The second effort from this trio – with Dave Holland on bass, Jack DeJohnette on piano and drums, and John Abercrombie on electric and acoustic guitars, and electric mandolin too! LP, Vinyl record album

A surprisingly great little album – recorded on the occasion of the Ensemble's third decade in music, and a record that sounds a lot better than we remember! At the time of release, we kind of "pooh poohed" this one because of its divergence from some of the group's other styles – some tracks are straighter, more composed, and less improvised; others use a larger sound palette, and go for themes that are almost sentimental and nostalgic at times. Yet somehow, going back to this one, we're stunned at how interesting we find the whole thing – as each track seems to offer up a new surprise, and the series of musical visions expressed shows how much the group had grown during their time together. Includes the wonderful "Prayer For Jimbo Kwesi", the percussive jammer "Third Decade", the sonorously-wonderful "Bell Piece", and the tracks "Walking In The Moonlight", "Zero", and "Funky AECO". LP, Vinyl record album

Features John Taylor on piano and organ, Norman Winstone on vocals, and Kenny Wheeler on trumpet and fluegelhorn. LP, Vinyl record album

The stunning debut of this ultra-hip trio – not to be confused with the similarly-named Brazilian group Azymuth, but instead a British combo who really helped find new ways of expression in an ECM setting! All three artists here had already made waves on their scene in the years before – pianist John Taylor, trumpeter Kenny Wheeler, and vocalist Norma Winstone – the last of whom often uses her voice as more of an instrument than an conveyor of words, which is an approach that sounds beautiful here. There's an open, airy quality to the record that's completely sublime – and which is an especially fantastic setting for Taylor's piano, who also delivers some great electronics – matched with really thoughtful expressions from Kenny Wheeler, whose sound here is incredible. Titles include "Jacob", "Greek Triangle", "Azimuth", "Siren's Song", and "O". LP, Vinyl record album

Two great settings for this Art Ensemble trumpeter – The One & Only is a solo set, and All The Magic features bowie with Ari Brown on tenor and soprano sax, Art Matthews on piano, Fred Williams on bass, Phil Wilson on drums, and both Fontella Bass and David Peaston on vocals! LP, Vinyl record album

Mellow vibes and spacious piano – a 70s classic from the team of Chick Corea and Gary Burton, serving up some of their finest work of the decade! The style is a bit mellower and more contemplative than some of Chick's harder-hitting fusion of the time – and he seems to nicely borrow a page from Burton's book on the record, letting space seep into the tracks as much as his own work on the acoustic piano – which is used here in a warmer, more contemplative mode than we normally expect from Corea. Titles include "Senor Mouse", "Desert Air", "I'm Your Pal", "What Game Shall We Play Today", "Crystal Silence", "Falling Grace", and "Children's Song". LP, Vinyl record album

Genius work from the team of Chick Corea on piano and Gary Burton on vibes – both players who were already making a lot of magic in the 70s, but who really seem to explode in the company of each other! Burton's tones are wonderfully bold and firm – these cascading colors that merge perfectly with Corea's piano lines – which themselves have a beautifully understated feel that's quite different than his fusion material – but which seems to pack an even more powerful punch! The album features no other instrumentation at all – yet the range of feeling and expression is much more powerful than most full group performances – on a sublime set of tracks that include "Duet Suite", "Never", "La Fiesta", "Radio", "Song To Gayle", and selections from Corea's "Children's Songs". LP, Vinyl record album

Gary Burton takes on the music of Carla Bley – in a wonderfully sensitive set that opens up rich new colors in her music! The group here is a particularly well-chosen one for the effort – a quintet with Burton on vibes, Mick Goodrick on guitar, Steve Swallow on bass, and Bob Moses on drums – plus a young Pat Metheny on guitar, really shading in the tunes with his evocative tones. Burton's vibes are angular one minute, spare and spacious the next – and in a way, his treatment if Bley's tunes is some of the most sensitive we've ever heard. Titles include "Ictus/Syndrome", "Dreams So Real", "Intermission Music", "Doctor", and "Vox Humana". LP, Vinyl record album

An essential 2LP set that's just about the only vinyl release you can find that documents the work of the legendary (and short-lived) Circle group – an important avant jazz combo that featured Anthony Braxton, Chick Corea, Dave Holland, and Barry Altschul. The record captures a Parisian concert from 1971, and the band runs through a great reading of Wayne Shorter's "Nefertitti", plus original material like "Duet", "Toy Room – Q&A", "Song For The Newborn", and "Lookout Farm". LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary session from the early years of ECM – one of those records that really helped set the tone of the label for years to come! The album's definitely on the more avant side of the spectrum, and is a great reminder of how much ECM contributed to European free jazz at the start – with fantastic interplay from a group led by reedman Jan Garbarek on tenor, bass sax, flutes, clarinet, and percussion – in a quartet with Terje Rypdal on guitar, Jon Christensen on percussion, and Arild Andersen on bass, xylophone, and kalimba! The tracks vary in length, and the players all shift instruments nicely – on titles that include "Myb", "Blow Away Zone", "Afric Pepperbird", "Scarabee", and "Beast Of Kommodo". LP, Vinyl record album

Arranged and performed by Jan Garbarek, with vocals by Agnes Buen Garnas. LP, Vinyl record album

A key early moment for Keith Jarrett – his first-ever solo album, recorded in the early 70s for ECM – and the start of a huge legacy of later work! Before this set, Jarrett had recorded some compelling trio material for Atlantic – and he was also exploring more spiritually soulful tones over at Impulse Records too. But this record is something else entirely – a new showcase for his sensitive expressions – the kind of angular, yet poetic lines that sparkled strongly in the trio recordings, yet stand out even more on their own! Tunes are beautifully penned – and titles include "In Front", "Ritooria", "Lalene", "Starbright", "Vapallia", and "Semblence". LP, Vinyl record album

A very unusual record – one that has Keith Jarrett playing some solo organ – and a baroque organ at that – but in ways that are quite different than you might expect! The sounds here are amazing – almost noisy at points, as Jarrett really works the instrument in an exploration of textures and tones, less in a pursuit of melody – so what might initially look like one of Jarrett's neo-classical recordings is instead one of his most experimental – especially as the set moves on! "Hymn Of Remembrance" initiates the album – with a slightly sentimental quality – but Keith then shifts into his nine-part "Spheres" suite – which is full of amazing textures and sounds! LP, Vinyl record album

A genre-defining moment from pianist Keith Jarrett – a record that really set the world on fire, and which continues to charm all these many decades later! Although Jarrett had already made some amazing music in a trio setting during the 60s, and in his more freewheeling groups with Dewey Redman in the early 70s, it's this sort of format that forever put him on the map – long, extended improvised passages on solo piano – played at a level that's still extremely lyrical, tuneful, and thoughtful – quite different than the free jazz waves that were building at the time! And while so many other people copied the style over the years, nobody does it better than Jarrett – especially on this landmark outing for the style. The work is amazing – extremely compelling as little melodies drift in and out of the waves of piano improvisation – without any of the sloppiness of some of Jarrett's imitators, and a surprising sense of soul and direction throughout! LP, Vinyl record album

One of Keith Jarrett's compelling large ensemble works – performed with a string orchestra, and solo tenor and soprano sax from Jan Garbarek! LP, Vinyl record album

A standout moment from pianist Art Lande – maybe his best-remembered date for the ECM label – in part because the record features wonderful work from Jan Garbarek on flute, soprano, and bass saxophone! The simple duet mode is a bit different here than on other ECM dates – as Lande can sometimes have a fuller approach to the keyboard, which is best echoed by Garbarek on flute – which he blows with a tone that is lean, but surprisingly biting, even when melodic. And although Jan blows other horns on the date, the record seems to be an especially great showcase for his flute – on titles that include "Waltz For A", "Quintennaisance", "Awakening Midweek", "Miss Fortune", and "Cherifen Dream Of Renate". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most striking Pat Metheny albums of the period – as the set features the guitarist working with an all-star group that actually features 2 horn players! The group's a quintet, with Dewey Redman and Michael Brecker on tenor sax – blowing in open and spacious modes that complement the sound of Metheny's guitar nicely and really give the set a different feel. The rest of the group features Charlie Haden on bass and Jack De Johnette on drums – and the double space of the set is well used on a set of tracks that includes "Two Folk Songs", "The Bat", "Turnaround", "Open", "Pretty Scattered", and "Goin Ahead". LP, Vinyl record album

Arguably the last great album to come from the classic Pat Metheny collaboration with Lyle Mays – a record that's tightened up considerably from some of the group's earlier efforts, but which gives as its reward some wonderfully compelling tunes! Pat's still very much influenced here by a Brazilian fusion style – but he takes that approach, dismantles it, pulls out the best elements – and extrapolates them into a sound that's uniquely his own. Wordless vocals slide out on a few numbers, while guitar and keys sing alongside earthier percussion – in a style that's extremely evocative, and shows that even riding the top of his own success, Metheny was still more than willing to bring in new modes. Titles include "If I Could", "Forward March", "Yolanda, You Learn", "End Of The Game", and "Mas Alla". LP, Vinyl record album

Second ECM recording of Ornette Coleman alums, once again playing a handful of newer tunes as well as Coleman repertoire. Don Cherry's on trumpet and piano, Dewey Redman on tenor sax & musette, Charlie Haden on bass and Ed Blackwell on drums. While Coleman was delving into full-on electric ensemble playing with Prime Time at the time of this recording, this group maintains the spirit of the original harmelodic quartet. 6 tracks in all: "HappyHouse", "Mopti", "New Dream", "Rushour", "Broken Shadows" and "Playing". LP, Vinyl record album

Shankar was one of the few flying the flag of jazz/Indian music crossovers in the 80s – pushing the genre a bit farther forward at a time when most other players had abandoned it! Given that his instrumentation here is violin and drum machine, the sound's a bit different than some of the sitar/tabla-based sessions of the past – but there's a similar sensibility going on, one that stretches out the sound with inspirations drawn from Indian music, executed by a quartet that also includes Jan Garbarek on soprano and tenor sax, Zakir Hussain on tabla and congas, and Trilok Gurtu on additional percussion. Titles include "Paper Nut", "I Know", "Watching You", "Conversation", "Song For Everyone", and "Let's Go Home". LP, Vinyl record album

With Abou-Khalil on oud, Selim Kuser on nay and vocals, Glen Velez on frame drums, and Setrak Sarkissian on darabukka. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few ECM sides recorded by the Art Ensemble Of Chicago – easily some of the hippest work the label issued at the time, and a key way for the avant collective to get a bit of large audience exposure! The sound is still very much in the best AEC style here – and if anything, ECM's sensitivity to sound has allowed the group to explore some of the farther reaches of their sonic sensibilities – those contemplative moments that could sometimes be lost in the hands of other producers, captured beautifully here in a range of instruments far too many to mention! Some of the bolder tracks have Lester Bowie's trumpet right out front – almost hinting at his own solo association with the label – and titles include "Care Free", "Magg Zelma", "Full Force", and "Old Time Southside Street Dance". LP, Vinyl record album

The stunning debut of this ultra-hip trio – not to be confused with the similarly-named Brazilian group Azymuth, but instead a British combo who really helped find new ways of expression in an ECM setting! All three artists here had already made waves on their scene in the years before – pianist John Taylor, trumpeter Kenny Wheeler, and vocalist Norma Winstone – the last of whom often uses her voice as more of an instrument than an conveyor of words, which is an approach that sounds beautiful here. There's an open, airy quality to the record that's completely sublime – and which is an especially fantastic setting for Taylor's piano, who also delivers some great electronics – matched with really thoughtful expressions from Kenny Wheeler, whose sound here is incredible. Titles include "Jacob", "Greek Triangle", "Azimuth", "Siren's Song", and "O". LP, Vinyl record album

A rhythmic, moody and moving set from Nik Bartch's Ronin for ECM – somewhat relaxed material that still has an something of sinister melodic undercurrent. Bartch's piano leads some dynamtic, and quite wonderful drum work by Kaspar Rast and percussion by Andi Pupato, with bass by Bjorn Meyer and alto sax and bass clarinet by Sha. Patterns repeat for hypnotic effect, but it's an ever evolving landscape. 7 pieces including "Modul 48", "Modul 52", "Modul 55", "Modul 47", "Modul 53", "Modul 51" and "Modul 49_44". LP, Vinyl record album

With Jakob Bro on guitar, Thomas Morgan on bass, and Jon Christensen on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic 70s album from Gary Burton – a set that definitely has the "new" promised in the title, as it takes off more from some of Gary's work in previous years! The record's got this explosive sense of color that really comes through in Gary's vibes – and in the way the group can leaop into the fray when needed – almost funky at points, but also able to shift into more sensitive modes too – balanced between the guitar of Michael Goodrick,bass of Abraham Laboriel, and drums of Harry Blazer. Burton's got a bit more bite at times than before – pushing even past his Atlantic Records sound and the tunes are a well-chosen array of songs by contemporaries who include Keith Jarrett, Mike Gibbs, Chick Corea, and Carla Bley. Titles include "Open Your Eyes You Can Fly", "Coral", "Tying Up Loose Ends", "Olhos De Gato", and "Mallet Man". LP, Vinyl record album

The second album by this wonderful world jazz ensemble – a trio featuring sitar, tabla, and vocals by Colin Wolcott; trumpet, melodica, and percussion by Cherry; and assorted percussion and voice from Nana Vasconcelos. The tracks are mostly atmospheric and exploratory, but work in a style that's better than other examples of this sort of session – and which have made the Codona records stand longer than some other world jazz sessions from the time. Titles include "Walking On Eggs", "Malinye", "Que Faser", "Drip Dry", and "Again & Again Again". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Chick Corea's greatest moments on record – the self-titled album by the legendary Return To Forever group – a combo that included Joe Farrell on saxes, Flora Purim on vocals, Airto on percussion, and Stanley Clarke on bass! The sound is archetypal 70s fusion at its best – filled with soaring electric keyboard work from Chick, and plenty of great Brazilian touches by Airto and Flora. Farrell's reeds help the tunes get a really sharp edge, especially once they get going – and the whole album is an electric piano classic through and through, filled with great titles that include "Sometime Ago/La Fiesta", "Return To Forever", "Crystal Silence", and "What Game Shall We Play Today". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful work from this famous pair – piano and vibes mixed with string quartet! LP, Vinyl record album

A rare non-Strata East 70s session from pianist Stanley Cowell – but one that still carries much of the same soul and spirit overall! The group here is a trio – with Stanley Clarke on bass and the wonderful Jimmy Hopps on drums – and the tunes themselves are perhaps a bit slower to get going than some of Cowell's creations on Strata, but they still often explode with freely lyrical energy and a great sense of creation. A few compositions are familiar from other records, but redone here with slightly different flavors – and Clarke plays a bit of electric bass on the set, which changes some of the pulse up a bit. Titles include "Emil Danenberg", "Miss Viki", "Cal Massey", "Astral Spiritual", and "Maimoun". LP, Vinyl record album

A seminal statement from drummer Jack DeJohnette – a musician who'd already made a pretty big impact in the years before this set – but who really seemed to take off with his New Directions group on ECM! Every player in the lineup is a key sonic pioneer on their instrument – John Abercrombie on guitar, with his great sense of color and tone – Eddie Gomez on bass, with that soundshaping ability he developed with Bill Evans – trumpeter Lester Bowie, really finding a voice here away from the Art Ensemble Of Chicago – and drummer DeJohnette, beautifully set free in territory far beyond standard rhythm! The mix of all four musicians is wonderful – and still quite fresh after all these years, despite how many folks might have tried to copy the approach – on titles that include "Dream Stalker", "Where Or Wayne", "Silver Hollow", "One Handed Woman", and "Bayou Fever". LP, Vinyl record album

No blues here, despite the title – but a record that bristles with energy right from the start – spurred on by the creative rhythms that have always made Jack DeJohnette one of the most inventive drummers of his time! The group features a triple-threat lineup with Baikida Carroll on trumpet, Chico Freeman on tenor and soprano sax, and John Purcell on alto, baritone, flute, and clarinet – especially nice at points when the reedmen shift and turn with sharp edges learned from the earlier avant years, yet given a nice focus here under DeJohnette's leadership. Jack penned all original tunes for the set, and there's a depth to his writing that really marks a move forward – possibly some of his richest musical statements on record ever! Titles include "Ebony", "Inflation Blues", "Slowdown", and "The Islands". LP, Vinyl record album

Pierre Favre works here in a highly-percussive setting – playing drums, gongs, and cymbals – with additional percussion from Nana Vasconcelos, Paul Motian, and Freddy Studer! LP, Vinyl record album

Lots of dark guitar from Bill Frisell, and some dark guitar synth too – played with a colder sound than usual for ECM, but in ways that make a nice change for the label! Some of the songs have a stop/start sort of feel – almost as if they're trying to find themselves – and Frisell's joined by Kenny Wheeler on trumpet and cornet, Bob Stewart on tuba, Jerome Harris on electric bass, and Paul Motian on drums. Titles include "Resistor", "Wizard Of Odds", "Tone", "Music I Heard", and "When We Go". LP, Vinyl record album

Spare European work from Egberto Gismonti – a set that's different than his fuller earlier work from Brazil, but still pretty compelling overall! Gismonti's playing here with a group of familiar ECM artists – mixing his own piano, guitar, and percussion lines with soprano sax from Jan Garbarek, guitar and percussion from Ralph Towner, tabla from Collin Wolcott, and berimbau and assorted percussion from Nana Vasconcelos. Many tunes are spare, but not nearly as cerebral as other ECM work – as Gismonti brings a very organic feel to the record, one that resonates strongly with Wolcott – and helps keep things in a loosely creative space. Tracks include "Cafe", "Sapain", "Coracao", "Kalimba", and the great "Raga", with excellent work by Wolcott! LP, Vinyl record album

With Tord Gustavsen on piano and electronics, Sigurd Hole on bass, and Jarle Vespestad on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest records that Charlie Haden ever did, and a record that stands as sort of a bookend to his Liberation Music album on Impulse. As with that record, he's got a large group on here, and also like that one, he's playing a batch of tracks that have a definite political bent. Players include Don Cherry, Carla Bley, Dewey Redman, Paul Motian, Jim Pepper, and Michael Mantler; and tracks include "Ballad Of The Fallen", "Too Late", "La Pasionaria", and "The People United Will Never Be Defeated". The sound's a little bit less harsh than his Impulse recording, but it's no less impassioned, and the record's a very emotional batch of music. LP, Vinyl record album

With Hariprasad Chaurasia, John McLaughlin, and Jan Garbarek. LP, Vinyl record album

The music of pianist Vijay Iyer has always been pretty darn great – but it also seems to take on a warmer, more mature quality here in this trio with Linda May Han Oh on bass and Tyshawn Sorey on drums – almost as if Iyer is bringing more feeling into the music, letting things flow naturally, putting aside some of the bolder signatures of his earliest recordings, while also getting past some of the more academic styles of other ECM albums too! The balance comes through right away – and Vijay's got this subtle quality nobody would have expected years before – definitely echoed by Sorey, and maybe encouraged a lot by Oh – who's also grown a lot as a musician too. Titles include "Compassion" – a great title for this set – plus "Tempest", "Overjoyed", "Maelstrom", "Ghostrumental", "It Goes", and "Nonaah". LP, Vinyl record album

Keith Jarrett and Charlie Haden have been playing together for many decades – growing together in each other's musical lives, and continuing to find rich new ways of expression – even on more subtle sessions like this! The duo take on some of the standards territory that Keith's explored often with a trio – but work together wonderfully without any drums in the mix – as Charlie's bass blocks out these spare, solid spaces that Keith quickly fills with really lovely, lyrical lines on piano! There's not a huge amount of surprises in the record – but that's also what makes the whole thing so strong – as both players could really show off in such an unfettered setting, but instead choose to maturely show their strengths in such a subtle, but really effective way. Titles include "My Ship", "Round Midnight", "It Might As Well Be Spring", "Godobye", "Everything Happens To Me", and "My Old Flame". LP, Vinyl record album

An unusual session for Robin Kenyatta – featuring the leader on alto and flute, plus Wolfgang Dauner on clavinet and piano, Arild Andersen on bass, and Fred Braceful on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most earthy, organic offerings of the Herbie Hancock scene of the 70s – a session that's led by Headhunter reedman Bennie Maupin, and which also features Herbie on acoustic and electric piano – all in a sound that's quite different from his own work of the time! The tracks here have a very spacious, slow-building approach – a sound that's often quite stark at times, and not nearly as funky or soul-directed as you might expect. Maupin shows incredible sensitivity in his way of putting together a tune – letting things come together quite naturally, almost with the botanical quality you might expect from the title. Other players include Buster Williams on bass, Freddie Waits and Billy Hart on drums, Bill Summers on percussion, and Charles Sullivan on trumpet – all used quite spaciously and sparingly. Titles include "Esenada", "Mappo", "Excursion", "Past Is Past", "The Jewel In The Lotus", and "Song For Tracie Dixon Summers". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite Metheny moments ever – and one of the few albums of his that we can go back to, and still enjoy heartily! The album's wonderfully stripped down – and features only guitar by Metheny, keyboards by Lyle Mays, and percussion and vocals by Nana Vasconcelos, all blended together with some sublime ECM production by Manfred Eicher, who's really got "the sound" in full effect here, pillowtizing all the instrumentation into wonderful washes of color and tone. The standout track is the 20 minute epic "As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls" – and other tunes include "It's For You", "Estupenda Graca", and "Ozark". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Metheny's seminal sides for ECM, in a trio with Jaco Pastorius and Bob Moses. 8 tracks in all, including "Bright Size Life", "Sirabhorn", "Unity Village", "Missouri Uncompromised", "Midwestern Nights Dream", "Ubiquity Road", "Omaha Celebration" and "Round Trip/Broadway Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A completely solo album from Pat Metheny – but one that still sparkles with the same sort of energy as his fuller group sessions for ECM! At a point when Pat could be content to simply scrawl a few simple lines on the strings of his guitar, he instead does a great job of complicating things here – working with a bit of overdub to explode in fuller sounds that are totally great – played on acoustic and electric guitars, including 6, 12, and 15 stringed versions – as well as a bit of bass. Titles include "Hermitage", "Daybreak", "Sueno Con Mexico", "New Chautauqua", and "Country Poem". LP, Vinyl record album

A near-legendary album from Pat Metheny – the real birth of the "Metheny sound" on record, and a perfect example of the magically fluid groove that he crafted with keyboardist Lyle Mays! The sound here is hard to describe – and even harder when you try to pick out the individual keyboard and guitar bits – because the overall feel of the record is so well wrapped up and lyrically together, yet manages to do so without falling into any too-slick styles or cliched approaches to fusion. We're stunned at how much this one still delights us over the years, and the record still stands as a landmark in its field. Titles include "San Lorenzo", "Phase Dance", "Jaco", "Aprilwind", "Lonejack", and "Apriljoy". LP, Vinyl record album

A seminal record in the formation of the Pat Metheny sound of the 70s – a set that brings his wonderfully chromatic work on guitar into play with the piano of Lyle Mays – all at a level that's so stripped-down and spacious, you can easily hear all the genius as it unfolds! And yet the album's also markedly different from some of the other ECM material at the time – as Pat's really stating himself with some more personal ideas, a bit of warm tunefulness, and maybe just a slight current of sentiment – which is what makes the record so wonderful, and so different than some of his labelmates. The set also features Eberhard Weber on bass and Dan Gottlieb on drums – on titles that include "Lakes", "River Quay", "Watercolors", "Icefire", "Oasis", and "Sea Song". LP, Vinyl record album

A groundbreaking set of modal minimal tracks that stands as one of Reich's most popular and accessable works. The music is extremely subtle, and features 18 musicians playing a variety of violins, cellos, clarinets, pianos, marimbas, and vibes – all in short cyclic passages that move in and out in ways that perfectly illustrate Reich's fascination with phase progressions in modern music. Tougher to find on vinyl than it should be, too! LP, Vinyl record album

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Nice late 70s work from guitarist Ralph Towner – heard here in a great trio setting with Eddie Gomez on bass and Jack DeJohnette on drums! Both players have an ear tuned well to the sorts of open, exploratory styles that suit Towner best – but they also have a nice sense of force as well – a way of pushing things up from the bottom without bombastically approaching the rhythms – making the record a bit more than just spare expressions from Ralph on guitar. Towner plays 12 string and classical guitar, plus a bit of piano – and titles include "Waterwheel", "Green Room", "Batik", "Trellis", and "Shades Of Sutton Too". LP, Vinyl record album

A really compelling trio session – the guitar of John Abercrombie mixed with drums from Jack DeJohnette, and work from Jan Hammer on organ, piano, and keyboards – all at a level that's much hipper than his later music! LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite 70s albums from pianist Richie Beirach – a set that has this wonderfully flowing energy – almost a more forceful take on the ECM sound of the 70s, yet still a bit warmer than some of Beirach's other work too! The group's a trio – with Frank Tusa on bass and Jeff Williams on drums – both players who come in strongly when needed, but also let Richie step out and state some of the strongest lines of the tunes – especially on the leads. Titles include "Eon", "Bones", "Mitsuku", "Places", and "Nardis". LP, Vinyl record album

One of those records from a time when Carla Bley was really finding her voice as a leader – working here on organ and keyboards with Steve Slagle on flute and alto, Hiram Bullock on guitar, Kenny Kirkland on piano, and Steve Swallow on bass – plus some guest work from Michael Mantler on trumpet! LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful solo piano work from Paul Bley – spare, stark, and almost lovely – and a real contrast to some of his more aggressive experiments of the late 60s. The Bley here has almost a hint of sadness and longing, especially on the numbers that have him revisiting tunes he'd done on earlier records with an approach that was a bit stronger. It's hard to define the gentle charm that he brings here to "Ida Lupino", "Closer", "Harlem", "Seven", "Open To Love", and "Nothing Ever Was Anyway" – but one listen to the record, and its gorgeous recording of Bley's piano, should be enough! LP, Vinyl record album

Lester Bowie's no pretender here – as he really sounds great as a leader on his own, away from the Art Ensemble Of Chicago – really finding his voice in music, and dipping into a full range of styles and expressions! Bowie's keen wit and sensitivity both come into play here – and the album's a bit more open and free than his Brass Fantasy years – almost hearkening back to elements of his St Louis scene, but with a bit more dynamism overall. Other players include Hamiet Bluiett on baritone, Donald Smith on piano and organ, Fred Williams on bass, and Phillip Wilson on drums – and both David Peatson and Fontella Bass sing on the extended track "The Great Pretender", which spans a good chunk of the album's first half. Other titles include "It's Howdy Doody Time", "Rose Drop", "Rios Negros", and "Oh How The Ghost Sings". LP, Vinyl record album

With Stanton Davis, Malachi Thompson, Bruce Purse, and Bowie on trumpet – plus Craig Harris and Steve Turre on trombone, Vincent Chancey on French horn, and Phillip Wilson on drums. Titles include "Coming Back Jamaica", "Nonet", "When The Spirit Returns", and "Lament". LP, Vinyl record album

With Jim Odgren on alto, Steve Swallow on bass, and Mike Hyman on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

A great quartet date – Gary Burton on vibes, with Steve Swallow on electric bass, Tiger Okoskhi on trumpet, and Roy Haynes on drums! The set features a number of tunes by Swallow, plus a few by Keith Jarrett too. LP, Vinyl record album

A really great record from David Byrne – songs and spoken bits that were originally designed to be used in Robert Wilson's Civil Wars – but which work great on their own! Byrne is completely charming in the spoken bits – with a sense of dry wit mixed with humanism, not that different from Laurie Anderson at the time – and instrumentation features a range of reeds and trumpets, gently cascading with the rhythms of the tunes – but in a relatively subtle way. Tracks include the wonderful "Tree" – aka "Today Is An Important Occasion" – plus "In The Upper Room", "Sound Of Business", "Admiral Perry", "I Bid You Goodnight", "In The Future", "Where The Sun Never Goes Down", "Theadora Is Dozing", "Social Studies", "Winter", and "The Jungle Book". LP, Vinyl record album

A hip trio session for Chick Corea – one that features Miroslav Vitous on bass and Roy Haynes on drums – a double-length split set that features one batch of improvisations, and one batch of interpretations of the music of Thelonious Monk! LP, Vinyl record album

Jack DeJohnette on drums and piano, Lester Bowie on trumpet, John Abercrombie on guitar and mandolin, and Eddie Gomez on bass. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the more avant, improvised sets on ECM from the start of the 80s – a group with Denny Goodhew on alto, flute, and bass clarinet; James Knapp on trumpet, flugelhorn, and waterphone; and Eric Jenson on cello! LP, Vinyl record album

A really unique moment for Brazilian genius Egberto Gismonti – as the album marks a strong move away from some of the fuller orchestrations of his previous sets! The album features Gismonti on acoustic 8 string guitar – mixed with piano, wood flutes, and voice – plus some sublime percussion touches from Nana Vasconcelos, whose organic quality on berimbau and other instruments really brings out a sense of nature in Gismonti's music. The sounds here are as wonderfully understated as previous Gismonti records were powerful – and there's no vocals or other instrumentation, but the record seems to have the same power as some of Egberto's more direct music. Titles include "Porta Encantada", "Quarto Mundo #2", "Aguas Luminosas", "Danca Solitaria", and "Tango". LP, Vinyl record album

A trio date, with Garbarek on tenor and soprano sax, Charlie Haden on bass, and Egberto Gismonti on guitars and piano. LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful trio work from Vijay Iyer – a set that's got his piano doing equal time with the drums of Tyshawn Sorey and bass of Linda May Han Oh – all at a level that reminds us why we first fell in love with Iyer's music many years back! The set's a return to the kind of records that really has Vijay reshaping the role of the trio in jazz – with every player rhythmic at once, but still also finding melodic moments together too – breaking down conventional structures, but never in a way that's free jazz either – just boldly, lyrically leaping towards the future! Titles include "Children Of Flint", "Touba", "Entrustment", "Configurations", "Uneasy", "Drummer's Song", and "Augury". LP, Vinyl record album

Sublime solo work from Keith Jarrett – that beautiful unstructured style he virtually invented in the 70s! LP, Vinyl record album

After the success of Jarrett's Standards Trio recording, he revisits the format with Gary Peacock and Jack DeJohnette – the first ever live recordings of this incredible trio in action! Like the studio recordings, this set features roomy, lyrical readings of standards, in a way, reminiscent of classic Bill Evans approaches to similar material – with a relaxed, moody spin on the proceedings. The tried-and-true material is given fresh life by the players, who roll from a looser dynamic with each player having their moments, to some tighter interplay in the heart of the tunes – and the appreciative French audience helping with the mood! 6 numbers: "Stella By Starlight", "The Wrong Blues", "Falling In Love With Love", "To Young To Go Steady", "The Way You Look tonight" and "The Old Country". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful large-concept album from Keith Jarrett – one that features his piano, the bass of Charlie Haden, and the tenor and soprano sax of Jan Garbarek as the main solo instruments over larger string orchestrations! There's a sense of excitement to the record right from the start – well, not excitement that you'd get in other jazz-based styles – but kind of a sense of hope, drama, and unfolding that really shades the record nicely – and gives it a different flavor from some of Jarrett's other larger form projects of the time – possibly creating the first really unified, extended musical vision he brought to a record like this in the 70s. Beautiful sounds throughout – with titles that include "Runes", "Solara March", and "Mirrors". LP, Vinyl record album

Dark work from the quartet Bass Desires – a combo that draws heavily on the rumbling sounds of bassist Marc Johnson, then fills in the spaces with twin guitars from Bill Frisell and John Scofield, and also features a bit of drums from Peter Erskine! Some of the sounds here echo more abstract experiments in the left side of the jazz spectrum during the 80s – but they're taken into a bit stronger, straighter focus here – and recorded with enough ECM touches to make Johnson's music cross over in surprising ways. A few tracks are surprisingly tuneful, and titles include "Small Hands", "Thrill Seekers", "1951", "Prayer Beads", and "Sweet Soul". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful duets, in the best ECM tradition – Glen Moore on bass and violin, and Larry Karush on piano! LP, Vinyl record album

A really wonderful little record from Pat Metheny – quite possibly our favorite by the man, thanks to some really inventive sounds that still resonate strongly in the groove scene today! Pat's skirting nicely here between the sound-based quality of earlier records, and some of the more fluid and Brazilian-influenced song structures that were emerging in his work – using the percussion of Nana Vasconcelos to give the tracks a nice earthy undercurrent, but still also managing to slide around wonderfully in that fluid groove he was building with keyboardist Lyle Mayes. Includes the great cut "Are You Going With Me?", plus "The Bat", "James", "Barcarole", and "Eighteen". LP, Vinyl record album

A great statement as a leader from drummer Paul Motian – a player that none would have expected to be hitting this territory in the decade before – the start of a great run of records that continued his break from more familiar rhythmic territory! The record's got a very strong ECM vibe, but also maybe a bit more bite, too – as the bass work of Charlie Haden is balanced by sharper sounds from Carlos Ward on alto sax – who really gets plenty of space to dominate the proceedings, with this open soulfulness that really adds a lot to the record. The set's also got twin guitars from Paul Metzke and Sam Brown, which makes for a great approach – especially as Brown moves between acoustic and electric. Titles include a beautiful reading of Haden's "Song For Che" – plus "Victoria", "Tuesday Ends Saturday", "War Orphans", and "Sod House". LP, Vinyl record album

With Bill Frisell on guitar, Joe Lovano on tenor, Billy Drewes on alto and tenor, and Ed Schuller on bass. Titles include "Psalm", "White Magic", "Mandeville", "Etude", and "Second Hand". LP, Vinyl record album

A record that's maybe one of the most tuneful, lyrical we've ever heard from guitarist Wolfgang Muthspiel – and that may have a lot to do with the wonderful help in the trio from Scott Colley on bass and Brian Blade on drums! The tunes still have some of the abstract qualities of Muthspiel's other work, and certainly continue his very distinct exploration of color and tone – but there's this sparkle, almost a sense of joy about most of the numbers – very present when things are grooving and moving fast, but also really there in a sense of subtle bounce when they're a bit more mellow. The quality's a bit hard to describe, but it's there right from the start, and holds up beautifully throughout – on titles that include "Wondering", "Angular Blues", "Everything I Love", "Kanon In 6/8", "I'll Remember April", "Ride", and "Camino". LP, Vinyl record album

Mike Nock has always been a pianist with so many varied shades and styles to his talents – and here, he makes a rare ECM appearance in a set that's nicely different from most of his other albums of the 70s – maybe a bit more sensitive at times, but also maybe more freewheeling too – with these beautiful long tracks that have Nock really reveling in the tone of his instrument, but also working things with an inherent sense of rhythm too! The approach makes for these compelling spun-out tunes that pulsate beautifully – given subtle but strong support from Eddie Gomez on bass and Jon Christensen on drums. Titles include "Forgotten Love", "Ondas", "Visionary", "Doors", and "Land Of The Long White Cloud". LP, Vinyl record album

Mostly solo recordings by bassist Gary Peacock, joined by Jan Garbarek on saxophone on "Winterlude" and "Greenwings". LP, Vinyl record album

With Terje Rypdal on guitar and David Darling on cello – on titles that include "Eos", "Bedtime Story", "Laser", "Light Years", and "Melody". LP, Vinyl record album

A surprisingly strong project from guitarist John Scofield – one that we'll admit we were a bit skeptical about, but which really delivers strongly overall! The set features Scofield and group taking on some tunes from a variety of sources – including the Grateful Dead, who are namechecked in the title – and the lineup features the bass of Vicente Archer and drums of Bill Stewart next to Scofield on electric guitar – all recorded at a level that's a bit warmer than you might expect from ECM, which really makes the music come alive – spacious, yet up-close and personal too, with hollow-body guitar work that resonates almost in an acoustic way at times, even as Scofield shows a few of his funkier currents on a few tunes. Titles include "How Deep", "TV Band", "Old Man", "Nothing Is Forever", "Budo", "The Girlfriend Chord", "Stairway To The Stars", "Mask", "Ray's Idea", and "Uncle John's Band". LP, Vinyl record album