Jazz & Improvisation / All styles

Trio album by Anouar Brahem (oud), John Surman (soprano saxophone, bass clarinet) and Dave Holland (double bass), recorded on 13-15 March 1997 at Rainbow Studio, Oslo, produced by Manfred Eicher and released by ECM in 1998.

Solo piano concert by Keith Jarrett, recorded live at the Teatro alla Scala, Milan, on 13 February 1995: two improvised sets and Over The Rainbow. Remixed at Rainbow Studio, released by ECM in 1997.

Second album by Ketil Bjørnstad's The Sea quartet, with David Darling (cello), Terje Rypdal (guitar) and Jon Christensen (drums). Recorded in December 1996 at Rainbow Studio, Oslo, produced by Manfred Eicher, released by ECM in 1998.

Trio album by pianist Michael Cain, trumpeter Ralph Alessi and saxophonist Peter Epstein, without bass or drums. Recorded in August 1996 at Rainbow Studio, Oslo, produced by Manfred Eicher, released by ECM in 1997.

Solo album by Ralph Towner on classical and 12-string guitar, seven pieces plus the suite Seven Pieces for Twelve Strings. Recorded March 1996, Rainbow Studio, Oslo; produced by Manfred Eicher. ECM 1611, 1997.

Tomasz Stanko Quartet with Bobo Stenson (piano), Anders Jormin (double bass) and Tony Oxley (drums): six Stanko compositions plus duo and trio improvisations. Recorded January 1996, Rainbow Studio, Oslo. ECM 1603, 1997.

Duo album by pianist Ketil Bjørnstad and cellist David Darling: twelve parts drawing on William Byrd and Orlando Gibbons, mixing composition and improvisation. Recorded May 1995, Rainbow Studio, Oslo; produced by Manfred Eicher. ECM 1593, 1997.

Jan Garbarek album of 15 original pieces, many first written for film and ballet, with Rainer Brüninghaus, Eberhard Weber, Marilyn Mazur, Manu Katché, Trilok Gurtu and Mari Boine. Recorded June 1995, Rainbow Studio, Oslo. ECM 1585, 1996.

Michael Mantler's suite of songs and interludes on poems by Giuseppe Ungaretti, sung by Mona Larsen with the Danish Radio Big Band under Ole Kock Hansen and Mantler's chamber ensemble, recorded at Danmarks Radio, Copenhagen, in January 1994.

Live recording by Keith Jarrett's Standards trio with Gary Peacock and Jack DeJohnette, eight American songbook standards played at the Konserthus in Oslo on 7 October 1989, released by ECM in 1995.

Edward Vesala's last ECM album with his band Sound & Fury: twelve of his compositions for horns, harp, accordion, strings and percussion, with Iro Haarla, Jorma Tapio, Pepa Päivinen and others. Recorded 1993-1994 at Sound and Fury Studio, Korkeakoski, Finland. ECM 1541, 1994.

Free improvisations by Paul Bley (piano), Evan Parker (tenor and soprano saxophones) and Barre Phillips (double bass), the first recorded Bley/Parker meeting. Recorded January 1994 at Rainbow Studio, Oslo, produced by Steve Lake. ECM 1537, 1995.

Live trio recording of Keith Jarrett with Gary Peacock and Paul Motian, made on 16 September 1992 at the Deer Head Inn, Delaware Water Gap, Pennsylvania. Seven standards, produced by Bill Goodwin, released by ECM in 1994 (ECM 1531).

Solo album by Eberhard Weber on five-string electric upright bass, with overdubs and loops, nine of his own compositions. Recorded April-June 1993 in Munich, produced by Weber, released by ECM in October 1993 (ECM 1518).

Jan Garbarek (tenor and soprano saxophone), Anouar Brahem (oud) and Ustad Shaukat Hussain (tabla), recorded August 1992 at Rainbow Studio, Oslo, produced by Manfred Eicher. ECM 1515, released 1994.

Blistering CD of live performances recorded at CBGB in New York in 1992.

Back in stock, CD reissue of what was the 4th Borbetomagus album, originally released on LP by Agaric way back in 1983. The trio of Jim Sauter (reeds), Don Dietrich (reeds) & Donald Miller (guitar). Recorded at In-Roads, NYC. May 7, 1982. "Barbed Wire Maggots is a motherfucker, even now, 23 years after it was recorded. Recorded at In-Roads on Mercer Street, BWM documents a gorgeous evening of extreme sonic dialogue. Sauter and Dietrich's reeds skinny-dip into virtual classicist free mode at time…

Jan Garbarek Group album with Rainer Brüninghaus, Eberhard Weber, Manu Katché, Marilyn Mazur and singers Agnes Buen Garnås and Mari Boine, recorded September 1992 at Rainbow Studio, Oslo, produced by Manfred Eicher. ECM 1500, released 1993.

Second and last album by Aparis: Markus Stockhausen (trumpets, flugelhorn), Simon Stockhausen (keyboards, soprano saxophone) and Jo Thönes (acoustic and electronic drums), recorded July 1992 at Rainbow Studio, Oslo. ECM 1496, released 1993.

Free improvisation session by Paul Bley (piano), Gary Peacock (bass), Tony Oxley (drums) and John Surman (baritone saxophone, bass clarinet), recorded September 1991 at Rainbow Studio, Oslo, produced by Manfred Eicher. ECM 1488, released 1993.

Solo piano improvisations by Keith Jarrett, recorded live at the Vienna State Opera on 13 July 1991 in two parts of about 42 and 26 minutes. Produced by Manfred Eicher and Jarrett. ECM 1481, 1992.

Quartet album led by John Surman (baritone and soprano saxophones, bass clarinet) with Paul Bley (piano), Gary Peacock (bass) and Tony Oxley (drums), recorded in September 1991 at Rainbow Studio, Oslo, produced by Manfred Eicher. ECM 1463, 1992.

Live concert by Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock and Jack DeJohnette, recorded 21 April 1990 at Town Hall, New York: seven standards and one Jarrett original. Produced by Manfred Eicher. CD, ECM 1440, 1991.

Anouar Brahem's first ECM album, a trio with violinist Béchir Selmi and percussionist Lassad Hosni, recorded in September 1990 at Rainbow Studio, Oslo, produced by Manfred Eicher. CD, ECM 1432, 1991.

Kenny Wheeler's 1990 ECM quintet album of six original compositions, with John Abercrombie, John Taylor, Dave Holland and Peter Erskine. Recorded February 1990 at Rainbow Studio, Oslo, produced by Manfred Eicher. CD, ECM 1417.

Solo piano concert by Keith Jarrett, recorded on 17 October 1988 at the Salle Pleyel, Paris, and released by ECM in 1990: a 38-minute improvisation, Russ Freeman's The Wind and Jarrett's Blues.

Second and last album by the British quartet First House: Ken Stubbs (alto saxophone), Django Bates (piano, tenor horn), Mick Hutton (bass) and Martin France (drums), recorded in March 1989 at Rainbow Studio, Oslo, and released by ECM in 1989.

Live trio album by Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock and Jack DeJohnette: four long improvised pieces recorded at concerts in Lexington, Dallas, Houston and Denver in October 1987, released by ECM in 1989.

Concert recording by Keith Jarrett's European quartet with Jan Garbarek, Palle Danielsson and Jon Christensen, made in Tokyo in April 1979 and released by ECM in 1989. Five Jarrett originals.

The only ECM album by the Swiss trio of Hans Koch (clarinet, bass clarinet, tenor and soprano saxophones), Martin Schütz (bass, cello) and Marco Käppeli (drums), nine pieces by Koch recorded June 1987 at Tonstudio Bauer, Ludwigsburg, produced by Manfred Eicher.

Zakir Hussain (tabla, percussion, voice) with Hariprasad Chaurasia (flutes), John McLaughlin (acoustic guitar) and Jan Garbarek (tenor and soprano saxophones), recorded December 1986 at Rainbow Studio, Oslo, produced by Manfred Eicher. ECM, 1987.

Second ECM album by the trio of John Abercrombie (electric and acoustic guitars, guitar synthesizer), Marc Johnson (bass) and Peter Erskine (drums), with Michael Brecker on tenor saxophone on three tracks. Recorded April 1987 at Power Station, New York, produced by Lee Townsend.

Chick Corea's seven-part suite for his duo with vibraphonist Gary Burton plus a string quartet (Ik-Hwan Bae, Carol Shive, Karen Dreyfus, Fred Sherry), recorded in September 1982 at Mad Hatter Studios, Los Angeles, produced by Manfred Eicher. ECM, 1983.

Jan Garbarek Group with Bill Frisell (guitar), Eberhard Weber (bass) and Michael DiPasqua (drums, percussion): six Garbarek compositions recorded in March 1983 at Talent Studio, Oslo, engineered by Jan Erik Kongshaug and produced by Manfred Eicher (ECM 1259).

Second album by Charlie Haden's Liberation Music Orchestra, arranged by Carla Bley, with a twelve-piece band including Don Cherry, Dewey Redman and Paul Motian: resistance songs from Spain, Portugal, Chile and El Salvador, recorded November 1982 in Ludwigsburg.

Live recording of a one-off quartet led by bassist Arild Andersen with Bill Frisell, John Taylor and Alphonse Mouzon at the Molde Jazz Festival, Norway, in August 1981. Expanded CD reissue (2000) of ECM 1236, first issued in 1982.

Chick Corea, Miroslav Vitous and Roy Haynes reunited in 1981: trio and duo improvisations plus seven Thelonious Monk pieces, recorded November 1981 at Mad Hatter Studios, Los Angeles, produced by Manfred Eicher. Originally a double album (ECM 1232/33, 1982), here on one CD.

Quartet album by Jan Garbarek (saxophones, wood flutes, percussion) with Bill Frisell (guitar), Eberhard Weber (bass) and Jon Christensen (drums), recorded in December 1981 at Talent Studio, Oslo, produced by Manfred Eicher and released by ECM in 1982. CD edition.

Third studio album by the Pat Metheny Group (Pat Metheny, Lyle Mays, Steve Rodby, Danny Gottlieb, with Naná Vasconcelos), recorded in October 1981 at the Power Station, New York, produced by Manfred Eicher and released by ECM in 1982. CD edition.

Live recording by Old and New Dreams (Don Cherry, trumpet, piano; Dewey Redman, tenor saxophone, musette; Charlie Haden, bass; Ed Blackwell, drums) from June 1980 at the Theater am Kornmarkt, Bregenz, produced by Manfred Eicher, released by ECM in 1981. CD edition.