The guitarist and longtime ECM fixture Ralph Towner has always flourished in sub-group settings, whether it’s Trios/Solo with fellow members of Oregon, a duet with the vibraphone legend Gary Burton (Slide Show), You May Also Like: Wolfgang Muthspiel, Populous, Susie Blue + Others: Five for the Road [Quarantine Edition II]Read More
John Abercrombie was one of the key jazz guitarists to emerge in the mid-’70s, along with John Scofield and Pat Metheny, and an Abercrombie ECM album has been a steady occurrence since You May Also Like: Steve Million – ‘What I Meant to Say’ (2021) John Surman – ‘Words Unspoken’Read More
The best jazz musicians have always struck the right balance between composition and improvisation, and Tim Berne is one of the very best of the best at that. On Shadow Man, he’s still refining that skill, getting so close to perfection. You May Also Like: Tim Berne’s Snakeoil – IncidentalsRead More
Carla Bley returns to her long running drum-less threesome featuring electric bassist Steve Swallow and tenor saxman Andy Sheppard with an album by this ensemble next week. You May Also Like: Riverside [Dave Douglas, Chet Doxas, Steve Swallow, Jim Doxas] – The New National Anthem (2017) John Scofield – ‘SwallowRead More
A standout thing I’ve come to realize in sizing up Ralph Alessi’s ECM debut Baida is not just the record itself but the realization that this is the first Alessi-led album I’ve had the occasion to cover. You May Also Like: David Ake – Humanities (2018) Avishai Cohen – CrossRead More
A couple of years ago I set out to shine a light on stellar fusion records in a decade where the genre started running out of ideas, passion and gumption. You May Also Like: Lyle Mays (1953-2020): An Appreciation Lyle Mays, “Eberhard” (2021): One Track Mind
With a couple of rock solid trio records for ECM Records under her belt, the jazz pianist from Bonn, Germany undertakes something a little different for her third go around with the storied label. You May Also Like: Julia Biel – ‘Black and White Volume 1’ (2020) Marcin Wasilewski TrioRead More
As the world’s first, one of the few, and the premier electric bassist of the straight-jazz world, Steve Swallow has long ago carved out his niche, using this unlikely instrument to make vividly lyrical music. You May Also Like: Riverside [Dave Douglas, Chet Doxas, Steve Swallow, Jim Doxas] – TheRead More
The combined talents of Jarrett, Peacock, and DeJohnette extend far beyond technical facility. They’ve played together for so long now that to look for their line between improvisation and straight play is to miss the point. You May Also Like: Keith Jarrett Returned to His Strengths on ‘Testament Paris/London’ NoahRead More
For most musicians and singers alike, mining those great American standards can only get you so far before it begins to sound tired and rote. For thirty years running, the greatest living jazz trio is still mining that gold vein while keeping it fresh and vital. You May Also Like:Read More
