Jazz & Improvisation / All styles

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.

ECM debut of Swiss singer Susanne Abbuehl with Wolfert Brederode (piano, harmonium, melodica), Christof May (clarinets) and Samuel Rohrer (drums): settings of E. E. Cummings, songs by Carla Bley, Monk and Prabha Atre. Recorded November 2000, Rainbow Studio, Oslo. CD edition.

The Source (Trygve Seim, saxophones; Øyvind Brække, trombone; Per Oddvar Johansen, drums) with the Cikada String Quartet, Arve Henriksen, Frode Haltli and others. Recorded November 2000 at Rainbow Studio, Oslo; produced by Manfred Eicher. ECM, 2002. CD edition.

Solo double bass album by Anders Jormin, with six short pieces for brass quartet. Bass recorded 17 December 1999 at Artisten, Göteborg; brass recorded 2 October 2000 at Studio Bohus, Kungälv. Produced by Manfred Eicher, released by ECM in 2001. CD edition.

Rosslyn (ECM 1751) is John Taylor's first album as leader on ECM, a piano trio with Marc Johnson (double bass) and Joey Baron (drums), recorded in April 2002 at Rainbow Studio, Oslo, and released in January 2003.

Live duo concert by Charlie Haden (double bass) and Egberto Gismonti (guitar, piano), recorded 6 July 1989 at the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, Salle Marie-Gérin-Lajoie. Released by ECM in 2001. CD edition.

Charles Lloyd (tenor saxophone) with Brad Mehldau (piano), John Abercrombie (guitar), Larry Grenadier (double bass) and Billy Higgins (drums), recorded December 1999 at Cello Studios, Los Angeles. Ballads, spirituals and Lloyd originals. CD edition.

Second ECM album by Norwegian trumpeter Nils Petter Molvær, with Eivind Aarset (guitar, electronics), Audun Erlien (bass), DJ Strangefruit and Sidsel Endresen (voice). Recorded in Oslo studios in 1999, released May 2000. CD edition.

Solo album by Mat Maneri on acoustic violin and viola: his own compositions and pieces by Matthew Shipp, Joe Morris, John Coltrane, Eric Dolphy and Joe Maneri, recorded July 1999 at Gateway Studio, Kingston, produced by Steve Lake. CD, 2001.

Astrakan Café is a 2000 ECM album by Tunisian oud player Anouar Brahem with Turkish clarinettist Barbaros Erköse and percussionist Lassad Hosni, recorded in June 1999 at the Propstei St. Gerold, Austria, and produced by Manfred Eicher.

Recorded live at Théâtre Monnot, Beirut on 10 July 2005 at the 5th Irtijal Festival of Improvised Music. Mixed and mastered at The Experimental Sound Studio, Chicago. Limited edition of 1000 numbered copies

Quartet album by violinist Michael Galasso with Terje Rypdal (guitar), Marc Marder (double bass) and Frank Colón (percussion): sixteen Galasso compositions, recorded November 2002 and April 2004 at Rainbow Studio, Oslo. CD, 2005.

Duo album by Gianluigi Trovesi (piccolo, alto and bass clarinets) and Gianni Coscia (accordion): music by Fiorenzo Carpi, John Lewis, Luis Bacalov, a tango and originals, recorded February 1999 at Radio Studio DRS, Zürich. Liner essay by Umberto Eco. CD, 2000.

Sextet album by guitarist John Abercrombie with Dan Wall (organ), Adam Nussbaum (drums), Kenny Wheeler (trumpet, flugelhorn), Joe Lovano (tenor saxophone) and Mark Feldman (violin), recorded September 1998 at Avatar Studios, New York. CD, 1999.

Keith Jarrett alone at the piano in ten jazz ballads and folk songs by Gershwin, Ellington, Kern, Levant and others, recorded in 1998 at his Cavelight Studio in New Jersey while he was recovering from a long illness. Released by ECM in 1999.

Live recording by Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock and Jack DeJohnette, the Standards Trio, at Orchard Hall, Tokyo, on 30 March 1996: ten standards and bebop tunes, two of them flowing into Jarrett originals.

First duo album by Joe Maneri (alto and tenor saxophones, clarinet, piano) and his son Mat Maneri (acoustic and electric violins, electric viola), recorded October 1997 at Hardstudios, Winterthur, produced by Steve Lake.

Duo album by violinist Dominique Pifarély and pianist François Couturier: nine pieces, mostly their own plus Mal Waldron's Warm Canto, recorded April 1997 at the Festeburgkirche, Frankfurt, produced by Manfred Eicher.

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).