madscientist
pfm Member
I havve been dipping my toes into some the ECM back catalogue of late and wondered what in your opinions are the best/must have albums from the rather eclectic mix?
What are the best ECM albums?
- Thread starter madscientist
- Start date
mikechadwick
pfm Member
Some of my favourites:
Bennie Maupin - Jewel in the Lotus
egberto gismonti - Dança Das Cabeças
Keith Jarrett - Survivors Suite
Bennie Maupin - Jewel in the Lotus
egberto gismonti - Dança Das Cabeças
Keith Jarrett - Survivors Suite
foxwelljsly
Me too, I ate one sour too.
Depends what you like. Belonging by Keith Jarrett for Acoustic Euro Jazz quartets, Koln Concerts by the same for solo piano improvisations. A slightly obscure ECM album that I really love is Drum Ode by David Liebman, which Is gnarlier early 70's electric jazz (not fusion or jazz rock, I hasten to add). Anthem by Ralph Towner is also a regular listen chez foxwell. Probably not best to start with a Jarrett box set. Or may be it is. I don't know. I really, really like Keith Jarrett's music, so I'm biased. I'm not a fan of the rather austere Northern European classical-traditional/jazz style stuff they put out that frequently features Jan Garbarek and someone singing in Icelandic (am I imagining this?), but I'm sure others love it.
Nagraboy
Ausculta fili
My recent favourite is:
Jimmy Giuffre vol. 3: 1961
This is the only re-issue ECM has ever done and contains two albums (2 CDs) by Jimmy Giuffre - Fusion and Thesis. It’s from 1961 but sounds right at home with later ECM stuff. The music and sound quality is fantastic. Bass is Paul Bley, Piano Steve Swallow and Jimmy Giuffre plays Clarinet and Tenor Saxophone.
Highly recommended.
Seanm
pfm Member
I look to ECM mostly for Scandinavian lugubriousness but find that while a lot of titles deliver some of that they also pile on a fair bit of wine bar cheese or off-putting "good taste" electronica.
Recently I've been half-enjoying some Markus Stockhausen stuff, Florian Weber's Lucent Waters, Christian Wallumrod's Fabula Suite Lugano and, my favourite so far of this type, Jakob Bro's Streams.
Outside of the more usual ECM sound, Andrew Cyrille's latest is good, and, historically, there's Art Ensemble of Chicago (big box set released recently). I also like anything with Charlie Haden on it, even the stuff that includes Jan Garbarek. Actually I think I might like Jan Garbarek.
Recently I've been half-enjoying some Markus Stockhausen stuff, Florian Weber's Lucent Waters, Christian Wallumrod's Fabula Suite Lugano and, my favourite so far of this type, Jakob Bro's Streams.
Outside of the more usual ECM sound, Andrew Cyrille's latest is good, and, historically, there's Art Ensemble of Chicago (big box set released recently). I also like anything with Charlie Haden on it, even the stuff that includes Jan Garbarek. Actually I think I might like Jan Garbarek.
Seanm
pfm Member
Yes, forgot that, that's great.
My recent favourite is:
Jimmy Giuffre vol. 3: 1961
This is the only re-issue ECM has ever done and contains two albums (2 CDs) by Jimmy Giuffre - Fusion and Thesis. It’s from 1961 but sounds right at home with later ECM stuff. The music and sound quality is fantastic. Bass is Paul Bley, Piano Steve Swallow and Jimmy Giuffre plays Clarinet and Tenor Saxophone.
Highly recommended.
Also Jon Hassell!
And another recent one, very far removed from wine bar cheese and very mournful indeed: Barre Phillips' End to End:
Vinniemac
pfm Member
Mainly go to ECM for Keith Jarrett and Jan Garbarek. Big fan of My Song (Jarrett’s European quartet) and agree with the poster who mentioned The Survivors’ Suite (his American quartet.) I prefer his Facing You album to the more famous Koln Concert. Garbarek’s Photo With... is another favourite.
Dave Holland’s What Goes Around is a brilliant album of modern big (ish) band jazz.
Just remembered - Charlie Haden’s Ballad of the Fallen is magnificent.
Dave Holland’s What Goes Around is a brilliant album of modern big (ish) band jazz.
Just remembered - Charlie Haden’s Ballad of the Fallen is magnificent.
Swamp Thing
Remainiac Terrorist
There is a box set where a lot of ECM releases were used for an art exhibit.
https://www.ecmrecords.com/catalogue/143038752983/selected-signs-iii-viii-various-artists
Quite a good contemporary ECM sampler - some very good stuff on it and threads to follow.
https://www.ecmrecords.com/catalogue/143038752983/selected-signs-iii-viii-various-artists
Quite a good contemporary ECM sampler - some very good stuff on it and threads to follow.
Paul Mc
pfm Member
Some early Pat Metheny albums are worth a listen - his best work for me is on As Witchata Falls...
Kenny Wheeler - Gnu High (with Jarrett)
Jarrett - loads of great stuff - solo/Euro/US quartets and odd classical offering
I have around 100 ECM releases and although I've got a couple of duffers, there us usually something to enjoy
Other names to look out for: Eberhard Weber, Tomasz Stanko, Jack DeJonette and Alrid Andersen
Kenny Wheeler - Gnu High (with Jarrett)
Jarrett - loads of great stuff - solo/Euro/US quartets and odd classical offering
I have around 100 ECM releases and although I've got a couple of duffers, there us usually something to enjoy
Other names to look out for: Eberhard Weber, Tomasz Stanko, Jack DeJonette and Alrid Andersen
Stunsworth
pfm Member
This chap has some ECM albums for sale - £5 for singles, £8 for doubles. Sorry for copy an paste losing the formatting.
Alan Ross
Jazz House Records
Unit 50 Vulcan House
Vulcan Road
Leicester
LE5 3EF
UK
tel/fax +44 (0)116 2518 333
e: [email protected]
w: http://www.jazzhouserecords.co.uk
blog: http://jazzhouserecords.blogspot.com
Cat Num.
Barcode
Artist
Title
FMT
ECM - JAZZ
3728258
'602537282586
BAN,LUCIAN/MAT MANERI
TRANSYLVANIAN CONCERT
CD
3709441
'602537094417
FORMANEK,MICHAEL
SMALL PLACES
CD
3728931
'602537289318
SINAN,MARC
HASRETIM: JOURNEY TO ANATOLIA
CDDV
2795917
'602527959177
DANS LES ARBRES
CANOPEE
CD
3709440
'602537094400
FOOD
MERCURIAL BALM
CD
8334732
'042283347328
KOCH/SCHUTZ/KAPPELI
ACCELERATION
CD
3728782
'602537287826
ANDERSEN,ARILD/TRIO
MIRA
CD
3797773
'602537977734
JOKLEBA
OUTLAND
CD
3728269
'602537282692
THIRD REEL
THIRD REEL
CD
1780149
'602517801493
CYMINOLOGY
AS NEY
CD
2791249
'602527912493
BJORNSTAD,KETIL
VINDING'S MUSIC
CD2
4799717
'602547997173
BLECKMANN,THEO
ELEGY
CD
4766047
'602547660473
BALKE,JON
WARP
CD
5711952
'602557119527
MITCHELL,ROSCOE
BELLS FOR THE SOUTH SIDE
CD2
2798380
'602527983806
SWALLOW,STEVE/QUINTET
INTO THE WOODWORK
CD
4708937
'602547089373
IYER,VIJAY/TRIO
BREAK STUFF
CD
4732253
'602547322531
SEIM,TRYGVE
RUMI SONGS
CD
4704653
'602547046536
WHEELER,KENNY
SONGS FOR QUINTET
CD
2786631
'602527866314
HART,BILLY/E IVERSON/ M TURNER
ALL OUR REASONS
CD
5779058
'602557790580
STRONEN,THOMAS
LUCUS
CD
3747708
'602537477081
BERNE,TIM
SHADOW MAN
CD
4708232
'602547082329
JORMIN/WILLEMARK/NAKAGAWA
TREES OF LIGHT
CD
3780663
'602537806638
TURNER,MARK/QUARTET
LATHE OF HEAVEN
CD
4732371
'602547323712
HAARLA,IRO
ANTE LUCEM
CD
2775156
'602527751566
BALKE,JON
MAGNETIC WORKS 1993-2001
CD2
3706654
'602537066544
RAVA,ENRICO
RAVA ON THE DANCE FLOOR
CD
3759741
'602537597413
KAPPELER / ZUMTHOR
BABYLON-SUITE
CD
4781796
'602547817969
PIFARELY,DOMINIQUE/QUARTET
TRACE PROVISOIRE
CD
3744030
'602537440306
SHIN,YEAHWON
LUA YA
CD
3743516
'602537435166
BURTON,GARY
SEVEN SONGS FOR QUARTET AND CH
CD
2786145
'602527861456
JORMIN,ANDERS
AD LUCEM
CD
2776645
'602527766454
JARRETT,KEITH
RIO
CD2
4722298
'602547222985
BERNE,TIM
YOU'VE BEEN WATCHING ME
CD
3713772
'602537137725
STANKO,TOMASZ/NEW YORK QUARTET
WISLAWA
CD2
2763783
'602527637839
ROUPE,BJARNE/PER SALO
MICHAEL MANTLER: FOR TWO
CD
4721563
'602547215635
PIFARELY,DOMINIQUE
TIME BEFORE AND TIME AFTER
CD
4732228
'602547322289
RAVA,ENRICO/QUARTET
WILD DANCE
CD
5765115
'602557651157
VIRELLES,DAVID
GNOSIS
CD
4723813
'602547238139
THIRD REEL
MANY MORE DAYS
CD
5789560
'602557895605
BALKE,JON & SIWAN
NAHNOU HOUM
CD
5768963
'602557689631
BATTAGLIA,STEFANO
PELAGOS
CD2
5711447
'602557114478
MANTLER,MICHAEL
COMMENT C'EST
CD
3759733
'602537597338
HART,BILLY/QUARTET
ONE IS THE OTHER
CD
3733062
'602537330621
WALLUMROD,CHRISTIAN/ENSEMBLE
OUTSTAIRS
CD
5764562
'602557645620
OBARA,MACIEJ/QUARTET
UNLOVED
CD
3768680
'602537686803
MANTLER,KAREN
BUSINESS IS BAD
CD
4704256
'602547042569
JARRETT/HADEN/MOTIAN
HAMBURG '72
CD
2780490
'602527804903
BALKE,JON & BATAGRAF
SAY AND PLAY
CD
2790947
'602527909479
ANDERSEN,ARILD
CELEBRATION
CD
3755519
'602537555192
JARRETT,KEITH
NO END
CD2
5743078
'602557430783
QUERCUS (JUNE TABOR. I BALLAMY
NIGHTFALL
CD
5732663
'602557326635
BATES',DJANGO/BELOV?D
STUDY OF TOUCH,THE
CD
ECM NEW SERIES - CLASSICAL
4763826
'028947638261
LONQUICH,ALEXANDER
SCHUMANN / HOLLIGER
CD
4728282
'028947282822
CAGE,JOHN/HERBERT HENCK
SONATAS & INTERLUDES/LOCATIONS
CD2
4814485
'028948144853
REINER,CHRISTIAN
JOSEPH BRODSKY
CD
4764582
'028947645825
MAKARSKI,M./KEITH JARRETT
BACH: 6 SONATAS FOR VIOLIN+PIA
CD2
4810104
'028948101047
GIDON KREMER/KREMERATA BALTICA
VICTOR KISSINE: BETWEEN TWO WA
CD
4811580
'028948115808
JARRETT,KEITH
BARBER & BARTOK
CD
4728413
'602547284136
REINARTZ,BURKHARD
EINE OLIVE DES NICHTS
CD
4816781
'028948167814
DUO GAZZANA
RAVEL FRANCK LIGETI MESSIAEN
CD
4814499
'028948144990
KARAINDROU,ELENI
DAVID
CD
4815692
'028948156924
SILVESTROV,VALENTIN
HIEROGLYPHEN DER NACHT
CD
4763942
'028947639428
ZEHETMAIR QUARTET
BEETHOVEN/BRUCKNER/HARTMANN
CD2
4811259
'028948112593
KNAIFEL,ALEXANDER
LUKOMORIYE
CD
4813195
'028948131952
DEMENGA,THOMAS
BACH: SUITEN FUR VIOLONCELLO
CD2
4811463
'028948114634
POTTER,JOHN
SECRET HISTORY
CD
4812556
'028948125562
GRIGORYAN,LUSINE
KOMITAS: SEVEN SONGS
CD
4532582
'028945325828
KURTAG,GYORGY
MUSIC FOR STRINGS
CD
4812635
'028948126354
WIDMANN,CAROLIN
MENDELSSOHN/SCHUMANN CONCERTOS
CD
4810957
'028948109579
HOLLIGER/LEUZINGER/KERNJAK
SCHUMANN/HOLLIGER: ASCHENMUSIK
CD
4811788
'028948117888
CUCKSON,MIRANDA
BARTOK, SCHNITTKE, LUTOSLAWSKI
CD
4811592
'028948115921
LAVANDERA,HORACIO
DINO SALUZZI: IMAGENES
CD
4810894
'028948108947
DUO GAZZANA
POULENC/WALTON/DALLAPICCOLA
CD
4764426
'028947644262
HILLIARD ENSEMBLE/ROSAMUNDE QU
BORIS YOFFE: SONG OF SONGS
CD
4814474
'028948144747
SCHIFF,ANDRAS
ENCORES AFTER BEETHOVEN
CD
4815767
'028948157679
SCHIFF,ANDRAS & YUUKO SHIOKAWA
BACH, BUSONI, BEETHOVEN
CD
Alan Ross
Jazz House Records
Unit 50 Vulcan House
Vulcan Road
Leicester
LE5 3EF
UK
tel/fax +44 (0)116 2518 333
e: [email protected]
w: http://www.jazzhouserecords.co.uk
blog: http://jazzhouserecords.blogspot.com
Cat Num.
Barcode
Artist
Title
FMT
ECM - JAZZ
3728258
'602537282586
BAN,LUCIAN/MAT MANERI
TRANSYLVANIAN CONCERT
CD
3709441
'602537094417
FORMANEK,MICHAEL
SMALL PLACES
CD
3728931
'602537289318
SINAN,MARC
HASRETIM: JOURNEY TO ANATOLIA
CDDV
2795917
'602527959177
DANS LES ARBRES
CANOPEE
CD
3709440
'602537094400
FOOD
MERCURIAL BALM
CD
8334732
'042283347328
KOCH/SCHUTZ/KAPPELI
ACCELERATION
CD
3728782
'602537287826
ANDERSEN,ARILD/TRIO
MIRA
CD
3797773
'602537977734
JOKLEBA
OUTLAND
CD
3728269
'602537282692
THIRD REEL
THIRD REEL
CD
1780149
'602517801493
CYMINOLOGY
AS NEY
CD
2791249
'602527912493
BJORNSTAD,KETIL
VINDING'S MUSIC
CD2
4799717
'602547997173
BLECKMANN,THEO
ELEGY
CD
4766047
'602547660473
BALKE,JON
WARP
CD
5711952
'602557119527
MITCHELL,ROSCOE
BELLS FOR THE SOUTH SIDE
CD2
2798380
'602527983806
SWALLOW,STEVE/QUINTET
INTO THE WOODWORK
CD
4708937
'602547089373
IYER,VIJAY/TRIO
BREAK STUFF
CD
4732253
'602547322531
SEIM,TRYGVE
RUMI SONGS
CD
4704653
'602547046536
WHEELER,KENNY
SONGS FOR QUINTET
CD
2786631
'602527866314
HART,BILLY/E IVERSON/ M TURNER
ALL OUR REASONS
CD
5779058
'602557790580
STRONEN,THOMAS
LUCUS
CD
3747708
'602537477081
BERNE,TIM
SHADOW MAN
CD
4708232
'602547082329
JORMIN/WILLEMARK/NAKAGAWA
TREES OF LIGHT
CD
3780663
'602537806638
TURNER,MARK/QUARTET
LATHE OF HEAVEN
CD
4732371
'602547323712
HAARLA,IRO
ANTE LUCEM
CD
2775156
'602527751566
BALKE,JON
MAGNETIC WORKS 1993-2001
CD2
3706654
'602537066544
RAVA,ENRICO
RAVA ON THE DANCE FLOOR
CD
3759741
'602537597413
KAPPELER / ZUMTHOR
BABYLON-SUITE
CD
4781796
'602547817969
PIFARELY,DOMINIQUE/QUARTET
TRACE PROVISOIRE
CD
3744030
'602537440306
SHIN,YEAHWON
LUA YA
CD
3743516
'602537435166
BURTON,GARY
SEVEN SONGS FOR QUARTET AND CH
CD
2786145
'602527861456
JORMIN,ANDERS
AD LUCEM
CD
2776645
'602527766454
JARRETT,KEITH
RIO
CD2
4722298
'602547222985
BERNE,TIM
YOU'VE BEEN WATCHING ME
CD
3713772
'602537137725
STANKO,TOMASZ/NEW YORK QUARTET
WISLAWA
CD2
2763783
'602527637839
ROUPE,BJARNE/PER SALO
MICHAEL MANTLER: FOR TWO
CD
4721563
'602547215635
PIFARELY,DOMINIQUE
TIME BEFORE AND TIME AFTER
CD
4732228
'602547322289
RAVA,ENRICO/QUARTET
WILD DANCE
CD
5765115
'602557651157
VIRELLES,DAVID
GNOSIS
CD
4723813
'602547238139
THIRD REEL
MANY MORE DAYS
CD
5789560
'602557895605
BALKE,JON & SIWAN
NAHNOU HOUM
CD
5768963
'602557689631
BATTAGLIA,STEFANO
PELAGOS
CD2
5711447
'602557114478
MANTLER,MICHAEL
COMMENT C'EST
CD
3759733
'602537597338
HART,BILLY/QUARTET
ONE IS THE OTHER
CD
3733062
'602537330621
WALLUMROD,CHRISTIAN/ENSEMBLE
OUTSTAIRS
CD
5764562
'602557645620
OBARA,MACIEJ/QUARTET
UNLOVED
CD
3768680
'602537686803
MANTLER,KAREN
BUSINESS IS BAD
CD
4704256
'602547042569
JARRETT/HADEN/MOTIAN
HAMBURG '72
CD
2780490
'602527804903
BALKE,JON & BATAGRAF
SAY AND PLAY
CD
2790947
'602527909479
ANDERSEN,ARILD
CELEBRATION
CD
3755519
'602537555192
JARRETT,KEITH
NO END
CD2
5743078
'602557430783
QUERCUS (JUNE TABOR. I BALLAMY
NIGHTFALL
CD
5732663
'602557326635
BATES',DJANGO/BELOV?D
STUDY OF TOUCH,THE
CD
ECM NEW SERIES - CLASSICAL
4763826
'028947638261
LONQUICH,ALEXANDER
SCHUMANN / HOLLIGER
CD
4728282
'028947282822
CAGE,JOHN/HERBERT HENCK
SONATAS & INTERLUDES/LOCATIONS
CD2
4814485
'028948144853
REINER,CHRISTIAN
JOSEPH BRODSKY
CD
4764582
'028947645825
MAKARSKI,M./KEITH JARRETT
BACH: 6 SONATAS FOR VIOLIN+PIA
CD2
4810104
'028948101047
GIDON KREMER/KREMERATA BALTICA
VICTOR KISSINE: BETWEEN TWO WA
CD
4811580
'028948115808
JARRETT,KEITH
BARBER & BARTOK
CD
4728413
'602547284136
REINARTZ,BURKHARD
EINE OLIVE DES NICHTS
CD
4816781
'028948167814
DUO GAZZANA
RAVEL FRANCK LIGETI MESSIAEN
CD
4814499
'028948144990
KARAINDROU,ELENI
DAVID
CD
4815692
'028948156924
SILVESTROV,VALENTIN
HIEROGLYPHEN DER NACHT
CD
4763942
'028947639428
ZEHETMAIR QUARTET
BEETHOVEN/BRUCKNER/HARTMANN
CD2
4811259
'028948112593
KNAIFEL,ALEXANDER
LUKOMORIYE
CD
4813195
'028948131952
DEMENGA,THOMAS
BACH: SUITEN FUR VIOLONCELLO
CD2
4811463
'028948114634
POTTER,JOHN
SECRET HISTORY
CD
4812556
'028948125562
GRIGORYAN,LUSINE
KOMITAS: SEVEN SONGS
CD
4532582
'028945325828
KURTAG,GYORGY
MUSIC FOR STRINGS
CD
4812635
'028948126354
WIDMANN,CAROLIN
MENDELSSOHN/SCHUMANN CONCERTOS
CD
4810957
'028948109579
HOLLIGER/LEUZINGER/KERNJAK
SCHUMANN/HOLLIGER: ASCHENMUSIK
CD
4811788
'028948117888
CUCKSON,MIRANDA
BARTOK, SCHNITTKE, LUTOSLAWSKI
CD
4811592
'028948115921
LAVANDERA,HORACIO
DINO SALUZZI: IMAGENES
CD
4810894
'028948108947
DUO GAZZANA
POULENC/WALTON/DALLAPICCOLA
CD
4764426
'028947644262
HILLIARD ENSEMBLE/ROSAMUNDE QU
BORIS YOFFE: SONG OF SONGS
CD
4814474
'028948144747
SCHIFF,ANDRAS
ENCORES AFTER BEETHOVEN
CD
4815767
'028948157679
SCHIFF,ANDRAS & YUUKO SHIOKAWA
BACH, BUSONI, BEETHOVEN
CD
droodzilla
pfm Member
My recent favourite is:
Jimmy Giuffre vol. 3: 1961
This is the only re-issue ECM has ever done and contains two albums (2 CDs) by Jimmy Giuffre - Fusion and Thesis. It’s from 1961 but sounds right at home with later ECM stuff. The music and sound quality is fantastic. Bass is Paul Bley, Piano Steve Swallow and Jimmy Giuffre plays Clarinet and Tenor Saxophone.
Highly recommended.
One of my desert island CDs. Giuffre is a genius and hugely under-rated, in my view.
Seeker_UK
Feelin' nearly faded as my jeans
+1 for 'As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls'.
Mal Waldron - Free at Last
Chick Corea / Gary Burton - Lyric Suite for Sextet
Terje Rypdal / Mirouslav Vitous / Jack DeJohnette - Rypdal / Vitous / DeJohnette
John Abercrombie - Current Events
John Surman - Withholding Pattern
Azimuth - First Album
I went off ECM about 92/3 which seemed to me the point the artists (and Manfred Eicher) started to sack off electronics or anything not 'un-jazz' and just concentrated on 'mainstream jazz smothered in Lexicon reverb'.
[Edit]
Nils Petter Molvaer excepted, of course.
Mal Waldron - Free at Last
Chick Corea / Gary Burton - Lyric Suite for Sextet
Terje Rypdal / Mirouslav Vitous / Jack DeJohnette - Rypdal / Vitous / DeJohnette
John Abercrombie - Current Events
John Surman - Withholding Pattern
Azimuth - First Album
I went off ECM about 92/3 which seemed to me the point the artists (and Manfred Eicher) started to sack off electronics or anything not 'un-jazz' and just concentrated on 'mainstream jazz smothered in Lexicon reverb'.
[Edit]
Nils Petter Molvaer excepted, of course.
Hungry Halibut
pfm Member
Gosh, it’s an impossible question. I’m listening to Rubicon by Mats Eilertsen, which is particularly good. All the Tord Gustavsens are excellent, and the Marcin Wasilewski trio too. The recent Marc Sinan is very good, then there’s Eleni Karaindrou..... it depends what you like.