Jazz & Improvisation / Contemporary

Mathias Eick's third ECM album, eight originals on Norwegian emigration to the Midwest, with Gjermund Larsen (violin), Jon Balke (piano), Mats Eilertsen (double bass) and Helge Norbakken (percussion). Recorded May 2014 at Rainbow Studio, Oslo; produc…

Second ECM album by the Giovanni Guidi Trio: Giovanni Guidi (piano), Thomas Morgan (double bass), João Lobo (drums), with nine Guidi originals, a Lobo piece and two standards. Recorded April 2014 at Auditorio Stelio Molo RSI, Lugano; produced by Manf…

Fourth ECM album by the Marcin Wasilewski Trio (Wasilewski piano, Sławomir Kurkiewicz double bass, Michał Miśkiewicz drums) with Swedish tenor saxophonist Joakim Milder. Recorded March 2014 at Auditorio RSI, Lugano; produced by Manfred Eicher.

Live reunion of AACM associates Jack DeJohnette, Muhal Richard Abrams, Roscoe Mitchell and Henry Threadgill, with Larry Gray, recorded 29 August 2013 at the Pritzker Pavilion, Millennium Park, during the 35th Chicago Jazz Festival.

Michael Mantler's 2013 reworking of his 1968 Jazz Composer's Orchestra music, played live at Porgy & Bess, Vienna, by the Nouvelle Cuisine Big Band under Christoph Cech, with radio.string.quartet.vienna, guitarist Bjarne Roupé and Mantler on trumpet.

Gianluigi Trovesi (clarinets, alto saxophone) with Stefano Montanari and a period-instrument ensemble in music by Purcell, Dufay, Trabaci, Josquin and others, plus Trovesi originals and duets with Fulvio Maras. Recorded January 2014 in Cremona.

Kenny Wheeler's last album: nine of his compositions played on flugelhorn with Stan Sulzmann, John Parricelli, Chris Laurence and Martin France. Recorded December 2013 at Abbey Road Studios, London; produced by Manfred Eicher and Steve Lake.

First album by Chris Potter's eleven-piece Underground Orchestra (reeds, guitar, piano, vibes, two basses, drums, strings), with Craig Taborn, Adam Rogers, Steve Nelson and Mark Feldman. Recorded December 2013 at Avatar Studios, New York; produced by…

Third ECM album by Israeli pianist Anat Fort, with her trio of Gary Wang (double bass) and Roland Schneider (drums) and guest Gianluigi Trovesi on alto clarinet. Recorded November 2013 at Auditorio Stelio Molo RSI, Lugano; produced by Manfred Eicher.

Vijay Iyer's first ECM album as leader: the suite Mutations I-X for string quartet (Miranda Cuckson, Michi Wiancko, Kyle Armbrust, Kivie Cahn-Lipman), piano and electronics, framed by solo pieces. Recorded September 2013 at Avatar Studios, New York.

Dino Saluzzi (bandoneon) with his family band: Félix Saluzzi (tenor sax, clarinet), José María Saluzzi (guitars), Matías Saluzzi (basses), plus Nicolás Brizuela (guitar) and Quintino Cinalli (drums). Recorded March-May 2013 at Saluzzi Music Studio, B…

Third ECM album by guitarist Jacob Young, all his own compositions, with saxophonist Trygve Seim and the Marcin Wasilewski Trio (Slawomir Kurkiewicz, Michal Miskiewicz). Recorded August 2013 at Rainbow Studio, Oslo; produced by Manfred Eicher.

Miroslav Vitous revisits Weather Report repertoire with a sextet of two saxophonists (Gary Campbell, Roberto Bonisolo), two drummers (Gerald Cleaver, Nasheet Waits) and keyboards. Recorded 2010-2011 at Universal Syncopations Studios, Clavesana.

Eleven-part suite by the Swiss duo Vera Kappeler (piano, harmonium, toy piano, voice) and Peter Conradin Zumthor (drums, toy piano, voice), commissioned for the Origen Festival Cultural after the Book of Daniel. Recorded June 2013 at the RSI Auditori…

Nine new compositions by Italian pianist Stefano Bollani for a quintet with Mark Turner (tenor saxophone), Bill Frisell (guitar), Jesper Bodilsen (double bass) and Morten Lund (drums). Recorded June 2013 at Avatar Studios, New York; produced by Manfr…

Sixth ECM album by Norwegian pianist Tord Gustavsen, the third by his quartet with Tore Brunborg (tenor saxophone), Mats Eilertsen (double bass) and Jarle Vespestad (drums). Recorded June 2013 at Rainbow Studio, Oslo; produced by Manfred Eicher.

First ECM album as leader by tenor saxophonist Mark Turner, a pianoless quartet with Avishai Cohen (trumpet), Joe Martin (double bass) and Marcus Gilmore (drums), playing six Turner originals. Recorded June 2013 at Avatar Studios, New York; produced …

Trio album by Austrian guitarist Wolfgang Muthspiel (acoustic and electric guitar) with Larry Grenadier (double bass) and Brian Blade (drums), his first ECM album as leader. Recorded May 2013 at Rainbow Studio, Oslo; produced by Manfred Eicher; relea…

Second ECM album by Tim Berne's Snakeoil: Berne (alto sax), Oscar Noriega (clarinets), Matt Mitchell (piano) and Ches Smith (drums, vibraphone). Recorded January 2013 at the Clubhouse, New York, produced by Berne and David Torn.

Second ECM album by the Billy Hart Quartet, with Mark Turner (tenor saxophone), Ethan Iverson (piano) and Ben Street (double bass), playing pieces by Hart, Turner and Iverson plus one standard. Recorded April-May 2013 at Avatar Studios, New York.

Third ECM album by Norma Winstone (voice), Glauco Venier (piano) and Klaus Gesing (bass clarinet, soprano saxophone): originals plus songs by Nick Drake, Fred Neil, Tom Waits and others. Recorded December 2012 at the RSI Auditorio, Lugano.

First album by the Craig Taborn Trio, with Thomas Morgan on double bass and Gerald Cleaver on drums, playing nine Taborn compositions. Recorded in June 2012 at Avatar Studios, New York, produced by Manfred Eicher.

Third ECM album by Susanne Abbuehl: settings of Emily Dickinson, Emily Brontë, Sara Teasdale, Wallace Stevens and her own lyrics, with Wolfert Brederode, Matthieu Michel and Olavi Louhivuori. Recorded in summer 2012 at Studios La Buissonne, Pernes-le…

Ralph Alessi's first ECM album as a leader: ten original compositions plus a reprise, played with Jason Moran, Drew Gress and Nasheet Waits. Recorded in October 2012 at Avatar Studios, New York, produced by Manfred Eicher.

Debut album of the bass-less Swiss-Italian trio Third Reel: Nicolas Masson (tenor saxophone, clarinet), Roberto Pianca (guitar), Emanuele Maniscalco (drums), sixteen composed and improvised pieces. Recorded February 2012 at the Auditorio RSI, Lugano.

Guitar trio album by Ralph Towner (classical and 12-string guitar), Wolfgang Muthspiel (electric guitar, voice) and Slava Grigoryan (classical and baritone guitar), with five pieces each by Towner and Muthspiel. Recorded August 2012 at the Auditorio …

Julia Hülsmann's trio with Marc Muellbauer and Heinrich Köbberling becomes a quartet with English trumpeter Tom Arthurs: band originals plus Feist, Fumi Udo and de Falla, recorded June 2012 at Rainbow Studio, Oslo, produced by Manfred Eicher. ECM 230…

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 …

Enrico Rava with the twelve-piece Parco della Musica Jazz Lab plays Michael Jackson songs in arrangements by Mauro Ottolini, recorded live at the Auditorium Parco della Musica, Rome, on 20 May and 30 November 2011. Produced by Manfred Eicher. ECM 229…

Duo album by bassist Gary Peacock and pianist Marilyn Crispell: compositions by each, three free improvisations and a solo apiece, recorded January-February 2011 at Nevessa Production, Saugerties, NY, and self-produced. ECM 2292, 2013.

Fifth ECM album by the Christian Wallumrød Ensemble, a sextet with trumpet, tenor saxophone, Hardanger fiddle, cello and drums around Wallumrød's piano and harmonium, playing eleven of his pieces. Recorded at the Auditorio RSI in Lugano, produced by …

Carla Bley (piano), Andy Sheppard (tenor and soprano saxophones) and Steve Swallow (bass) play five Bley compositions, including three suites. Recorded in April 2012 at the Auditorio RSI in Lugano, produced by Manfred Eicher; Bley's first album as le…

Stefano Battaglia's second trio album for ECM with Salvatore Maiore (double bass) and Roberto Dani (drums): ten Battaglia pieces inspired by imaginary places in literature and myth. Recorded in April 2012 at the Auditorio RSI in Lugano, produced by M…

First album by Louis Sclavis's Atlas Trio, with Sclavis on clarinet and bass clarinet, Benjamin Moussay on piano, Fender Rhodes and keyboards and Gilles Coronado on electric guitar. Recorded in September 2011 at Studios La Buissonne, Pernes-les-Fonta…

Second ECM album by bassist Michael Formanek, eight original compositions played by his quartet with Tim Berne (alto saxophone), Craig Taborn (piano) and Gerald Cleaver (drums). Recorded December 2011 at Avatar Studios, New York.

Live big-band album: Arild Andersen (double bass) as principal soloist with the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra directed by Tommy Smith, in new arrangements of ECM-associated pieces. Recorded October 2010 at Stevenson Hall, Royal Conservatoire of Sc…

John Abercrombie Quartet tribute to 1960s jazz (Rollins, Davis, Coleman, Coltrane, Evans) with three originals: John Abercrombie (guitar), Joe Lovano (tenor saxophone), Drew Gress (double bass), Joey Baron (drums). Recorded September 2011 at Avatar S…

Debut of Trio Libero: Andy Sheppard (tenor and soprano saxophones), Michel Benita (double bass), Sebastian Rochford (drums), with originals, group improvisations and one standard. Recorded July 2011 at the Auditorio RSI, Lugano, produced by Manfred E…

ECM debut of the Benedikt Jahnel Trio: Benedikt Jahnel (piano), Antonio Miguel (double bass), Owen Howard (drums), seven Jahnel compositions. Recorded July 2011 at the Auditorio RSI, Lugano, produced by Manfred Eicher.

First ECM album by the Billy Hart Quartet: Billy Hart (drums), Ethan Iverson (piano), Mark Turner (tenor saxophone), Ben Street (double bass). Recorded June 2011 at Avatar Studios, New York, produced by Manfred Eicher.