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What are the best ECM albums?

John Abercrombie Timeless from 1975
Ralph Towner Solo Concert from 1979

Check out the track Ralph’s Piano Waltz on both these ECM albums
 
Louis Sclavis. Not to everyone's taste but a major figure in European jazz. Try Napoli's Walls or Silk and Salt Melodies for starters.

Kenny Wheeler and Tomasz Stanko - two great trumpet/flugelhorn players who've already been mentioned but deserve another recommendation.

The oud player, Anouar Brahem is another superb artist. Try Thimar (with Surman + ?) and Le Pas du Chat Noir (oud, piano and accordion).
 
Abercrombie/Erskine/Johnson - Current Events (as mentioned earlier)
Metheny/Mays - As Falls Wichita...
Towner/Abercrombie - Sargasso Sea, Five Years Later
Jarrett - Koln Concert
 
Too many choices, such a great label. Here are some of my favorites, most of which have not been mentioned:

John Abercrombie, Timeless
Keith Jarrett, The Cure, Bremen & Lausanne, Live at Deer Head Inn, My Song
Dave Holland, Prime Directive, Extensions, Points of View
Stanley Cowell, Illusion Suite
Jan Garbarek, Rites
Pat Metheny, Offramp, Rejoicing, Bright Spark Life
Paul Bley, In the Evenings Out There
L.Shankar, Who's to Know
Zakir Hussain, Making Music
Julian Priester, Polarization, Love Love

My choices tend not be in synch with mainstream preferences. I prefer the earlier ECMs up to the early 2000s and have lost interest somewhat except for Nik Bartsch's Ronin and Vijay Iyer.
 
Lots of great suggestions for me to check out above. My suggestion is one of my favourites in my entire collection:

80/81

Mike Brecker
Dewey Redmond
Charlie Haden
Pat Metheny
Jack DeJohnette

This double album is just so amazing on many levels but one of my favourite aspects of it is the contrast between Brecker and Redmond.
 
A few that haven't been mentioned - or if they have I've missed it.

A long term favourite of mine is Angel Song with Lee Konitz, Kenny Wheeler, Bill Frisell and Dave Holland.
Re-ECM by Ricardo Villalobos Max Loderbauer is an interesting remix record which I keep returning to.
Lester Bowie's The Great Pretender is another favourite that's not been mentioned so far.
Paul Bley's Open to Love is a good alternative to Jarrett's solo piano recordings

Some very good selections so far, though I’d certainly add Charles Lloyd to that list.

Can you recommend a few Lloyd records? I've not really explored his ECM records ( mainly as they've mostly been dismissed in reviews and the few samples I've heard aren't grabbed me) and there appear to be plenty of them.


Kevin
 
Can you recommend a few Lloyd records? I've not really explored his ECM records ( mainly as they've mostly been dismissed in reviews and the few samples I've heard aren't grabbed me) and there appear to be plenty of them.

The Water Is Wide was my entry point to his ECM stuff, and it is stunning IMO, and album I keep coming back to, slightly introverted and atmospheric, but truly beautiful. An album I’d certainly use if I ever wanted to sell the JR149s as it just sounds astounding through them! Another fav is Sangam, a very different thing being a live set with some amazing percussion (Indian tabla etc). An unusual fusion of Lloyd’s horn playing with ‘world’ music, but it really works and has amazing dynamics, momentum and life to it - the audience are clearly loving it!
 
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Thanks Tony, I’ll check those out. Outside ECM I have got Wild Man Dance, a Blue Note recording with some Greek musicians which is rather fine but have not dipped into the ECM recordings. A Qobuz session beckons.
 
The Water Is Wide was my entry point to his ECM stuff, and it is stunning IMO, and album I keep coming back to, slightly introverted and atmospheric, but truly beautiful. An album I’d certainly use if I ever wanted to sell the JR149s as it just sounds astounding through them! Another fav is Sangam, a very different thing being a live set with some amazing percussion (Indian tabla etc). An unusual fusion of Lloyd’s horn playing with ‘world’ music, but it really works and has amazing dynamics, momentum and life to it - the audience are clearly loving it!

Thanks Tony, I’ve saved then as favourites on Qobuz and will take a listen later.
 
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I don't know their recordings, as I've only heard them live, but Trio Mediaeval record on ECM and are wonderful. I certainly plan to get some of their stuff in time.

They sometimes work with Arve Henriksen (I have heard this combination live), who adds trumpet and effects to the acappella voices.
 
Terje Rypdal is a big favourite particularly 'Chaser' and 'Skywards'. Rarum: Selected recordings is also a great intro into his music.
 
Got loads of ECM. To pick one it would have to be Oneness - Jack Dejohnette. Live improv in the studio. Chilled and quite sublime.

The Re-ecm album (Villalobos and loderbauer) referenced up thread by kjb is also a damn fine shout. Amazing sonic landscapes creating by sampling various ecm albums. Hypnotic, quirky, electronic nonsense.
 


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