Jazz /
Astrocyrk
*100 copies limited edition* Astrocyrk (Astrocircus) is the next chapter in a story that began in 2123, when Captain Harrison Focus, after an emergency landing, finds himself on the mysterious planet Carmin. Following the events described in the previous album, the main character – Triceradiplodocus – leaves the planet's surface, following Ropuch’s instructions. However, the light on the horizon turns out to be the beginning of a new nightmare, and the dinosaur is trapped in the Astrocyrk. Under…
Sweet Love, Bitter
On Sweet Love, Bitter, Mal Waldron turns a fictional portrait of Charlie Parker’s final years into a darkly luminous suite of cinematic jazz. His lyricism, tension and blues‑stained restraint guide a formidable 1967 ensemble through music that moves beyond soundtrack function, making New York feel bruised, nocturnal and fiercely alive.
Pyramid
Available for the first time since its original release in 1980, this is compelling, funky, exploratory jazz from Melbourne, Australia. The album opens with the floating Song For Bobby, a downtempo gem with the heartbeat aura of Herbie Hancock’s Butterfly; Orchestral Excerpts (From The Symphony Of Life), In The Basement and City Of Stone are high-grade fusion jams with one eye on Weather Report and Return to Forever, the other on the organic Australian sound of Alan Lee and John Sangster.
The al…
Flirty Ghost
Flirty Ghost is an evocative LP by Rachel Kitchlew, a jazz and contemporary harpist known for pushing the boundaries of her instrument. A blend of jazz, ambient, and experimental sounds, the album was crafted in a spontaneous, deeply personal atmosphere, recorded late at night in the cozy, smoky setting of SFJ headquarters.
Inspired by everything from Henry Mancini to Dorothy Ashby, this LP captures an eerie, playful essence, like a ‘flirty ghost’, while celebrating exploration and self-expressi…
Souvenance
Double album of music for oud, quartet and string orchestra by Anouar Brahem, with François Couturier (piano), Klaus Gesing (bass clarinet), Björn Meyer (bass) and the Orchestra della Svizzera italiana under Pietro Mianiti. Recorded in Lugano, May 2014.
When We Leave
Album by Norwegian trumpeter Mathias Eick with Håkon Aase (violin), Andreas Ulvo (piano), Audun Erlien (bass), Torstein Lofthus and Helge Andreas Norbakken (drums) and Stian Carstensen (pedal steel), recorded August 2020 at Rainbow Studio, Oslo.
Descansado - Songs for Film
Norma Winstone (voice) with Klaus Gesing (soprano saxophone, bass clarinet) and Glauco Venier (piano), plus Helge Andreas Norbakken (percussion) and Mario Brunello (cello), in film music. Recorded March 2017 at ArteSuono Studio, Udine; produced by Manfred Eicher.
Nuit blanche
Third album by François Couturier's Tarkovsky Quartet with Anja Lechner (cello), Jean-Marc Larché (soprano sax) and Jean-Louis Matinier (accordion): compositions, improvisations, Vivaldi and an anonymous piece. Recorded April 2016 in Lugano; produced by Manfred Eicher.
La notte
Ketil Bjørnstad's eight-part suite inspired by Michelangelo Antonioni, commissioned by and recorded live at the Molde International Jazz Festival on 21 July 2010, with Andy Sheppard, Anja Lechner, Eivind Aarset, Arild Andersen and Marilyn Mazur. ECM 2300, 2013.
Tarkovsky Quartet
Third Tarkovsky-inspired album by pianist François Couturier, with Anja Lechner (cello), Jean-Louis Matinier (accordion) and Jean-Marc Larché (soprano saxophone): nine compositions and three group improvisations. Recorded December 2009, Auditorio RSI, Lugano; released 2011.
High Lines
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.
As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls
Album by Pat Metheny (guitars, bass) and Lyle Mays (piano, synthesizer, organ, autoharp) with Naná Vasconcelos (berimbau, percussion, drums, voice), recorded in autumn 1980 at Talent Studio, Oslo, and released by ECM in 1981. 2022 CD reissue.
Radhe Radhe - Rites of Holi
Film by Prashant Bhargava on the Holi festival in Mathura, with a score by Vijay Iyer for the International Contemporary Ensemble, commissioned for the Rite of Spring centenary and premiered at Chapel Hill in March 2013. With making-of.
Mountain Call
Miroslav Vitous's first ECM album as leader in ten years: duets with Michel Portal, pieces with Jack DeJohnette and two suites with Esperanza Spalding, Bob Mintzer and orchestra, recorded 2003-2010 at his Universal Syncopations studio and produced with Manfred Eicher. LP edition.