Originally released in 1987, Keith Jarrett's Book of Ways features the pianist experimenting with the now archaic Clavichord, a keyboard instrument primarily played throughout the Renaissance period to the Classical era. The album features nineteen improvisations by Jarrett on the Clavichord, a document of him exploring the long since disused instrument in real time.
Available Formats: 2 CDs, MP3, FLAC
As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls was released in 1981, produced alongside pianist Lyle Mays with Pat Metheny playing both lead, accompanying and bass guitar via overdubs. Featuring the twenty-minute title track as well as a tribute to Bill Evans on the track 'September Fifteenth', As Falls Wichita is a pivotal record in particularly Metheny's catalogue.
Available Format: CD
Another Metheny reissue, this time 1983's Travels released with his Pat Metheny Group which still, coincidentally, features Lyle Mays on keys. A double-live album recorded during the group's 1982 tour, Travels features numerous Metheny classics from his early career.
Available Format: 2 CDs
Joshua Lee - Jazz Content
