ECM: C/D, S&D

Not in the US, at least not yet.

Well whaddya know, loads of ECM stuff on Apple Music in the UK now too. Hooray!

I said preferably NOT streaming damnit, Manfred.

I wish someone would do an exploratory ECM back catalog blog like the Kranky one a from few years back.

US Spotify now has Nice Guys, Urban Bushmen, and The Third Decade up, as well as Lester Bowie's All The Magic!/The One and Only and Works, and Roscoe Mitchell's Nine to Get Ready, Composition/Improvisation Nos. 1, 2 & 3, Far Side and Bells For the South Side.

God dammit, Eberhard Weber's early records are so beautiful, I've had a couple kicking around for years but never afforded them the proper attention, what a fool.

The Colours Of Chloë might just be the most ECM-y record of all.

good call, I was just thinking of something to stream right now.

I wonder if Joni was paying attention, some of Don Juan's Reckless Daughter is very reminiscent of Weber's music.

I started this rather unsuccessful topic some while back.

Nik Bärtsch's RONIN have a new album out.

What is his best album?

I'm undecided on that but I loved his last one Continuum, and I think both Stoa and Holon are A+. I haven't listened to his band for a while tbh. Luckily ECM are streaming now so it's easy to access his music. Although he looks disturbingly like a shaved barl-head Tony Blair - I don't judge ppl on looks!

He also looks disconcertingly like the singer form Disturbed

Continuum is amazing and I'll probably buy this new one

^^^ This album is Awase Amaze.

yep!

this band/composer are so consistently good, they've never put out anything less than A+ imo.

Listened to Albanian jazz vocalise Elina Duni last weekend, really good. First vocalist on ECM or am I missing any?

Anettete Peacock, Meredith Monk just off the top of my head

lol Annette

June Tabor released at least one album on ECM!

oh, there are literally loads of vocal albums.

Thanks - I've missed these!

SEARCH - Eberhard Weber Later That Evening 1982

SEARCH — Eberhard Weber all

searching that rn sounds great!

As mentioned by others, Elina Duni is not the first vocalist on ECM by a long shot, though she is certainly a fine one. But one ECM vocalist I feel has been overlooked, and could have been a breakout star like Duni, is Cymin Samawatie. She and her band Cyminology have recorded three fine albums on ECM, but they do not seem to have gotten much attention beyond Germany.

really feeling new Tord Gustavsen album tonight, sort of textbook downbeat, bluesy ECM piano trio classicism, but quite powerful and moving stuff.

thanks for the recommendation, sounds very good indeed

Happy he's returned to the trio format. Did not enjoy What Was Said at all.

Been listening to Rainer Bruninghaus' 'Continuum' from 1984 while working this week, it's a nimble and kinda spindly, looking out the window with nothing to do on a rainy day, sounding record.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ooEv70T0oY

Eicher put together this tribute to Tomasz Stanko:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOJ4KJz97xo

Wonderful album, thanks for the recommendation. Unobtrusive, subtle music to daydream and look out of the window to. I think it would also be great to write existential love letters to.

I meant the Brüninghaus album...

Listening to the Brüninghaus album right now. It's absolutely gorgeous.

I've only dipped a couple of toes into EM, but this is my favourite era - whether the tonal palette started to get fleshed out a little with synths and digital reverb units.

Has this ever been discussed? Total banger.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NX6-pNcJqko

* dipped a couple of toes into ECM, obviously.

That's great, Isham only made one record for ECM?

I feel a bit of an early/mid-eighties rabbit hole coming on, see if I can find some more records with that integrated synth feel.

He played on a few other records, but this is his only album as a leader.
https://www.ecmrecords.com/artists/1435045855/mark-isham

Would love some recommendations of other synthy titles.

I will report back on my findings, I'm kinda intrigued by 'Ecotopia' by Orgeon based on the Allmusic review quoted in it's Wikipedia entry.

"there is no excuse for this waste of studio time and Manfred Eicher's energy. It is no wonder that he began the ECM New Series a few years before, given the junk churned out by some of label's stable between 1983 and 1988, and this record is a stellar example. Simply put, this is a trite, new age piece of dreck slopped out by a group of musicians whose combined creativity should always take them to stellar heights. There are no redeeming tracks on this disc, and few redeeming moments "

That sounds exactly like my kind of thing.

Looks like Ralph Towner's on that one - his Blue Sun has loads of synth all over it.

It's interesting to hear synths used in this context, rather than 'pure' electronic music which tends to put a premium on sound design over playing chops. It's sometimes quite jarring to hear a DX7 on one of these records, played virtuosically but using some hoary old presets.

This might be a good jumping off point.

https://thevinylfactory.com/features/vf-mix-ecm-by-arp/

Brilliant - yes, that looks like a great place to start!

Surman & DeJohnette's Adventures of Simon Simon would fit

Another Brüninghaus from an earlier record released in '80, this has an almost John Carpenter-y looping synth/electric piano line.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mg2214arX04

Ecotopia is pretty bland for Oregon, not sure if there is nothing to keep but they have done much better.

Surman & DeJohnette's Adventures of Simon Simon would fit

yeah i really like Surman's use of synth vs sax overdubs, really unique - withholding pattern and upon reflection are my favourites in this vein

big fan of that isham album too

i had somehow missed that Tomasz Stanko died - seeing him play with his Polish quartet is a top 10 show for me

That Brüninghaus album is so great, thanks for the rec.

The new album "Helsinki Songs" by Norwegian sax player Trygve Seim and his quartet is grand cru. Kristjan Randalu's subtle piano play is wonderful.

oh hell yeah

so much good scandi jazz

If you're buying the Art Ensemble box in-person, you might want to make sure all discs are there before you check out. My box has two copies of New Directions (XVI) and no copies of Far Side (XIV).

Very clear and fjordian

Love that one of Maupin's credits is 'reeds'. Flex.

I've listened to a few Rypdal records, very intriguing but he can get a little abstract for me.

Now I've got around to the expanded Odyssey reissue and this is a lot more full-bodied (or "rock", maybe) than his previous records. Despite the tracks mostly being very, very long they seem more vital than a lot of the other stuff of his I've heard.

It's not on ECM but Maupin's follow-up record Slow Traffic to the Right is an intelligent compromise between some of the virtues of Jewel in the Lotus and the commercial/easy-listening/funky tendencies of the era.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMIkv0-aQdk

Posted in the obituary thread, but RIP guitarist Ralph Towner.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6FNcN7KXRU

bummer, i had matchbook with gary burton for a while and enjoyed it. from the obit thread:

Oh man, I've been listening to so much Ralph Towner over the last 5 years. He has tons of good stuff on ECM.

― whimsical skeedaddler (Moodles), Sunday, January 18, 2026 10:52 PM (yesterday) bookmarkflaglink

does anyone have a good recommendation or two?

I like the group alb Solstice and the self-explanatory Solo Concert - I could go with a good guide to the Oregon stuff myself...

Second the Solstice album, but I was more into his work with Oregon tbh. The recent archival “1974” live album is really good.

Also watched the Live at Molde Jazz 1975 set on YouTube twice today, so good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9m7VIHR9lYk

Aforementioned 1975 show, such a treat and love the attentive, beautiful looking Norwegian crowd.