Jazz & Improvisation / All styles

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. ECM 1997, 2007.

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.

Second ECM album by Norwegian accordionist Frode Haltli, reworking Norwegian and Swedish traditional material with Arve Henriksen (trumpet), Garth Knox (viola) and Maja Ratkje (voice). Recorded December 2004, Rainbow Studio, Oslo; released 2007.

Second ECM duo album by Gianluigi Trovesi (piccolo and alto clarinets) and Gianni Coscia (accordion): songs and scenes by Kurt Weill, mostly from Mahagonny, with their own interludes. Liner notes by Umberto Eco. Recorded July 2004, Radio Studio DRS, Zurich.

Manu Katché's first album as leader for ECM: ten of his compositions played with Jan Garbarek (tenor saxophone), Tomasz Stańko (trumpet), Marcin Wasilewski (piano) and Sławomir Kurkiewicz (double bass). Recorded March and November 2004, Rainbow Studio, Oslo.

Second album by the Tord Gustavsen Trio: twelve compositions by Gustavsen (piano) with Harald Johnsen (double bass) and Jarle Vespestad (drums). Recorded January 2004, Rainbow Studio, Oslo; produced by Manfred Eicher.

Drums duo with Nicolas Field and Alexandre Babel. Nicolas Field, drummer. Performs music combining notation, improvisation and electronic processes. Studies in jazz, live electronics and composition in Geneva, den Haag and Amsterdam. Solo performances in den Haag, Amsterdam and Geneva. Alexandre Babel, born in Geneva. Studies drums in New York, classical percussion at the Geneva conservatorium and piano at home. Gets involved in different kinds of notated-unnotated contemporary music projects. H…

First ECM album by the Polish trio of Marcin Wasilewski (piano), Sławomir Kurkiewicz (double bass) and Michał Miśkiewicz (drums): originals, free improvisations and pieces by Björk, Wayne Shorter, Szymanowski and Stańko. Recorded March 2004, Rainbow Studio, Oslo.

Eight-part suite composed and conducted by Evan Parker for the 14-piece Transatlantic Art Ensemble, co-founded with Roscoe Mitchell, with Craig Taborn, Barry Guy, Paul Lytton and others. Recorded live September 2004 at the Muffathalle, Munich.

Second album by Thomas Strønen's quartet Parish, with Bobo Stenson (piano), Fredrik Ljungkvist (clarinet, tenor saxophone) and Mats Eilertsen (double bass). Recorded April 2004 at Rainbow Studio, Oslo, produced by Manfred Eicher.

Second ECM album by Tomasz Stańko's Polish quartet with Marcin Wasilewski (piano), Sławomir Kurkiewicz (double bass) and Michał Miśkiewicz (drums). Recorded July 2003 at Rainbow Studio, Oslo, produced by Manfred Eicher.

Sacred song cycle by bassist Anders Jormin, commissioned for Västerås cathedral, with Lena Willemark (voice), Marilyn Crispell (piano), Karin Nelson (church organ) and Raymond Strid (percussion). Recorded May 2003 in the Organ Hall, Musikhögskolan, Gothenburg.

It has been purported that this release on the mighty No Fun imprint finds the estimable C. Spencer Yeh at the very summit of his powers, making his finest, most complete statement yet. As with the other Burning Star Core release from this week (Operator Dead... Post Abandoned on No Quarter) Yeh is joined by Robert Beatty, Gameboy records noisenik Mike Shiflet and Trevor Tremaine on drums. While Operator Dead is characterised by a near-ecstatic interpolation of krautrocking dynamics and wide ope…

Miroslav Vitous's 2003 ECM album with Jan Garbarek, Chick Corea, John McLaughlin and Jack DeJohnette, plus a brass trio on three tracks. Recorded March 2000 to March 2003 at Universal Syncopations Studios and Rainbow Studio, Oslo.

Keith Jarrett (piano), Gary Peacock (double bass) and Jack DeJohnette (drums) live on 16 July 2002 at La Pinède Gould, Festival de Jazz d'Antibes, Juan-les-Pins: six tunes by other composers and Jarrett's Up for It, released by ECM in 2003.

ErstLive 003 is from the duo of Burkhard Stangl and Christof Kurzmann, titled 'schnee_live', the final show on the last night of AMPLIFY 2004: addition. Stangl and Kurzmann began working as a duo in late 1999, releasing Schnee in 2000, and playing numerous concerts over the past four years throughout Europe, the US, and Asia. schnee_live documents how much their duo has changed since the initial recording of Schnee, which was the first time they ever played together as a duo.

Paul Giger (violin, violino d'amore, viola d'amore, foot bells) with Robert Dick (flutes) and Satoshi Takeishi (percussion): solo pieces, duos and trios recorded 1995-2000 and edited at Big Ear Studio, Dübendorf, released by ECM in 2003.

One of the central aesthetics of the Erstwhile label is the counterpositioning of electronic and acoustic improvisers. Rarely has that been more starkly, and beautifully, achieved than on the opening and closing tracks of eh by guitarist Stangl and turntablist/electronicist Dieb13 (Dieter Kovacic). Stangl is one of a handful of contemporary free improv musicians who happily forays into tonal, even melodic spheres, conjuring up a reduced version of John Fahey, perhaps. On "eeeh", his delicate str…

Martin Speake (alto saxophone) with Bobo Stenson (piano), Mick Hutton (double bass) and Paul Motian (drums) in eight Speake originals, recorded in April 2002 at Rainbow Studio, Oslo, produced by Manfred Eicher, released by ECM in 2006.

Jon Balke (piano, keyboards) and the Magnetic North Orchestra, a septet with Per Jørgensen, Arve Henriksen, Morten Halle, Svante Henryson, Anders Jormin and Audun Kleive. Recorded November 2001 at Rainbow Studio, Oslo, released by ECM in 2002.

Trio of Dino Saluzzi (bandoneon), José María Saluzzi (acoustic guitar) and Palle Danielsson (double bass) playing nine Saluzzi compositions. Recorded November 2001 at Rainbow Studio, Oslo, produced by Manfred Eicher, released by ECM in 2003.

Steve Tibbetts (guitars, percussion) with Marc Anderson and Marcus Wise (percussion, tabla) and Jim Anton (bass). Recorded in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 2001 and released by ECM in 2002.

Anthology of Michael Mantler's work chosen by the composer: 22 tracks recorded 1968-2000 for JCOA, WATT and ECM, with Jack Bruce, Robert Wyatt, Marianne Faithfull, Carla Bley, Pharoah Sanders and others. Released by ECM in 2006.

Nine-part suite by John Surman (soprano and baritone saxophones, bass clarinet) with Jack DeJohnette (drums, piano) and the ten-piece London Brass, a BBC Radio 3 commission. Recorded live in June 2001 at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London. ECM 1802, 2003.

Twelve compositions by Tunisian oud player Anouar Brahem, written at the piano and played with François Couturier (piano) and Jean-Louis Matinier (accordion). Recorded July 2001 at Radio Studio DRS, Zürich, produced by Manfred Eicher. ECM 1792, 2002.

Thirteen-part suite by the Tomasz Stańko Quartet: Stańko (trumpet), Marcin Wasilewski (piano), Sławomir Kurkiewicz (double bass), Michał Miśkiewicz (drums), all compositions by Stańko. Recorded August 2001 at Rainbow Studio, Oslo. ECM 1788, 2002.

Trio album by Yves Robert (trombone), Vincent Courtois (cello) and Cyril Atef (drums), Robert's first ECM album as leader, seven of eight pieces by him. Recorded March 2001 at Piccolo Studio, Paris, produced by Manfred Eicher. ECM 1787, 2002.

Live recording by Keith Jarrett (piano), Gary Peacock (double bass) and Jack DeJohnette (drums): four free improvisations and When I Fall in Love. Recorded 26 and 28 July 2000 at the Royal Festival Hall, London; produced by Manfred Eicher, released by ECM in 2001. CD edition.