Mojo readers top ten ECMs

[A Lark Ascending]

Yes, utterly meaningless but interesting to see how things fall out in one poll. Mojo is a UK rock mag that has a broader reach than most into jazz, blues, folk etc - aimed at greyhairs like me, though even I find most of the bands/performers it covers a mystery these days.

1. Keith Jarrett - The Koln Concert

2. Arvo Part - Alina

3. Jan Garbarek Bobo Stenson - Witchi-Tai-To

4. Kenny Wheeler - Music for Large and Small Ensembles

5. Dave Holland - Conference of the Birds

6. Valetin Silvestrom - Silent Songs

7. Anouar Brahem - Le Pas Du Chat Noir

8. Christian Wallumrod - A Year from Easter

9. Barre Phillips - Mountainscapes

10. David Torn - Prezens

I suspect only the Kenny Wheeler would make it into my list of favourites/most played. Don't know the Part, Silvestrom or Torn; and am left totally cold by Wallumrod. Which probably goes to show just how broad the label is, how varied the range of listeners who latch on to it in some way or another.

Right, how many posts before some one feels the need to remind the world of their disdain for ECM (an affliction now medically recognised as Internet-Reflex-Marsalis-Syndrome)?

[GregK]

Right, how many posts before some one feels the need to remind the world of their disdain for ECM (an affliction now medically recognised as Internet-Reflex-Marsalis-Syndrome)?

And not too long after that will be the usual complaints about Jarrett.

[sidewinder]

4. Kenny Wheeler - Music for Large and Small Ensembles

I suspect only the Kenny Wheeler would make it into my list of favourites/most played.

That would be No. 1 for me. I would include other Wheeler ECMs such as 'Widow In The Window' and 'Gnu High' in there too.

Not forgetting the Berlin Jazz Composers Orchestra.

And both Julian Priester albums !

Edited November 29, 2009 by sidewinder

[Van Basten II]

At least your first reply won't be a ECM bashing session

Regaring Mojo, i've stopped reading the mag a few years ago, because how many times can you read a story about the usual suspects (Beatles, Who, Led Zep etc.) after a while it grew tiresome, it may disorient some "grey hairs" but it might be a good thing that they cover more contemporary bands. Then again, i would have to check it out to know who they're talking about and i barely have the time.

Regarding the top ten, they are 3 titles that would fit in mine Jarrett, Wheeler and the Holland. I do enjoy Brahem although including it in a top ten seems a stretch at least for my own taste.

Considering the crowd that the readership of Mojo is mostly composed suprised not seeing a Metheny make his way in the list or the Garbarek with the Hilliard ensemble make his way, no Rypdal either.

Don't have the time to do one but if i did it would probably include a Trovesi, Sylvie Couvoisierr's Abaton and some Sclavis, but as you said it tells how much the label has widened his horizons than the ECM bashers have given them credit for

[A Lark Ascending]

Regaring Mojo, i've stopped reading the mag a few years ago, because how many times can you read a story about the usual suspects (Beatles, Who, Led Zep etc.) after a while it grew tiresome, it may disorient some "grey hairs" but it might be a good thing that they cover more contemporary bands. Then again, i would have to check it out to know who they're talking about and i barely have the time.

They've always had an obsession with Oasis too! Yes, the constant Beatles issues are tiresome...but you have to sell copy. And look how much excitement the recent remasters caused in even distant outposts like this site! To be honest, I buy it to find out what's being reissued and for the walks down memory lane.

The introduction before the album survey emphasises how Eicher deliberately set out to provide something different to the main jazz tradition - one more in keeping with his liking for chamber music.

If you grew into music beyond rock with ECM then it all sounds quite natural. If I'm honest, ECM was my jazz mainstream in the mid to late 70s. I don't think I owned a Blue Note record until the early 80s and was very slow to start to explore there because, from my listening perspective at the time, they 'all sounded the same'. ECM had a much more powerful punch to a listener besotted with Sibelius at the time!

Did a quick check to discover I had 288 ECMs!!!!! At a glance I'd say these are the ones that I return to again and again:

Abercrombie John November

Azimuth Azimuth

Bley Paul Open, to Love

Bley Paul/Parker/Phillips Sankt Gerold

Burton Gary Passengers

Burton Gary Ring

Giuffre Jimmy Fusion/Thesis (not real an ECM but on ECM)

Haden Charlie The Ballad of the Fallen

Jarrett Keith Facing You

Jarrett Keith Solo Concerts

Jarrett Keith Survivors Suite

Jarrett Keith My Song

Metheny Pat 80/81

Metheny Pat Watercolours

Old and New Dreams Old and New Dreams

Orchestra National de Jazz Charmediterranean

Stanko Tomasz Litania

Surman John Stranger than Fiction

Towner Ralph Solstice

Vituous Miroslav Journey's End

Weber Eberhard Yellow Fields

Weber Eberhard Little Movements

Weber Eberhard Silent Feet

Wheeler Kenny Music for Large and Small Ensembles

Wheeler Kenny Double, Double You

Wheeler Kenny The Widow in the Window

Winstone/Taylor Somewhere called Home

Edited November 29, 2009 by Bev Stapleton

[mjzee]

Gary Burton really did have a great run of albums in the mid-70's. I feel a loss for how much he's fallen since. A lot of the success of his ECM albums could be due to Eicher, whether through his producing or the creative atmosphere his label allowed.

John Abercrombie has had an interesting run too, going through many varied styles.

Some titles I love:

The Paul Bley Quartet

Keith Jarrett - The Koln Concert (props where they're due)

Tomasz Stanko - From The Green Hill

Steve Reich - Music For 18 Musicians

Ralph Towner - Ana

Jan Garbarek/Hilliard Ensemble - Officium

Circle - Paris Concert

Keith Jarrett - Nude Ants

Dino Saluzzi - Cite de la Musique

[GregK]

I have more of the recent (i.e., issued during the 00 decade) than the older ECMs; I probably listen to the following the most:

Keith Jarrett Personal Mountains, Always Let Me Go, The Out of Towners, Blue Note box, My Song, Belonging

Arild Andersen Live at Belleville, rarum

Ralph Towner Solstice

Ketil Bjornstad/Terje Rypdal Life in Leipzig

Circle Paris Concert

Art Ensemble of Chicago rarum, Full Force

Marcin Wasilewski trio January

Nik Bartsch Stoa, Holon

Enrico Rava New York Days

Paul Motian Garden of Eden

Jon Hassell Last Night the Moon.....

Carla Bley Lost Chords find Paolo Fresu

Misha Alperin Her First Dance

Jimmy Giuffre 3, 1961

Charles Lloyd Rabo de Nube

Miroslav Vitous Remembering Weather Report

Marc Johnson Shades of Jade

I'd like to get more of the older material, so I'll be picking up as many of the Old and New Masters box sets as I can

[jazzbo]

The Jarrett is the only one that would be in my top ten ECM list.

Other Jarretts would be on there too.

[A Lark Ascending]

I'd not thought of the Watt releases.

'Escalator Over the Hill', 'Tropic Appetites', 'Social Studies' and 'European Tour '77' would all join my list from there.

[A Lark Ascending]

I have more of the recent (i.e., issued during the 00 decade) than the older ECMs; I probably listen to the following the most:

I'd like to get more of the older material, so I'll be picking up as many of the Old and New Masters box sets as I can

There's something very interesting in that.

Music tends to get assessed according to its absolute value. 'X' or 'Y' are the greatest recordings of this performer or that label.

What that misses is how differently we hear things, depending on our context. I had my major immersion in ECM in the 70s/early 80s and tend to have my favourites there - I like lots of the more recent records but they've not had the same impact, partly because they've moved on and don't inhabit the same atmosphere of the earlier ones. I suspect it's as much to do with the fact that I was listening on a limited budget then and so every record got played again and again; more recent records are quickly superseded on the turntable by newer acquisitions coming thicker and faster. Someone engaging with more recent releases as a first point of entry will hear things there that I don't.

I notice this especially with Carla Bley - real, genuine enthusiasm for her recent music from people relatively new to her; yet I'm normally disappointed by the recent stuff. If you've never heard the earlier stuff then the late music will sound completely distinctive; maybe the older material will sound a bit ramshackle. But coming from the other direction you get a quite different perspective.

Must be really annoying for performers to have their music criticised as 'not as good as' the early stuff when it probably is as good as the early stuff; all that's happened is they've continued to express their character in the music and long-standing listeners only notice the similarity rather than the differences within the style.

In Carla's defence, I'm just listening to the Christmas disc and think it's lovely. More of a Phillip Jones Brass Ensemble Xmas than a Lotte Lenya Xmas, but delightful.

[JSngry]

In Carla's defence, I'm just listening to the Christmas disc and think it's lovely. More of a Phillip Jones Brass Ensemble Xmas than a Lotte Lenya Xmas, but delightful.

Yep!

[7/4]

Yes, utterly meaningless but interesting to see how things fall out in one poll. Mojo is a UK rock mag that has a broader reach than most into jazz, blues, folk etc - aimed at greyhairs like me, though even I find most of the bands/performers it covers a mystery these days.

1. Keith Jarrett - The Koln Concert

2. Arvo Part - Alina

3. Jan Garbarek Bobo Stenson - Witchi-Tai-To

4. Kenny Wheeler - Music for Large and Small Ensembles

5. Dave Holland - Conference of the Birds

6. Valetin Silvestrom - Silent Songs

7. Anouar Brahem - Le Pas Du Chat Noir

8. Christian Wallumrod - A Year from Easter

9. Barre Phillips - Mountainscapes

10. David Torn - Prezens

A lot different than my top 10, what ever that might be. I like the Torn, but there's so many ECM albums I love that it would be more like a top 30-50. Conference of the Birds most certainly belongs there. A couple of those I've never even heard.

[ejp626]

Probably couldn't make a formal top 10 list (leaving way too many out), but I generally like

John Abercrombie, particularly Class Trip and Gateway

Nik Bartsch Stoa (not quite as moved by Holon)

Rava-Bollani The Third Man

Dave Holland Points of View

Paul Motian Garden of Eden

Tomasz Stanko Suspended Night

John Surman, esp. the new one Brewster's Rooster

Ralph Towner Batik

Kenny Wheeler Gnu High

Edited November 29, 2009 by ejp626

[7/4]

It would be easier to make a list of artists I like on ECM, but I'm on my way out for dinner now.

.

[danasgoodstuff]

Let's see if I can think of ten off the top that I really, really like:

1) Art Ensemble - Nice Guys

2) Dave Holland - Conference of the Birds

3) Jack DeJonette - Live in Europe w/Abercrombie & L. Bowie

4) Marc Johnson - Bass Desires

5) Metheny - Question & Answer (1st time together for Holland & Haynes?)

6) Burton/corea - Crystal Silence

7) Corea - Trio Music (half Monk, dbl LP)

8) Gateway

9) Return to Forever - Light as a Feather

10) Keith 'the grunter' - Nude Dance

Mostly big names, mostly early, subject to change, that's what I like, YMMV.

[kenny weir]

greyhair rock mag?

Who the hell you talkin' about?

(Just kidding ... I'd have white hair if I ever let any of it grow ... and I find Mojo too "youth-oriented" for me!)

[7/4]

Let's see if I can think of ten off the top that I really, really like:

1) Art Ensemble - Nice Guys

2) Dave Holland - Conference of the Birds

3) Jack DeJonette - Live in Europe w/Abercrombie & L. Bowie

4) Marc Johnson - Bass Desires

5) Metheny - Question & Answer (1st time together for Holland & Haynes?)

6) Burton/corea - Crystal Silence

7) Corea - Trio Music (half Monk, dbl LP)

8) Gateway

9) Return to Forever - Light as a Feather

10) Keith 'the grunter' - Nude Dance

Mostly big names, mostly early, subject to change, that's what I like, YMMV.

Q&A isn't on ECM!!!

[danasgoodstuff]

Let's see if I can think of ten off the top that I really, really like:

1) Art Ensemble - Nice Guys

2) Dave Holland - Conference of the Birds

3) Jack DeJonette - Live in Europe w/Abercrombie & L. Bowie

4) Marc Johnson - Bass Desires

5) Metheny - Question & Answer (1st time together for Holland & Haynes?)

6) Burton/corea - Crystal Silence

7) Corea - Trio Music (half Monk, dbl LP)

8) Gateway

9) Return to Forever - Light as a Feather

10) Keith 'the grunter' - Nude Dance

Mostly big names, mostly early, subject to change, that's what I like, YMMV.

Q&A isn't on ECM!!!

OK, how 'bout some other Metheny side project thingy, say 80/81 or Bright Sized Life or anything as long as it's not a reg PMG LP (an aversion to the production values, mostly).

[WorldB3]

Gary Burton really did have a great run of albums in the mid-70's. I feel a loss for how much he's fallen since.

I don't know if he has fallen but for me after I finally heard the second side of Ring everything else just seems ok in comparison.

The following run of Burton mid 70's ECM's are all great.

The New Quartet

Ring

Dreams So Real

Passengers

I guess my top ten ECM would be the following:

Keith Jarrett – Changeless

Gary Burton – Ring

John Abercrombie – Timeless

Ralph Towner – Batik

Gateway – II

Jan Garbarek - Witchi-Tai-To

Steve Tibbetts - Safe Journey

Kenny Wheeler – Gnu High

Terje Rypodol - Odyssey

Collin Walcott – Cloud Dance

Edited December 2, 2009 by WorldB3

[mjzee]

Some other great Burtons on ECM: Hotel Hello (with Steve Swallow), Live in Zurich (with Chick Corea), and, of course, Crystal Silence (also with Chick). I recently heard for the first time Matchbook (with Ralph Towner), and it makes me want to hear it again, which is a good sign.

IMHO, his mid-'80's ECM albums began to sound more formulaic (Real Life Hits, Whiz Kids); then, once he moved to GRP, forget about it.

[clifford_thornton]

Funny; I think that a few of Mojo's choices are actually good ones.

I'm partial to the first 10 ECMs, but there are others that are top notch.