ECM Records Touchstones, Gems Worth Hearing.
New Jazz Series Releases lost Musical Treasures For Your Ears
Dec 27, 2008
For many jazz lovers and purveyors of art, it is the cover that you first notice on an ECM release. Stark, minimalist and beautiful; the photography mainly black and white, usually depicting a view of nature, adorns the covers of musical works, that is often described as great, adventurous and brilliant. Of course they were detractors that had other adjectives to describe it at the outset.
Building a Dream in Munich
ECM Records was founded in 1969 by a then 26 year old producer/engineer, named Manfred Eicher in Munich. Its first release ‘Free At Last’, by American pianist Mal Waldron helped establish the labels' early reputation for standard setting jazz and excellent improvised music albums.
Today ECM records is celebrating its' 40th anniversary and its rosters of artist has grown by leaps and bounds. They include many of today’s leading jazz and classical innovators.
Musician like pianist Keith Jarrett has recorded for the ECM label for over thirty years. Guitarist Pat Metheny started his career on the label, drummer Jack Dejohnnette, produced many of his early musical experimentation with ECM, so too has saxophonist Charles Lloyd and guitarist Bill Frisell. Pianist Carla Bley was able to build her career working with the producers and musicians at ECM.
The label also introduced the world to many of Europe’s great jazz musicians:
Trumpeters Enrico Rava and Tomasz Stanko, guitarist Terje Rypdal, Saxman Jan Garbarek among others found a home on ECM Records, ECM was also a pioneer in recording many of what is now called World music.
Pioneering World Sounds and Rhythms
Colin Walcott brought his sitar and tabla to the ECM studios in 1975, sat in with John Abercrombie, Dave Holland and Jack Dejohnette. The result of that effort was released a year later as Cloud Dance. Shankar a Violinist recorded with Zakir Hussain, Trilok Gurtu and Jan Garbarek in 1985.
These World class musicians, whose intentions were to expand their pallet of sound and to be as adventurous as they can be, all found a home at the label, because like many jazz musician are discovering these days. Independent labels are the only ones willing to give them the freedom to be musicians, to be free of concept and just allow their musicality to shine through.
The Touchstone Series
Over the years, ECM like so many other labels took most of its’ early recording off the shelves, sending many jazz connoisseurs to the jazz bins of second hand stores looking for hard to find titles.
With the release of forty of their early titles as part of the ECM Touchstone series; jazz fans can breathe a sigh of relief as they now can buy titles such as Gary Burton’s Dreams so Real, featuring the music of Carla Bley. Burton’s album when first released helped establish Carla Bley’s reputation as a composer.
Charles Lloyd’s ‘The Call’, which shows the early genius of the man and should be an excellent addition to many jazz lovers library. The Art Ensemble of Chicago’s ‘Full Force’ and trumpeter Lester Bowie’s ‘The Great Pretender’ brought the Chicago experimental force to the fore.
British singer Norma Winstone was able to bring her atmospheric vocal sound with some help from Tony Coe and John Taylor to our ears on an album named ‘Somewhere Called Home’. All of these records were previously hard to find.
There are many other great titles in this series including: Chick Corea ‘Trio Live’, Bill Frisell ‘Rambler’, Shankar ‘Song For Everyone’, Tomasz Stanko ‘Balladyna’ and bassist’s Marc Johnson’s short lived group Bass Desires; their only two recording are now available again, after a long absence. Check them out.
The ECM Touchstone series is a great present for lovers of the ECM sound.
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