Favourite ECM-ECM New Series Album

[Guest]

Hi

I am fairly new to this group and I am very much an ECM fan. Having retired due to ill health I decided that I needed to bring more of a focus into my music purchases. I have bought ECM albums off and on since 1977 and my musical taste has always tended to lean towards the eclectic so I felt that the ECM catalogue mirrored my listening pleasure. I also like the fact that the tracks on the New Series albums blend composers that one would normally not put together which is a great way of hearing new works. It is almost like attending a concert and being presented by the artists choice.

OK my choice at this present time would have to be- Der Bote performed by Alexei Lubimov ECM New Series 2002 cat:461 812-2 An album of elegies beautifully performed on piano full of feeling featuring 9 different composers from CPE Bach 1714-1788 through Franz Liszt, Chopin and Debussy right up to John Cage, an early piano work titled In a Landscape which is very haunting, to Vaentin Silvestrov plus others all played with extraordinary delicacy full of artistic expression.

I would like to throw this open as I would be very interested to see what other member choices would be

[sal]

Welcome!

I've yet to explore the ECM-New Series, but as for ECM, I've been a big fan ever since I've gotten into jazz. The one getting the most play lately has been Marc Johnson's "Shades of Jade".

[Bright Moments]

welcome to the board!

my current favorite ECM is an oldie - Jan Garbarek's Witchi-Tai-To.

check it out!!!

[Guest akanalog]

off the top of my head favorites-

eberhard weber-yellow fields

eberhard weber-colours of chloe

ralph towner-solstice

dave holland-conference of the birds

barre phillips-mountainscapes

terje rypdal-what comes after

chick corea-return to forever

off the top of my head good ones-

terje rypdal-odyssey

dave holland-extensions (when i am in the mood)

gary burton-new quartet

gary burton-hotel hello

eberhard weber-little movements

eberhard weber-silent feet

rainer bruninghaus-continuum

raner bruninghaus-freigheweight

enrico rava-the plot

enrico rava-the pilgrim and the stars

kenny wheeler-gnu high

keith jarrett-nude ants

keith jarrett-facing you

barre phillips-three day moon

there are some i like a lot which are LP only, like the john clark one which is maybe called faces? it is surprisingly good.

[Guest akanalog]

and i would agree with the garbarek rec. above and also add in his "afric pepperbird" album as a real good one.

also the two colin walcotts-

cloud dance

grazing dreams

are not as good as they could be, IMO, but are both nice.

and as far as the new series, i have enjoyed the avro part i have heard immensely.

Edited March 4, 2006 by akanalog

[Guest akanalog]

sorry for adding so many, but a guy like rainer bruninghaus isn't often spoken about and if you are exploring ECM, you might find you like his albums a lot and they are easily overlooked.

[Jazzdog]

I don't know what series it is, but lately I have been enjoying Jimmy Guiffre 3 -1961.

Ive also enjoyed the early Metheny Group sides when he was on that label, as well as the Dave Holland stuff.

[gnhrtg]

Not characteristic of the series in terms of the repertorie (but then again most, perhaps all, classical releases are released as part of the New Series) but I would nominate the Zehetmair Quartet's disc of Schumann String Quartets nos. 1 and 3. Great chamber music making - an interpretation which makes the most out of the score, nuanced and vibrant where appropriate. I will get their other disc in this series, a Bartok string quartet with a coupling, soon.

Edited March 4, 2006 by gnhrtg

[king ubu]

I like all of the Hilliard Ensemble's discs I have heard:

[P.L.M]

Two of the best CDs of the serie are "Bach: Die Kunst der Fugue" (arranged for string quartet) and "György Kurtàg (Musik für Streichinstrumente)" by the marvellous Keller String Quartet.

[(BB)]

New Series

The Hillard Ensemble - Lassus

Giya Kancheli - Exile

At times I am on the road and driving at 4-5 am, these are with me more often than not, especially the Lassus.

[Robert J]

My favourites

[B. Clugston]

Edward Vesala's Ode to the Death of Jazz. Heck, all of Vesala's ECM discs are worth a listen.

The Giuffre reissue and Holland's Conference of the Birds are also big favourites.

[Guest akanalog]

another very beautiful ECM album is the first azimuth album. as far as i have heard, this is the best effort from azimuth. the instrumentation is voice, trumpet and piano (with a little synth). i have it on LP and think it might only be available as part of a multi-disc azimuth set from ECM on compact disc.

i have also being enjoying recently keith jarrett's "solo concerts: bremen and lausanne" recently. two discs and both great and full of creativity.

[Guy Berger]

i have also being enjoying recently keith jarrett's "solo concerts: bremen and lausanne" recently. two discs and both great and full of creativity.

I prefer his ensemble work over the solo concerts, but that is a great set -- much better than the overrated Koln.

Guy

[Hot Ptah]

Not characteristic of the series in terms of the repertorie (but then again most, perhaps all, classical releases are released as part of the New Series) but I would nominate the Zehetmair Quartet's disc of Schumann String Quartets nos. 1 and 3. Great chamber music making - an interpretation which makes the most out of the score, nuanced and vibrant where appropriate. I will get their other disc in this series, a Bartok string quartet with a coupling, soon.

I second the mention of the Zehetmair Quartet's Schumann String Quartets. I find it to be amazingly beautiful and moving music. Repeated listens bring more and more pleasure to me.

[Kreilly]

Roscoe Mitchell's "Nine to Get Ready" and the brilliant trio Art Ensemble of Chicago recording "Tribute to Lester". Superb recordings.

Kevin

[GregK]

Roscoe Mitchell's "Nine to Get Ready" and the brilliant trio Art Ensemble of Chicago recording "Tribute to Lester". Superb recordings.

Kevin

Tribute to Lester is one of the best records to come out in many years!!

[jmjk]

Not too familiar with the ECM New Series material (like most of us, it seems), but I love much of what came before it on ECM.

Some of my favorites:

Garbarek - Triptykon

Garbarek - Star

Garbarek - Sart

Paul Motian - nearly everything he did on ECM, but mostly Dance, Le Voyage, and Tribute.

Sam Rivers - Contrasts

Kenny Wheeler - The Widow in the Window and Deer Wan

Holland - Conference of the Birds and Jumpin' In

Enrico Rava - Pilgrim and the Stars and the Quartet album

Robin Kenyatta - Girl from Martinique

Circle - Paris Concert

Paul Bley - Fragments and Paul Bley Quartet (Bill Frisell plays like a MOTHER on these albums)

Manfred Schoof - Scales

Mick Goodrick - In Passing

Don Cherry - Dona Nostra

and there are loads of others!

One poster above mentioned Ranier Bruninghaus, and I enjoy is Freigeweht album quite a lot.

[jazzscot]

Was Sam River's CONTRASTS ever released on CD????

[ep1str0phy]

I just got this today--a splendid little obscurity:

Bengt Berger: Bitter Funeral Beer Band (w/Don Cherry)

This is early-ish world music in an explicitly jazz-oriented mold--fine blowing all around and some fine, fine grooves.

Edited April 18, 2006 by ep1str0phy

[alocispepraluger102]

another very beautiful ECM album is the first azimuth album. as far as i have heard, this is the best effort from azimuth. the instrumentation is voice, trumpet and piano (with a little synth). i have it on LP and think it might only be available as part of a multi-disc azimuth set from ECM on compact disc.

i have also being enjoying recently keith jarrett's "solo concerts: bremen and lausanne" recently. two discs and both great and full of creativity.

i share your love for the very beautiful touchstone by the taylors and wheeler. i bought another copy of this record a few years ago and got a nice german pressing.

also love conference of the birds, bley's open to love, towner's batik, a trio album with dejohnette and gomez, crystal silence, jarrett's beautiful staircase, aacm's nice guys, and the guiffre trio and metheny's chataqua, garbarek's dis, rypdal's after the rain, and many others.

[Д.Д.]

I just got this today--a splendid little obscurity:

Bengt Berger: Bitter Funeral Beer Band (w/Don Cherry)

This is early-ish world music in an explicitly jazz-oriented mold--fine blowing all around and some fine, fine grooves.

This is my probably my favorite ECM disc. The first track with these african funeral wailings by femail singers interweaving with equally sorrowful tenor and trumpet moans are mesmerizing.

[ep1str0phy]

I just got this today--a splendid little obscurity:

Bengt Berger: Bitter Funeral Beer Band (w/Don Cherry)

This is early-ish world music in an explicitly jazz-oriented mold--fine blowing all around and some fine, fine grooves.

This is my probably my favorite ECM disc. The first track with these african funeral wailings by femail singers interweaving with equally sorrowful tenor and trumpet moans are mesmerizing.

I'm glad someone else appreciates this one--that title track and 'Darafo' (the twenty-plus minute closing blowout) are really extraordinary. Not to say that the other material is middling--because it's all pretty thematically coherent--but this is the sort of group that just thrives on cutting loose. The only other large group I've heard with this much energy and groove in the studio is the Brotherhood of Breath--and this could easily stand up against some of the best South African stuff. This one really, really deserves wider release.

[clifford_thornton]

Huh. Don't have this but I bet I'd like it...