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". CD

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

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". CD

Trumpeter Avishai Cohen has given us many great records over the years, yet this time around, he seems to be cooking up something extra-special – an album that still echoes some of his older ideas, but which maybe has a bit more warmth, and a bit more unity – qualities that seem to come partly from the album's use of two different guitarists, whose electric elements provide a nice backdrop for the Cohen's trumpet! Uzi Ramirez plays one guitar, and Yonatan Albalak plays the other, and a bit of bass – but there's also maybe a more pointed drum sound too – not too funky or rhythmic, yet more than we're used to hearing from Avishai, and maybe ECM too. Aviv Cohen and Ziv Ravitz handle the drums – and the latter does some live sampling – and Avishai also adds some electric touches to the record, as well as uses a few effects on his horn. Titles include "The Cow & The Calf", "This Time It's Different", "Fractals", "Hidden CHamber", "Honey Fountain", "The Things You Tell Me", and "Teno Neno". CD

Trumpeter Avishai Cohen has given us many great records over the years, yet this time around, he seems to be cooking up something extra-special – an album that still echoes some of his older ideas, but which maybe has a bit more warmth, and a bit more unity – qualities that seem to come partly from the album's use of two different guitarists, whose electric elements provide a nice backdrop for the Cohen's trumpet! Uzi Ramirez plays one guitar, and Yonatan Albalak plays the other, and a bit of bass – but there's also maybe a more pointed drum sound too – not too funky or rhythmic, yet more than we're used to hearing from Avishai, and maybe ECM too. Aviv Cohen and Ziv Ravitz handle the drums – and the latter does some live sampling – and Avishai also adds some electric touches to the record, as well as uses a few effects on his horn. Titles include "The Cow & The Calf", "This Time It's Different", "Fractals", "Hidden CHamber", "Honey Fountain", "The Things You Tell Me", and "Teno Neno". LP, Vinyl record album

Nothing childish here – as the album's a beautiful set of short, spare numbers from Chick Corea – a perfect reminder that he could still maintain a subtle approach to his music, even after years of more dramatic electric sides! The bulk of the album features short "Children's Songs", numbered 1 to 20 – played by Chick in spare, swirling ways that are mighty nice – a much more sensitive Chick Corea than we remember, dancing a nice balance between lyricism and sentimentality, yet without any of the too-popular trappings of some of his 80s contemporaries in the solo piano mode. The CD also features one slightly longer track – "Addendum" – which has Corea's piano with violin and cello. CD

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One of the best ECM teams of the 70s – working here together in a wonderful live set! Chick Corea's got this wonderful flow on his piano – almost a quality that's more like the most unbridled Keith Jarrett work for ECM – bursting out with light and color at each new turn, but in a way that makes it feel like Chick's just discovering each sound as it comes to his fingertips! This quality really seems to bring out a freshness in Burton's vibes, too – an ebullience that's even stronger than usual – and not as concerned with deeper-down sounds as some of his other ECM recordings. The whole thing's great – with lots of original tunes by Chick – and titles include "Song To Gayle", "Mirror Mirror", "Crystal Silence", "Bud Powell", and "Senor Mouse". CD

Some of the most outside work ever recorded by Chick Corea – a great session from the post-Circle trio that included Barry Altschul on percussion and Dave Holland on bass! The sound here is in a vast space of dark corners, sharp edges, and some slightly warmer moments – similar to some of Chick's other work as a leader before this album, but a bit more stark overall. Although listed with writing credits, most titles have a strongly improvised feel – quite free, especially the piano parts! Titles include "Ballad For Tillie", "Nefertitti", "Vedana", "Thanatos", and "Games". CD

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One of the excellent DeJohnette albums cut for ECM in the mid 70s. He's playing here with John Abercrombie, Alex Foster, Mike Richmond and Warren Bernhardt in an electric setting, and the vibe has the sort of wide open feel that a lot of progressive players were exploring at the time: a sort of post-modal, post-free approach that relied heavily on intuitive improvisation and expansive lines that never get too strident. 7 numbers mostly written by DeJohnette, some in collaboration with the group memebers, including "Flying Spirits", "Pansori Visions", "Fantastic", "The Vikings Are Coming", "Struttin", "Morning Star" and "Malibu Reggae". LP, Vinyl record album

Features Peter Erskine on drums – in a trio with John Taylor on piano and Palle Danielsson on bass! CD

A quartet date – with Ken Stubbs on alto, Django Bates on piano and tenor horn, Mick Hutton on bass, and Martin France on drums. CD

Jan Garbarek on soprano & tenor sax, selje flute, Rainer Bruninghaus on piano & keyboards, Yuri Daniel on bass & Manu Katche on drums. CD

Features Garbarek on saxophones, synthesizers & percussion, Kim Kashkashian on viola, and Manu Katche on drums. CD

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Jan Garbarek on soprano & tenor saxophones, synthesizers, samplers & percussion. CD

With Eberhard Weber on bass, Manu Katche on drums, Rainer Bruninghaus on keyboards, Marilyn Mazur on percussion, Jan Garbarek on saxophones & Agnes Buen Garnas & Mari Boine on vocals. CD

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Saxophonist Jan Garbarek has always had a great ear for an unusual setting for his horns – and here, he continues that strong legacy by working with Kjell Johnsen – a keyboardist who plays a pipe organ in a very spacious way! The mix of the large instrument and the ECM production style comes across beautifully – slightly sinister at some times, moodier at others – all with Garbarek spinning his loose, open lines on both tenor and soprano sax, and a bit of wood flute at one point. The music is very painterly and evocative – and titles include "Bue", "Linje", "Syn", "Aftenland", "Enigma", "Iskirken", and "Tegn". CD

Jan Garbarek on soprano & tenor sax, David James on contertenor, Roger Covey Crump on tenor, John Potter on tenor & Gordon Jones on baritone. CD

Subtle sounds, in a beautiful space – the well-matched soprano and tenor sax of Jan Garbarek and bass of Miroslav Vitous – given a slight extra punch from the drums of Peter Erskine! Garbarek and Vitous always sound great together – and the record gives them plenty of room to really open up and explore in the best ECM tradition – while Erskine's work on the drums is nicely loose, too – and often almost seems to follow the impulses of the two other players, particularly Miroslav's warm, round basslines. Titles include "Lamenting", "Jumper", "Star", "Anthem", "Roses For You", "Clouds In The Mountain", and "The Music Of My People". CD

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! CD

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Fantastic work from this improvising orchestra – led here by pianist Alexander Von Schlippenback – and featuring Kenny Wheeler and Toshinori Kondo on trumpets, George Lewis and Albert Mangelsdorff on trombones, Gerd Dudek on flute and soprano sax, Evan Parker on soprano and tenor, Ernst Ludwig Petrowsky on flute and alto, Alan Silva on bass, and Paul Lovens on drums! Titles include "Quasar", "Phase A", "Phase B", and "Mond Im Skorpion". LP, Vinyl record album

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Features Tord Gustavsen on piano, Harald Johnsen on bass, and Jarle Vespestad on drums! CD

A great set of solo bass work from Dave Holland! The set features six of his own tunes, plus one by Miles Davis and one by Anthony Braxton, including "Spheres", "Emerald Tears", "Combination", "Under Redwoods" and "Flurries". LP, Vinyl record album

A well-done collection of Dave Hollands fantastic recordings for ECM! CD

Holland plays bass, in a group that also includes Steve Coleman on alto, Kenny Wheeler on trumpet and flugelhorn, Robin Eubanks on trombone, and Marvin Smitty Smith on drums. CD

Landmark improvisations from two of the most important bassists in avant garde jazz – Dave Holland and Barre Phillips – two players each coming from two different scenes and styles, but working together here perfectly in a groundbreaking session of all-bass work! Holland plays a bit of cello on the album, and the interplay of the instruments is wonderful – open and flowing in the space of a young ECM, but with a lot more bite than other work for the label too. Side one features two longer improvised works – while side two features shorter tracks that include "Song For Clare", "Beans", "Maybe I Can Sing It For You", and "Just A Whisper". LP, Vinyl record album

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A trio session with Julia Hulsmann on piano, Marc Muellbauer on bass, and Heinrich Kobberling on drums. CD

One of Keith Jarrett's pieces for a larger orchestra – done with the Syracuse Symphony, conducted by Christopher Keene – but still with Jarrett's piano in the lead! LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful little trio side from Keith Jarrett – very much in the mode of his other ECM group work. The group here is his well known trio with Gary Peacock on bass and Jack DeJohnette on drums – and they mesh nicely with him and the material, providing a sort of trio interpretation of the vibe of his solo piano sides, lively yet contemplative. 4 nice drawn out numbers in all, including "Dancing", "Endless", "Lifeline" and "Ecstacy". CD

A great little trio session from Keith Jarrett – still in the mode of some of his other ECM work, but almost a bit more back to basics as well! The group here features Gary Peacock on bass and Jack DeJohnette on drums – both working beautifully with Keith in a flurry of colors, tones, and pulsating rhythms – the latter of which really drive along the two-part composition "Flying", which takes up most of the set. The shorter "Prism" completes the record – a number that's a bit more contemplative overall, and which features some of those beautifully rounded tones that were virtually Peacock's trademark at the time. CD

A live performance from pianist Keith Jarrett, recorded at Suntory Hall in Tokyo – but one that's a bit different than some of the solo sets that came earlier in his career, as it's got both a different sound and different style overall! The tracks here aren't side-long improvisations, and instead are shorter tunes that offer up a compressed version of the freewheeling Jarrett style on the piano – still with a sense of openness that really sets Keith apart from the rest, but maybe with more pronounced melodies – although many of those are as dark as you might guess from the title! Tracks include "Fire Dance", "Ritual Prayer", "Hymn", "Americana", "Parallels", and "Entrance". CD

Beautifully complex work from Keith Jarrett – and one of the 70s albums that really shows his blossoming past jazz into a whole realm of new styles! The album features some works for instrumental ensembles – including a String Quartet and a Brass Quartet – plus a large orchestral piece with flute, and some shorter works with instrumental groups – including one with Ralph Towner on guitar, and another with four cellos and a trombone. 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! CD

Beautiful solo sounds from the legendary Keith Jarrett – a set of long, live material that follows the format of his initial rise to fame on ECM Records in the 70s – but with a different style that shows the maturing, more introspective side of his talents! Part of the difference is one of age – Keith can't pound the piano for endless hours anymore – but there's also a more sensitive approach to the keys, one that really comes through here – at a level that's even different than our own personal experience with Jarrett during this period of his career. The performance feels very intimate, and often has a great sense of space between the notes – as Jarrett improvises over the seven part "Munich" – then delivers sublime encores of "Answer My My Love" and "It's A Lonesome Old Town". CD

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A strong quartet date, with a bit more edge than some of his solo piano records – thanks to work by Jan Garbarek on soprano and tenor, Palle Danielsson on bass, and John Christensen on drums. Jarrett also plays a bit of percussion and timbales! LP, Vinyl record album

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4 beautiful side-long solo piano pieces from Keith Jarrett – "Staircase", "Hourglass", "Sundial", and "Sand". LP, Vinyl record album

A second great set of standards from Keith Jarrett – and like the first one, a great reminder to many that the pianist was still very strongly schooled in jazz! Although Keith really opened up ways for pianists to stretch out in the 70s, his move to material like this in the early 80s was a great one – as it moved Jarrett away from some territory that was a bit overly-trod, and managed to bring a new sort of sensitivity to his music! Of course, the whole trio here is really part of the success – bass from Gary Peacock and drums from Jack DeJohnette – both, like Jarrett, players who'd more than had their chance to stretch out, explore new modes, and were bringing all that freedom and experience to play here in a setting that's outwardly conventional, but still plenty darn fresh. Titles include "I Fall In Love Too Easily", "Never Let Me Go", "So Tender", and "Moon & Sand". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful trio work from Keith Jarrett – a format that the pianist returned to strongly in the 80s, after really breaking fresh ground as a solo artist in the 70s! The music here is hardly the trio styles of most of Jarrett's contemporaries, as there's lots of lessons learned from the freewheeling solo years, which come strongly into play with the performances from all group members – not just Keith's amazing tone and phrasing on the piano, full of gentle soul and life – but also the sublime bass work of Gary Peacock, and the defter-than-usual drums of Jack DeJohnette. The whole thing's wonderful – very transformative – and tunes include "Late Lament", "I Remember Clifford", "The Song Is You", "When I Fall In Love", and "Autumn Leaves" – all in very long, very unusual versions. LP, Vinyl record album

A great early trio moment from Keith Jarrett – a set that steps off some of his previous Standards albums for ECM, but which also has more of a personal flavor as well! The group here is that great combo with Gary Peacock on bass and Jack DeJohnette on drums – both really open, fluid players who make the music really sparkle alongside Jarrett's piano – offering up tunes that are mostly standards, but in really unique variations! The album's a tribute to key musical heroes – Lee Konitz, Jim Hall, Bill Evans, John Coltrane, and others – but the overall sound is pure Jarrett all the way through, on titles that include "Lover Man", "Solar", "Sun Prayer", "Little Girl Blue", "U Dance", "Ballad Of The Sad Young Men", and "All The Things You Are". CD

A solo piano performance – includes two long tracks. CD

A studio session from Keith Jarrett and Charlie Haden. Tracks include "For All We Know", "No Moon At All", " Body & Soul", "Where Can I Go Without You", and "Don't Ever Leave Me". CD

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". CD

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". CD

Keith Jarrett on paino, Gary Peacock on double bass & Jack DeJohnette on drums. CD

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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

Steve Kuhn's a player who's always got our ears – a pianist we've loved from the late 60s onwards, still sounding great on this lovely set for ECM! There's a warmth here we haven't heard from Kuhn in a while – almost a return to those lyrical modes we loved in his 70s work for the label, particularly his acoustic lines – which always seemed to have this open flow that was definitely informed by work on Fender Rhodes, yet still in a very classic style overall! Kuhn's amazing here – and the album's one that definitely lives up to all of our love for his older records – and the trio is perfectly subtle, too – with gentle work on bass from Steve Swallow and quietly evocative drums from Joey Baron. Titles include "Chalet", "Romance", "Pastorale", "Wisteria", "Promises Kept", "Dark Glasses", "A Likely Story", and "Permanent Wave". CD

Features Art Lande on piano, Mark Isham on trumpet, Bill Douglass on bass and flute, and Glenn Cronkhite on drums and percussion. 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". CD

With Bill Douglas on bass and flute, Mark Isham on trumpet and horns, and Kurt Wortman on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

A key album from the later Charles Lloyd years on ECM – from a moment when the saxophonist seemed to be completely reinvigorated, and exploring very different territories than his music of the 60s! Part of the sound has Lloyd hitting a few ECM vibes – hard not to do with a group that features John Abercrombie on guitar, Dave Holland on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – but there's also moments that are looser and freer, too – really showing the individuality that's always been such a hallmark of Charles' recordings, and which here is hardly going to cowtow to any sort of stricter style for the label. The tenor work is superb – very sinuous and constantly exploring, but never overindulgent – and titles include "Voice In The Night", "Dorotea's Studio", "Homage", "Pocket Full Of Blues", "Forest Flower Sunrise/Sunset", and "A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing". LP, Vinyl record album

With Brad Mehldau on piano, John Abercrombie on guitar, Larry Grenadier on double bass & Billy Higgins on drums. CD

Joe Maneri on clarinet, piano & alto & tenor saxes, Joe Morris on guitar & Mat Maneri on violin. CD

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". CD

A brilliantly evocative album from Pat Metheny – one that's got a quietly epic feel, as Pat and group soar out across the American landscape in a set of tunes that subtly explore space and sound while still remaining wonderfully fluid. There's nothing forced here, and nothing too slick – just a magical blend of acoustic and electric sounds, touched with those mystical notes that seem to flow effortlessly from the hands of keyboardist Lyle Mays. Titles include "The Epic", "American Garage", "Cross The Heartland", "Airstream", and "The Search". CD

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". CD

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

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". CD

All music composed & played by Stephan Micus. CD

Stephan Micus plays sitar, acoustic guitar, zither, shakuhachi, Thai flute, rabab, and vocalizes. CD

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Steven Micus works here entirely on his own – in a record that creates these really beautiful sounds from a variety of different steeldrums, but in ways that are very different than any other use of the instruments! Micus often handles the instruments with the slow pace and careful tension of his other recordings – then brings in bits of elements from Eastern instruments – including dilruba, nay, sinding, and kortholt – sometimes mixed with a bit of his own voice, sometimes acting as voices on their own. The record clearly draws from global sources, but has nothing inherently global about it – as Micus really transforms everything in the echoey, open space provided by ECM. Titles include "Nomad Song", "To The Evening Child", "Morganstern", "Young Moon", "Yuko's Eyes", and "Desert Poem". CD

Some pretty heady work from Roscoe Mitchell – working here with the Transatlantic Art Ensemble, a larger group of jazz improvisers from a number of different scenes and generations! The album showcases three longer pieces by Mitchell – each compositions, but with a fair bit of improvisations from the players – as you might guess from the title. The work was recorded live in Munich a few years back, with a lineup that includes Evan Parker on tenor and soprano sax, Paul Lytton on drums and percussion, Barry Guy on bass, Phil Wachsmann on violin, Craig Taborn on piano, Corey Wilkes on trumpet, and Marcio Mattos on cello. Mitchell plays soprano sax throughout – and the performance is divided up into 9 smaller sections. CD

A wonderful live set from the great Roscoe Mitchell and his Note Factory ensemble – recorded live in Burghausen in March of 2007 – exploring space with subtlety and quiet sense of purpose in some movements, and a hard charging intensity in others! The opening 26 minute "Far Side/Cards/Far Side" piece is a dynamic, incredible one that showcases the broad capabilities of the group, while "Quintet 2007 A For Eight" is great mix of mood and melody. "Trio For For Eight" builds slowly, quiets down and builds up again and "Ex Flover Five" closes the set brilliantly. Players include Corey Wilkes, Craig Taborn, Harrison Bankhead,, Tani Tabbal, Jaribu Shahid and Vincent Davis. CD

The nine to get ready here are the members of Roscoe's Note Factory nonet – an ensemble that includes George Lewis on trombone, Hugh Ragin on trumpet, Matthew Shipp on piano, William Parker on bass, and Tani Tabbal on drums and percussion. The sound here is spare and textural – very much in the ECM mode, and often surprisingly spare, despite the largeness of the group. Mitchell's on soprano, alto, tenor, and flute – stepping slowly alongside more tightly arranged horn passages for most of the set. Titles include "Leola", "Dream & Response", "Nine To Get Ready", "Move Toward The Light", "Big Red Peaches", and "Bessie Harris". CD

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A great trio session from drummer Paul Motian – with Charles Brackeen on soprano and tenor sax, and David Izenzon on bass! LP, Vinyl record album