ECM: C/D, S&D

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

Accurate.

I think David Torn's 'cloud about mercury' was just reissued.

They're reissuing 50 titles on CD in cardboard sleeves - the first 25 on February 1, and the rest in May. This is the first batch:

Paul Bley • Ballads
Chick Corea • Piano Improvisations Vol. 1
Ralph Towner/Gary Burton • Matchbook
Barre Phillips • Mountainscapes
Eberhard Weber • The Following Morning
Pat Metheny • Watercolors
Mick Goodrick • In Pas(s)ing
George Adams • Sound Suggestions
Leo Smith • Divine Love
Jan Garbarek/Kjell Johnsen • Aftenland
Steve Tibbetts • Northern Song
Mike Nock • Ondas
Keith Jarrett/Gary Peacock/Jack DeJohnette • Standards Vol. 1
Kenny Wheeler • Double Double You
John Abercrombie • Night
Dave Holland Quintet • Seeds of Time
David Torn • Cloud About Mercury
Terje Rypdal & The Chasers • Blue
Dino Saluzzi • Andina
Louis Sclavis Quintet • Rouge
Miroslav Vitous/Jan Garbarek • Atmos
John Surman/John Warren • The Brass Project
Stephan Micus • To the Evening Child
Bobo Stenson Trio • War Orphans
Peter Erskine Trio • Juni

I'm definitely buying Divine Love and maybe Double Double You.

ugh, cardboard sleeves.

I'll still buy a few.

David Torn is a given, yes, but anyone who doesn't know the Goodrick, Tibbetts, and Barre Philips titles here in particular should snatch them up asap. Massively underrated ECM titles imo

I'm assuming there's no need to remaster any of these, so these are likely just straight reissues of the previously CD versions, right?

Ondas is pretty classic as well.

which ones of those are fjordian

TIA

not fjordian at all but I love some Dino Saluzzi and his version of the Haden/Bley classic Silence (with Haden) is so beautiful.

If you've never heard it, this would be the perfect time to dig in to Eberhard Weber's the Following Morning.

Also, everyone should buy Northern Song, too!

Been going through some of my ECM LPs and Rainer Bruninghaus’ Freigeweht feels like a peak of some sort of ECM feeling that I love - beautiful recording, lots of tastefully deployed synths, smooth playing and a production sheen over everything but also real sort of uneasy… like I feel it is reductive to describe this stuff through the prism of Soundtrack-ness, but it could be the soundtrack to some inscrutable UK sci fi film from 1983… like if they had filmed A Dream of Wessex maybe

Anyway it is so good