ECM: C/D, S&D

it probably is not as good as his later albums tbf but i wouldn't call it bad

That Jack DeJohnette band was good, but I really don't like Paul Motian in almost any context. His style of drumming just hits my ear all wrong.

His 70s ECM albums are even better, obv., but I've got plenty of time for his drumming regardless of context.

My favorite Keith Jarrett record is 1986's Book Of Ways, the album of clavichord improvisations that taught me what bebung is. Also Eberhard Weber's Later That Evening from 1982 is gorgeous.

bitter funeral beer is sublime

quite fond of alfred harth's this earth! from '84 with bley on piano & vocals from maggie nichols

New releases on ECM---won't let me paste, but some appealing copy re projects led by Avishai Cohen, Wolfgang Muthspiel, Carla Bley, Oded Tzur---press page here, with links to streaming sources and album trailers etc.:http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?m=1101632560908&ca=a58f0d68-50f1-46a9-aa74-a92a9f1efbe8

listened to the 3 codona albums today, still great!

Everything involving Don Cherry (the musician) and Collin Walcott is good by default. Beyond Codona, Naná Vasconcelos was more hit or miss, I'm afraid.

Pretty much everything Pat Metheny and Bill Frisell put out on ECM in the 80s is solid.

Hard disagree, but I'm in the minority here. Can't stand either except Frisell as a sideman and only on occasion.

I mean, yes, you probably have to like what they are doing in the first place to enjoy those albums. But I'd say for Pat Metheny in particular, a bunch of his best work is on those ECM albums, and I like what Bill Frisell was doing at the time more than most of his output from the mid 90s onward.

Pat Metheny’s last ECM release was 1984. I think that means he just barely missed the period that seems to be regarded as a nadir.

Figured this thread is a good place to post that I'm enjoying this IG account that's taking a look at all ECM albums in chronological order: https://www.instagram.com/ecm_listening/

It's a simple premise but fun to follow. Some of these early releases are blowing my mind. I particularly love the albums from Terje Rypdal, Marion Brown and Stanley Cowell Trio covered so far.

― cooldix, Friday, 13 March 2020 08:37 (two we

Nice!

listened to the 3 codona albums today, still great!

Dang did you catch a codonavirus or something?

A couple of '80s albums not mentioned in the revive that I like a lot: Don Cherry / Ed Blackwell ‎– 'El Corazón' (1982) and Jack DeJohnette - 'Inflation Blues' (1983). I haven't heard that many ECM records from the era, but I gather these don't really represent the stereotypical sound. 'El Corazón' is a really rich and varied duet album with some intriguing instrumentation (I probably listen to it more than the more-heralded 'Mu'), while 'Inflation Blues' also has lots of world music influences (DeJohnette even sings on the title track, which is almost political reggae). I love the cover art too. His solo stuff is pretty underrated, I reckon.

Xp. I made this pun today

I probably listen to it more than the more-heralded ‘Mu’

i’m not quite there, tho i spin it a lot. it’s a truly amazing record and i often feel like it transcends the normal human musical capacities of two people. a lot of don’s stuff is like that tho.

also y’all should check out the bitter funeral band live footage in the don cherry thread if you haven’t already

Yes, I'm heading over there. That's the thread that keeps giving!

im listening to all the ECM albums on Spotify chronologically as a little covid project

I did this in 2015-2016 (if memory serves). 10/10, I wholeheartedly recommend it to all.

Paul Bley, John Surman, Bill Frisell & Paul Motian – Fragments (1986)

This is about as good of a record as ECM ever put out. There is a bit of a sequel to this by a related band -- a bit freer but a similar vibe:

John Surman, Paul Bley, Tony Oxley, Gary Peacock, Adventure Playground (1991)

That's a lot of albums to listen too! Alright, putting on some Mal Waldron piano jams.

was surprised by the one-two of Mal Waldron Trio free at last and Paul Bley with Gary Peacock as they're both pretty standard contemporary jazz of the time, good records no doubt, but just in the hard-bop/post-bop veins (a lot of Paul Bley stuff of this era is way out there obv, like the synth stuff with Annette Peacock).

then Afternoon of A Georgia Faun by Marlon Brown and Music Improvisation Company is a one-two of free jazz and non-idiomatic free improv!

wonder when the first "ecm sound" (misnomer -there are many sounds on ecm records - but you know what I mean) type record will rear its head. I see "Janny G" himself with ECM1007 Afric Pepperbird coming up, maybe he could be the culprit (wrong word, I love "ecm sound" and Jan) but I seem to remember he was more avant grade for a stage in his early career

Early Garbarek is some of the best ECM shit, full stop.

Not ECM, but don't sleep on the Esoteric Circle LP, which features all the future ECM vets and gets way skronky

Early Garbarek is some of the best ECM shit, full stop.

About a month ago, I bought the 2012 Dansere box set, which contains 1971's Sart with Terje Rypdal on guitar, Bobo Stenson on piano, Arild Andersen on bass and John Christensen on drums; 1973's Witchi-Tai-To, with Stenson, Palle Danielsson on bass, and Christensen; and 1975's Dansere, with the same band as Witchi-Tai-To. I was shocked by how loud and skronky Sart is; there are passages that sound like David S. Ware and Keiji Haino going at it. I love it.

spinning garbarek’s “officium” rn. it’s an interesting idea but i’m guessing this will wind up in my sell / give away pile.

im listening to Afric pepperbird right now and jan is cooking skronkily, especially on beast of kommodo and the title track. ayler-esque at times

some very nifty bass from arild andersen also

Beast of Kommodo has been burned into my brain for the better part of 2 decades, such a killer tune

David Darling's Cycles – one of the most beautiful albums ever recorded imo – features some of Garbarek's finest post-skronk contributions, but they're the exception that confirms the rule, alas.

like many others i have used the current state of things as an excuse to go on a deep ecm journey and it's been fuckin great

Speaking of David Darling, it's always puzzling when an artist who has recorded for ECM for decades, stops recording for ECM and puts out work solely on other labels. One starts to wonder if Eicher felt Darling's work in the new millennium to have become too New Agey even for his label.

If that's the actual reason, Manfred Eicher otm.

eberhard weber is the shit

yeah!

I’m fond of his debut. The rest... not so much.

He has his moments.

I’m fond of his debut. The rest... not so much.

― Publius Covidius Naso (pomenitul), Sunday, April 5, 2020 3:25 PM (four minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

the colours of chloë inspired my post! but also i have been digging into the colours box and already disagree

anyone listen to the re-master of ECM001, the immortal Mal Waldron Free At Last album? I'm not much of an audiophile but thought it sounded better in some unknown way.

I listened to whatever is on spotify and it sounded more muscular than most ECM albums.

yeah I don't think he did anything else on ecm, but I think he went through labels like jumpers.

It's a pretty solid album and not all that uncharacteristic for early ECM. I haven't heard the remaster, though – will rectify that soon.

yeah I don't think he did anything else on ecm, but I think he went through labels like jumpers.

He did the one where he plays electric organ for JAPO which is ECM by proxy. Total one-off in a pretty amazing way.

The Call is amazing. I think that is his only turn on electric organ and he should have done it more often

wow @ “the call”

Echo the love for 'The Call.' Krauty goodness. Unfortunately so hard to come across.

Back on the Garbarek chat, I'm no expert on his stuff but I love, love, love the demented squawk he introduces himself with halfway through the first song from Terje Rypdal's s/t album. That whole album is killer and that song/moment especially.

Getting big Bitches Brew/Jack Johnson vibes from this Rypdal album.

i love eberhard weber. amazing krautrock jazz fusion. he's a pioneer imo. i started an unsuccessful topic about him some time back.

The first Rypdal/Vitous/DeJohnette album sounds like a strong precursor to 80s Frisell, especially the Power Tools band.