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This release is truly a remarkable archival find! Formed in the summer of 1964, although the New York Art Quartet existed for barely a year and a half, great interest remains in their work. They consisted of co-leaders John Tchicai (alto sax), who participated in John Coltrane’s ground-breaking Ascension album and Roswell Rudd (trombone), considered to be the first free-jazz trombonist, along with bassist Don Moore and drummer Milford Graves. The band participated in the legendary “October Revolution in Jazz”, which journalist Bill Shoemaker called, “Arguably the most seminal jazz concert series ever held...it was a comprehensive four-day survey of jazz's cutting edge.... It marked the beginning of the Golden Era of do-it-yourself jazz culture in the U.S.” The New York Art Quartet recorded their self-titled first album for ESP and Tchicai went back to his homeland of Denmark to scout out work for the group. Only Rudd was able to join him, so the pair enlisted Copenhagen bassist Finn von Eyben and South African drummer Louis Moholo, who had very recently left South Africa with the Blue Notes; this is one of his earliest recordings. This lineup of the New York Art Quartet performed two concerts in Copenhagen in October, 1965, which is where these recordings were made.

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The chemistry within the quartet contributes to the exciting feel of the session; and this is particularly true of the rapport between McCandless and Lande, whose exchanges crackle and scintillate throughout. SHAPESHIFTER is aptly named--stylistically it ranges all over the map, encompassing blues, impressionistic idylls, avant clatter, and sinuous, soothing light jazz. There is a little something for everyone here, putting SHAPESHIFTER alongside the best of McCandless's work.

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Born in Athens Vassilis Tsabropoulos, who is considered to be one of the greatest Greek pianists, started playing the piano from a tender age. A prodigy, was winning music competitions from the age of ten, and after graduating from the Athens National Conservatory, continued his studies on an Aristotle Onassis Scholarship at the Paris Conservatory, the Salzburg Academy and the Julliard School, with great teachers including Rudolf Serkin and Tatiana Nikolayeva.Tsabropoulos was an early achiever, winning the UNICEF competition when he was only ten. His distinctions and awards are too many and many are his collaborations with Orchestras in Greece and Europe, performing an ever-expanding repertoire in both recitals and concertos.

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The Norwegian saxophon player, Jan Garbarek had an early breakthrough into the elite of modern jazz in the 60's, due to his extensive cooperation with Keith Jarrett. His name is listed next to the big names from the U.S. and is associated with the birth of an original european sound in jazz.
His tone is clear, indipendent, ascetic and pure. "The north and nature, song and mystery" are what Garbarek calls his origins and these are his unrefutable heritage. If it wasn't for his strong inner connection with Norwegian folklore, he wouldn't be able to integrate Brasilian and Asiatic influences as convincingly as he does.

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Leader plays percussion, flutes, harp. With Finnish friends in duo to large-ensemble contexts. Each cut features different instrumentation, one is solo Vesala. Charlie Mariano (as), Juhani Aaltonen (sax) stand out. ~ Michael G. Nastos, All Music Guide

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Jarrett seems most at home when flanked by the highly acclaimed rhythm section of Peacock and DeJohnette, using their superb musicianship as the framework on which to hang his beautiful, scattered improvisations. Recorded live in Oslo in 1989, this concert testifies to the trio's wonderful chemistry. Jarrett's fingers never tire of surprising the ivories, turning even these familiar standards inside out, deconstructing their melodies, looking for hidden meanings.

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Avant-garde jazz with a difference, the difference being the dueling stand-up basses of Europeans Bobby Burri and Olivier Magnenat. Doran founded OM with Fredy Studer, Urs Leimgrumber, and Bobby Burri in the 1970s; this ensemble recorded for ECM Records. He and Studer also worked together on a Jimi Hendrix tribute project in the 1990s. Doran has worked with a number of well-known free jazz and avant-garde musicians such as Marty Ehrlich, Robert Dick, Ray Anderson, Han Bennink, Albert Mangelsdorff, Louis Sclavis, Marilyn Mazur, Herb Robertson, John Wolf Brennan, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, and Carla Bley. Doran founded New Bag in 1997, and toured the world from 1998 to 2000 with the ensemble.

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Recorded in Paris, Kyle Eastwood's Metropolitain achieves an original jazz sound that combines the tradition of his father, Clint's record collection with a new generation of influences. He hasn't fallen prey to any gimmicks of style and is carving out his own musical voice with elements that combine to appeal to a broad audience. Anyone who has seen a movie recently will realize that modern jazz remains a big partner in bringing emotions to life.

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These October 1979 sessions by David Darling were the first of his solo career chez ECM. This CD is in the same league as later material, like "Cello" or "Dark Wood", except that it contains a bit more of what i'd call "musical exploration" - common to many ECM discs from that era (e.g., the second track "Bells and Gongs" with its use of percussions). Albeit dissimilar, his solo playing is as effective as Dave Holland's in his dazzling "Life Cycle" (ECM 1238). A number such as "Clouds" overtly anticipates the then-to-come, twelve years later, "Cello" album. That i would label avant-garde, in some ways. From the very first track ("Slow Return") to the closing title cut, a cool musical journey of motion and stillness, sometimes just like caught between dusk and daylight, unveils an autumnal Zeit und Raum admirably captured by the clear recording of a virtually flawless Manfred Eicher's production. amazon.

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First ECM solo album from the Norwegian violinist who has gained many friends for his work with the Christian Wallumrød Ensemble. Økland’s solo music is strongly inspired by the rich Norwegian fiddle tradition and its freedom, variation and individuality, yet what he plays is not purely ‘folk music’ rather a reinvention of folk forms, with free improvisation and contemporary composition also powerful influences. The ‘personality’ of the instruments themselves is also an inspiration: on “Monograph” Økland makes the most of the ‘drone’ qualities of the viola d’amore and the Hardanger fiddle (he plays both old and modern models) as well as an old violin from 1700, in a recital of subtle and melodic invention.

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Percussionist Alex Cline's first album as a composer demonstrates, right out of the gate, the man's knack for conjuringtimeless, elemental music. Minimal ambience opens most tracks, with Cline's love of Asian percussion evident via gongs and Tibetan singing bowls. In "Emerald Light", these bowls create a meditatively soothing yet wholly alien radio signal,paving the way for Aina Kemanis's hauntingly clear "la la" vocals which entwine seamlessly with the brooding strings of Jeff Gauthier's violin. Eric Von Essen's sadly bowed bass on "Accepting the Chalice" speaks of the deep connection between the sorrows of the universe and free jazz.

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The fifth ECM disc from Parker’s Electro-Acoustic Ensemble whose pioneering work has effectively established a model for a new kind of improvising chamber orchestra, creating fresh colours from the blending and contrasting of acoustic instruments and live electronics. The latest edition of the group adds some new members – two Americans, Ned Rothenberg and Peter Evans, both well-known to followers of improvised music, and a Japanese musician, Ko Ishikawa – and expands the horizons still further. With more acoustic instruments in the mix, the group now embraces both the ancient and the modern: Ko, for instance, plays exclusively the sho, the archaic bamboo mouth organ, which sounds thoroughly futuristic when processed by the Ensemble’s sonic scientists. Similarly, the borders between improvisation and composition are dissolved in this music: “The Moment’s Energy” features an extended new work commissioned by the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival.>

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A new year, a new Sclavis quintet - this one born out of the wish to continue the work begun back in 2005 with "L'imparfait des langues" (and retaining guitarist Delpierre and drummer Merville from that project) and to invent new musics in which to lose oneself. To uncover fragments of memory by chance, while chiseling at new ideas. Track titles allude to the voyages of Ulysses. Sclavis: “I wanted to travel somewhere unknown, letting myself be blown from Scylla to Charybdis by mastering the winds and the torrents of return to re-evoke a history” - along the way looking at aspects of jazz, rock and modern composition from unfamiliar perspectives.

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This important text from jazz saxophone legend David Liebman contains in-depth, fully illustrated chapters a wide range of topics, integral to sound production on saxophone. Topics include correct breathing, the control and use of the larynx, how to perform overtone exercises, optimal tongue position and fluid articulation, the correct formation of embouchure, plus insights into reeds and mouthpieces, expressives devices and advice on practicing. An invaluable addition to the library of the serious saxophonist.

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The competent and successful musico-cultural eutection promoted by ECM founder Manfred Eicher since the release of Jan Garbarek/Hilliard Ensemble's Officium (ECM, 1993) takes another quantum step with keyboardist Jon Balke's imaginative and far reaching Siwan. Balke enters a realm of cross-cultural pollination evolving from Officium, through that same collaboration's expanded vision on Mnemosyne (ECM, 1999) to John Potter's excellent Dowland Project outings: Care-Charming Sleep (ECM, 2001) and Romaria (ECM, 2006).

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