Jazz & Improvisation / All styles

Tord Gustavsen's first ensemble album after his trio trilogy, with Tore Brunborg (saxophones), Kristin Asbjørnsen (vocals, W.H. Auden settings), Mats Eilertsen (double bass) and Jarle Vespestad (drums). Recorded January 2009, Rainbow Studio, Oslo; EC…

Steve Kuhn, Coltrane's pianist in early 1960, plays Coltrane pieces and two standards with Joe Lovano (tenor saxophone, tárogató), David Finck (double bass) and Joey Baron (drums). Recorded December 2008, Avatar Studios, New York; ECM, 2009.

Louis Sclavis quintet album on themes from Homer's Odyssey, with Matthieu Metzger (saxophones), Maxime Delpierre (guitar), Olivier Lété (electric bass) and François Merville (drums). Recorded September 2008, Théâtre de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines; ECM,…

Live recording by Roscoe Mitchell and The Note Factory (Corey Wilkes, Craig Taborn, Vijay Iyer, two bassists, two drummers), made on 17 March 2007 at the Stadtsaal, Burghausen, during the Burghausen jazz festival. Released by ECM in 2010.

Duo album by Ralph Towner (classical, 12-string and baritone guitars) and Paolo Fresu (trumpet, flugelhorn): Towner originals, two improvisations and Blue in Green. Recorded in October 2008 at Artesuono, Udine, produced by Manfred Eicher, released by…

ECM debut of Cyminology: Cymin Samawatie (vocals), Benedikt Jahnel (piano), Ralf Schwarz (double bass) and Ketan Bhatti (drums, percussion), singing Farsi texts by Samawatie, Rumi, Hafez and Forough Farrokhzaad. Recorded in 2008 at Rainbow Studio, Os…

Stefano Bollani's Danish trio with Jesper Bodilsen (double bass) and Morten Lund (drums), playing originals and pieces by Veloso, Jobim and Poulenc. Recorded in October 2008 at Avatar Studios, New York, produced by Manfred Eicher, released by ECM in …

An improvising quartet featuring four of the finest and most innovative musicians, who have extended the ranges of their respective instruments - piano, saxophones, harp and double bass - into new, uncharted territories. As well as having exceptional…

First ECM album by the Julia Hülsmann Trio: Julia Hülsmann (piano), Marc Muellbauer (double bass), Heinrich Köbberling (drums). Recorded in March 2008 at Rainbow Studio, Oslo, produced by Manfred Eicher, released in 2008.

Live album by Arild Andersen (double bass, live electronics) with Tommy Smith (tenor saxophone) and Paolo Vinaccia (drums), recorded in September 2007 at Belleville, Oslo, and the Drammen Theatre. Produced by Manfred Eicher, released by ECM in 2008.

Song cycle on the life of Aisha by Marc Sinan (guitar) and Julia Hülsmann (piano, compositions) to texts by Marc Schiffer, with Yelena Kuljić (voice), Lena Thies (viola), Marc Muellbauer and Heinrich Köbberling. Recorded March 2008, Rainbow Studio, O…

Anouar Brahem (oud) with Klaus Gesing (bass clarinet), Björn Meyer (bass) and Khaled Yassine (darbouka, bendir), eight Brahem compositions dedicated to Mahmoud Darwish. Recorded October 2008, Artesuono Recording Studio, Udine, produced by Manfred Eic…

Gianluigi Trovesi (piccolo and alto clarinet, alto saxophone) with Marco Remondini, Stefano Bertoli and the Filarmonica Mousiké conducted by Savino Acquaviva, in a suite on Italian opera from Monteverdi to Puccini. Recorded September 2006, Teatro Ser…

ECM debut of Fly, the leaderless trio of Mark Turner (tenor and soprano saxophone), Larry Grenadier (double bass) and Jeff Ballard (drums). Recorded at Avatar Studios, New York, in 2008 and produced by Manfred Eicher. CD, ECM 2067, 2009.

Enrico Rava's quintet with Stefano Bollani (piano), Mark Turner (tenor saxophone, his ECM debut), Larry Grenadier (double bass) and Paul Motian (drums): nine Rava pieces and two group improvisations. Recorded February 2008, Avatar Studios, New York.

This is a document of one of the solo gigs by the modern sax legend and presumed bearer of the hallowed flame of Black American free jazz when he made his first trip to Japan.

Seven one-movement concertos by Michael Mantler for soloists including Mantler, Roswell Rudd, Majella Stockhausen and Nick Mason, with the Kammerensemble Neue Musik Berlin under Roland Kluttig. Recorded 2007-2008 in Berlin, Pernes-les-Fontaines and U…

Eberhard Weber reworks twelve solo bass sequences recorded live with the Jan Garbarek Group between 1990 and 2007, adding keyboards, saxophone and selje flute by Garbarek and percussion by Michael DiPasqua. Mixed in 2011 at Studios La Buissonne.

Jazz quartet album by John Surman (baritone and soprano saxophones) with John Abercrombie (guitar), Drew Gress (double bass) and Jack DeJohnette (drums). Seven Surman originals plus tunes by John Warren and Billy Strayhorn. Recorded September 2007, A…

Duo album by Trygve Seim (soprano and tenor saxophones) and Frode Haltli (accordion): Seim originals, Armenian traditional music, Gurdjieff and Bob Marley's Redemption Song. Recorded June 2007 at Rainbow Studio, Oslo, produced by Manfred Eicher.

Jon Balke (keyboards, conductor) and Amina Alaoui (voice) set Andalusian, Sufi and Christian mystical poetry with Kheir Eddine M'Kachiche (violin), Jon Hassell (trumpet, electronics) and Bjarte Eike's Barokksolistene. Recorded 2007-2008 at Rainbow St…

Live recording of Terje Rypdal's suite Crime Scene, commissioned by Nattjazz, with his quartet (Palle Mikkelborg, Ståle Storløkken, Paolo Vinaccia) and the Bergen Big Band directed by Olav Dale. Recorded May 2009 at Nattjazz, Bergen.

First ECM solo piano album by Marilyn Crispell: seven improvised Vignettes and other pieces of her own, plus Jayna Nelson's Cuida Tu Espiritu and Arve Henriksen's Stilleweg. Recorded April 2007 at Auditorio Radio Svizzera, Lugano, produced by Manfred…

Duo album by Enrico Rava (trumpet) and Stefano Bollani (piano): originals by both, Bruno Martino's Estate, Jobim and Moacir Santos, plus a free improvisation. Recorded November 2006 at Auditorio Radio Svizzera, Lugano, produced by Manfred Eicher.

Third and last album of Tord Gustavsen's ECM trilogy, with Harald Johnsen (double bass) and Jarle Vespestad (drums). Twelve Gustavsen pieces and one by Johnsen, recorded December 2006 at Rainbow Studio, Oslo, produced by Manfred Eicher.

Miroslav Vitous (double bass, compositions, arrangements, production) with a shifting ensemble including Randy Brecker, Bob Mintzer, Gary Campbell and Gerald Cleaver, plus orchestral and choral samples. Recorded 2004-2005 in Clavesana, Italy. CD, ECM…

First solo piano album by Jon Balke: 19 short composed and improvised pieces in four chapters and an epilogue, recorded September 2006 at Radio Studio DRS, Zurich, produced by Manfred Eicher. CD, ECM 2010, 2007.

Christian Wallumrød Ensemble sextet: Wallumrød (piano, harmonium, toy piano), Arve Henriksen, Gjermund Larsen, Tanja Orning, Giovanna Pessi, Per Oddvar Johansen. 24 pieces, recorded October 2006 at Radio Studio DRS, Zurich. CD, ECM 2005, 2007.

Second ECM album by Jacob Young (guitars) with Mathias Eick (trumpet), Vidar Johansen (bass clarinet, tenor saxophone), Mats Eilertsen (double bass) and Jon Christensen (drums). Recorded May 2006 at Rainbow Studio, Oslo, produced by Manfred Eicher. E…

Sinikka Langeland (vocals, kantele) sets poems by Hans Børli with Arve Henriksen (trumpet), Trygve Seim (saxophones), Anders Jormin (double bass) and Markku Ounaskari (percussion). Recorded May 2006 at Rainbow Studio, Oslo. ECM 1996, 2007.

Solos, duos and a trio by Misha Alperin (piano) with Arkady Shilkloper (French horn, flugelhorn) and Anja Lechner (cello). Recorded July 2006 at Auditorio Radio Svizzera, Lugano, produced by Manfred Eicher. ECM 1995, 2008.

Duo album by Dino Saluzzi (bandoneon) and Anja Lechner (cello): seven Saluzzi compositions and Vicente Greco's tango Ojos negros. Recorded April 2006 at Kulturbühne AmBach, Götzis, produced by Manfred Eicher. ECM 1991, 2007.

Rain on the Window (ECM 1986, 2008): duets by John Surman (baritone and soprano saxophones, bass clarinet) and organist Howard Moody, recorded January 2006 at Ullern Church, Oslo, produced by Manfred Eicher.

Vossabrygg (ECM 1984, 2006) is Terje Rypdal's Bitches Brew tribute commissioned by Vossa Jazz, recorded live at the festival in Voss on 12 April 2003 with Palle Mikkelborg, Marius Rypdal, Jon Christensen, Paolo Vinaccia and others.

Lontano (ECM 1980, 2006) is the third ECM album by the Tomasz Stańko Quartet, with Marcin Wasilewski (piano), Sławomir Kurkiewicz (bass) and Michał Miśkiewicz (drums), recorded November 2005 at Studios La Buissonne, Pernes-les-Fontaines.

Juan Condori (ECM 1978, 2006) by the Dino Saluzzi Group: Dino Saluzzi (bandoneon) with Felix, José María and Matías Saluzzi and drummer U.T. Gandhi, recorded October 2005 at Estudios Moebio, Buenos Aires, produced by Manfred Eicher.

Tuki (ECM 1971, 2006) is the first ECM album as leader by Gambian percussionist Miki N'Doye (kalimba, drums, vocals), with Jon Balke, Per Jørgensen and Helge Norbakken, recorded 2003-2005 at Rainbow Studio, Oslo.

The Source is the second ECM album by the Norwegian quartet The Source: Trygve Seim on saxophones, Øyvind Brække on trombone, Mats Eilertsen on double bass and Per Oddvar Johansen on drums, recorded in July 2005 at Rainbow Studio, Oslo.

Garden of Eden is the first ECM album by the Paul Motian Band, the drummer's septet with saxophonists Chris Cheek and Tony Malaby, three guitarists including Ben Monder and Jakob Bro, and bass, recorded in November 2004 at Avatar Studios, New York.

Le Voyage de Sahar is the second ECM album by the trio of oud player Anouar Brahem, pianist François Couturier and accordionist Jean-Louis Matinier, recorded in February 2005 at the Auditorio Radio Svizzera, Lugano, and released in 2006.