Features tenor and soprano sax from Jan Garbarek – plus a bit of keyboards – with viola from Kim Kashkashian and drums from Manu Katche! CD

Features work with Eberhard Weber, Ralph Towner,, Keith Jarrett, Charlie Haden, Egberto Gismonti, Ustad Fateh Ali Khan, Nana Vasconcelos, and many more! CD

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

Classic early ECM work from saxophonist Jan Garbarek – with contributions from John Taylor on organ, Ralph Towner and Egberto Gismonti on guitars, Terje Rypdal on electric guitar, Bobo Stenson on piano, and Nana Vasconcelos on percussion! CD

Jan Garbarek on soprano and tenor sax – with vocals by the Hilliard Ensemble. Includes music by Christobal de Morales, Magister Perotinus, Guillaume Dufay, and anyonymous compositions from the 14th and 15th centuries. CD

No keyboards, no percussion, no other instrumentation at all – just acoustic guitar from the great Egberto Gismonti, but used at a tremendously creative level! The songs are loose and free – never outside, but also not bossa or samba either – always those new paths forward that Egberto brought to his music, heard here in a wonderfully unadorned setting that allows us to appreciate his ideas more than ever! And despite the focus on solo instrumentation, the set's incredibly dynamic – hardly a mellow affair at all, and instead filled with fire and freedom throughout – all in ways that are light years past any previous guitar conceptions from Span, Brazil, or other scenes. Titles include "2 Violes", "Danca Dos Escravos", "Lundu", "Alegrinho", and "Salvador". LP, Vinyl record album

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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

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Tord Gustavsen on piano – with Harald Johnsen on double bass, and Jarle Vespestad on drums. CD

Charlie Haden on double bass and Egberto Gismonti on piano and guitar. CD

Moody atmospherics from the second wave of ECM – a spacious trio outing that features Charlie Haden on bass, Jan Garbarek on saxophones, and Egberto Gismonti on guitars and piano. With any other group of players, the setting might be a bit too spare and relaxed for our ears, but Gismonti really manages to work in some beautiful notes in the added room of the set – and Haden's basswork is exceptionally recorded, and tuned with that deepening sense of soul he brought to his later years so well. Garbarek's solos punctuate the quieter moments nicely – and titles include "Bailarina", "Magico", "Silence", "Spor", and "Palhaco". CD

A trio date, with Garbarek on tenor and soprano sax, Charlie Haden on bass, and Egberto Gismonti on guitars and piano. CD

Arve Henriksen performs on trumpet, vocals, and supplies additional field recordings – all set to arrangements by Jan Bang, who handles samples, beats, and additional programming. Guest musicians include David Sylvian, Lars Danielsson, Helge Sunde, and Erik Honore. CD

One of the avant garde classics in the early catalog of ECM Records – a set that has bassist Dave Holland working with two key bandmates from the Circle group – Anthony Braxton on saxes and flute, and Barry Altschul on percussion – as well as the great Sam Rivers on flute and sax, who was really taking off at the time! All tracks are originals by Holland – and Rivers' emotive, flowing approach proves the perfect balance for Braxton's intellectual approach – in a setting that really brings the most out of both players, thanks in part to elastic rhythms from Holland and Altschul. The overall approach leaves a great deal of space on this atmospheric set – but not in the usual mellower ECM way. Titles include "Four Winds", "Q & A", "Conference Of The Birds", "Interception", "Now Here (Nowhere)", and "See Saw". CD

One of the avant garde classics in the early catalog of ECM Records – a set that has bassist Dave Holland working with two key bandmates from the Circle group – Anthony Braxton on saxes and flute, and Barry Altschul on percussion – as well as the great Sam Rivers on flute and sax, who was really taking off at the time! All tracks are originals by Holland – and Rivers' emotive, flowing approach proves the perfect balance for Braxton's intellectual approach – in a setting that really brings the most out of both players, thanks in part to elastic rhythms from Holland and Altschul. The overall approach leaves a great deal of space on this atmospheric set – but not in the usual mellower ECM way. Titles include "Four Winds", "Q & A", "Conference Of The Birds", "Interception", "Now Here (Nowhere)", and "See Saw". CD

Dave Holland on double bas – with Eric Person on alto and soprano saxophone, Steve Nelson on vibraphone and marimba, and Gene Jackson on drums. CD

One of Holland's excellent small group sides for ECM, showcasing his angular yet swinging take on modern jazz, that sidestepped the 80s by numbers jazz molds of revisionist young lions and too smooth jazz lite. The quintet here features Julian Priester, Steve Coleman, Kenny Wheeler, and Steve Ellington, and they run through 7 numbers in all, with titles that include "Jumpin In", "First Snow", 'The Dragon & The Samurai", "New-One", "Sunrise", "Shadow Dance" and "You I Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Features Dave Holland on bass, Chris Potter on saxophones, Robin Eubanks on trombone, and Billy Kilson on drums. CD

A really great album as a leader from bassist Dave Holland – a musician who was really coming into his own at this point in his career, and using all the talents he'd developed in looser settings to help bring new focus to a group! The lineup here is exceptionally strong, and a really great blend of different styles and talents – Steve Coleman on alto and soprano sax, Julian Priester on trombone, Kenny Wheeler on trumpets, and Marvin Smitty Smith on drums – all rising majestically under the leadership of Holland. Titles include "Uhren", "Homecoming", "Perspecuity", "Celebration", "World Protection Blues", "Gridlock (Opus 8)", "Walk A way", "The Good Doctor", and "Double Vision". CD

Open, expressive sounds from the team of Wadada Leo Smith on trumpet and Vijay Iyer on piano, Fender Rhodes, and electronics – all served up in a mode that's quite different from recent records by either musician! The "rhythm" in the title here might be a bit misplaced – as the tunes have very little groove, and instead allow both Smith and Iyer to stretch out boldly in space – Leo on a mix of muted and fully-blown modes, Iyer maybe taking some of his previous ECM lines into even freer territory. The use of electric elements next to Smith's horn is especially nice – and titles include "Marian Anderson", "Passage", and the long title suite "A Cosmic Rhythm With Each Stroke". CD

An expanded document of a key live moment in the career of Keith Jarrett – his return to work in a New York club after the space of more than a decade! The group here is Jarrett's fantastic Standards trio – Gary Peacock on bass and Jack DeJohnette on drums – working with Keith on these longform explorations of tunes that are familiar, but which really transform in that mode that Jarrett brought to his own solo improvisation work of the 70s. The tunes are there, somewhere – but often just as subtle signposts for the direction of the flow from the master's hands on the piano. CD

Very cool clavichord recordings from Keith Jarrett! LP, Vinyl record album

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 heady double-length set from Keith Jarrett – some of his more sharper-edged work of the time, even though the session follows the free-flowing solo aproach of his other ECM recordings! The first half of the set features the extended "Invocations" suite – a work that has Jarrett working moodily on a combination of pipe organ and soprano sax – the former of which is used with plenty of dark tones and odd notes, making for a surprisingly great combination with the sax! "The Moth & The Flame" suite follows on the second disc – featuring Jarrett on more familiar piano (and a wide-bodied Steinway at that), soaring out on some warmer, more lyrical lines. 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

Two solo piano performances, both recorded in Japan. CD

A nice collection that brings together the many facets of Keith Jarretts long career at ECM – with straighter solo material, more experimental work on flute, reeds, organ, and percussion, small group collaborations with Jan Garbarek and Palle Danielsson, and selections from his long standing trio with Gary Peacock and Jack DeJohnette. CD

Keith Jarrett on piano. CD

A solo piano performance – includes two long tracks. 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". 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

The best Keith Jarrett spirit of the 70s – those long, exploratory lines he virtually invented on solo piano – performed here by pianist Dennis Russell Davies! The set's one of the warmest we've ever heard from Davies – as he spins out on two side-long interpretations of this composition by Jarrett – a piece that clearly allows a lot of room for personal introspection, in a way that makes it very much a blending of the two individuals. The work is less freewheeling than some of Keith's long improvisations, but has a very similar spirit – and stands nicely next to those solo piano classics on ECM. The set features one long piece – "Ritual" – over both sides of the record. LP, Vinyl record album

A fond farewell to Miles Davis – played here by a hip trio that features Keith Jarrett on piano, Gary Pecock on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums! A few of the numbers are ones that Davis recorded famously in years past, and a few others are originals – played by the trio in ways that are hardly Davis-like, but which certainly draw from the rich legacy of music he created. Rather than a Miles soundalike record, consider this one as a musical poem to the (then) recently departed great one – a beautiful set of music, with titles that include "Bye Bye Blackbird", "Blackbird Bye Bye", "You Won't Forget Me", "Summer Night", "For Miles", and "Straight No Chaser". CD

Another great trio outting featuring Keith Jarrett on piano, Gary Peacock on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums. As is usual during the tracks are mostly standards including "Body and Soul", "Blame It On My Youth", "Old Folks", and one original composition – Keith Jarrett's "The Cure". CD

Keith Jarrett on piano, Gary Peacock on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums. CD

Another wonderful live date – tracks include "If I Were A Bell", "Butch & Butch", "Someday My Prince Will Come", and the title track, "Up For It". CD

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A beautiful solo set from Steve Kuhn – recorded in the mid 70s, with an even more careful, thoughtful tone than some of his other albums of the decade! Steve's piano is captured in a warmly intimate setting – somewhat echoey at points, and spinning out with these captivating lines and tones that hold us more hypnotically than other albums of this nature – still definitely that Kuhn sense of flow, motion, and deeper thoughts below the surface – but performed this time in a solo setting, without any other help at all. Titles include "Thoughts Of A Gentleman – The Saga Of Harrison Crabfeathers", "Ulla", "Silver", and "Life's Backward Glance". LP, Vinyl record album

With Steve Slagle on soprano, alto, and flute, Harvie Swartz on bass, and Michael Smith on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful work from pianist Steve Kuhn – working here with a group that features Steve Slagel on soprano, alto, flute, and percussion – plus Harvie Swartz on bass and Bob Moses on drums! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the darkest Steve Kuhn albums we've ever heard – a record of introspective piano lines, set amidst contemplative orchestrations from Carlos Franzetti! The style is incredibly moving – bringing a depth to Kuhn's work that we haven't heard in years – an approach that has him acting more like a painter in sound than the highly rhythmic pianist of earlier records. There's a quality here that's almost soundtrack-oriented at times, and Kuhn's dark tones are the highlight of the set – moving slowly in space to really find their own kind of sound – as Franzetti is very careful never to overdo things with the arrangements. Titles include "Adagio", "Promises Kept", "Life's Backward Glance", "Trance", "Morning Day", and "Pastorale". 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

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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". CD

Beautiful duets between this richly creative pair – a stripped-down set that really showcases the warmth and intimacy of Charles Lloyd's reed styles in recent years – and one that also has Jason Moran warming up a bit more than usual too! Lloyd plays tenor and alto, both with a very rich tone – plus bass and alto flutes – and although Moran mostly plays piano, he also handles a bit of tambourine – maybe in a way that underscores the rhythmic elements that Jason brings to his work on a few tracks. The centerpiece of the album is the "Hagar Suite" – which has some of the evocative, exotic modes of other Lloyd recordings – and other titles include "God Only Knows", "Pretty Girl", "Mood Indigo", "Bess You Is My Woman Now", and "Pictogram". CD

Great work from one of the better young groups to rise up at ECM at the end of the 80s – a Norwegian quartet with some especially great trumpet work from Nils Petter Molvaer, plus tenor and soprano from Tore Brunborg, bass from Arild Andersen, and drums and percussion from Jon Christensen! Molvaer still has the tendency to atmospherics that's always marked his playing, but works here in a mode that's slightly more forceful, too – almost a more traditional jazz trumpet approach at times, set up in the loose, open swing of the rest of the group. Titles include a few traditional numbers arranged by Andersen – "Lill Lisa" and "Heiemo Gardsjenta" – plus the tunes "There Is No Jungle In Baltimore", "Re-Enter", "Gaia", and "Little Song". 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

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

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 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". CD

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 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 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

Features Chris Cheek and Tony Malaby on saxes, Jerome Harris on bass, and Jakob Bro, Ben Monder, and Steve Cardenas on guitars! CD

Paul Motian on drums, Bill Frisell on guitar, and Joe Lovano on tenor saxophone. CD

Features work by Paul Motian – with Keith Jarrett, Paul Bley, Bill Frisell, Charles Brackeen, Joe Lovano, and others. CD

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

To us, this recording represents what was great about ECM in the mid 70s, searching improvised grooves that cross the lines between free playing, textural tone bending, ethnic influences and modern fusion, but without getting too new-agey. Om were a quartet of European improvisers, many of whom would go on to delve more fully into the free scene there: Urs Leimgruber, Christy Doran, Bobby Burri and Fredy Studer, and Dom Um Romao adds some great percussive touches to this recording as a guest. The set starts out with Um Romao laying out some expressive percussion before settling into the nice modal groove of "Chipero", which is followed by the more energetic "Dumini", a spacious classic ECM number "Back To Front" and the lengthy fusion excursion "De Funk". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful early record from a trio who would flourish even more strongly in years to come – usually under the leadership of Keith Jarrett, but working here with bassist Gary Peacock at the helm – guiding the piano of Jarrett and drums of Jack DeJohnette! The slight change really seems to fit the mood of the record – as it's full of subtle shapes and tones, of the sort we always love from Gary's bass work in the 70s – this way of handling the instrument that's almost as much about sound as it is about notes and melody! Jarrett's piano is a wonderful combination here – more richly melodic, in ways that offset Pecock beautifully – and DeJohnette's drumming is the perfect complement to the pair – often very subtle. Titles include "Vignette", "Tone Field", "Major Major", and "Trilogy" in three parts. LP, Vinyl record album

The special edition title here is very well-put – as the record's a real standout from Enrico Rava – a live session with a sextet, and one that has Rava opening up with even more color and life than usual! From the very first note, there's something really wonderful about the record – Enrico blows flugelhorn throughout – sometimes out front in the lead, but almost always followed by these really great contributions from the group – a lineup that includes Francesco Bearzatti on tenor, Francesco Diodati on guitar, Giovanni Guidi on piano, Gabriele Evangelista on bass, and Enrico Morello on drums – all musicians who weave this wonderful tapestry of sound with Rava, and make the record very different than some of the more spare, atmospheric sessions the leader recorded for ECM. Titles include "Theme For Jessica Tatum", "Infant", "Wild Dance", "Fearless Five", "Le Solite Cose", and "Diva". CD

Stefano Bollani on piano and Enrico Rava on ttumpet. CD

Features Hal Russell on saxophones, percussion and vocals, Mars Williams on saxophones and wood flute, Brian Sandstrom on bass, guitar and trumpet, Kent Kessler on bass and trombone, and Steve Hunt on drums, vibes and percussion. CD

Icludes the songs "Waves", "Den Forste Sne", "The Hunt", "Better Off Without You", "Innseiling", "Rainbow", "Topplue, Votter & Skjerf", and "Descendre". CD

Features Dino Saluzzi on bandoneon, Jose Saluzzi on acoustic guitar, and Marc Johnson on bass. CD

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Features Louis Sclavis on clarinets, Dominique Pifarely on violin, and Vincent Courtois on cello. CD

John Scofield's a musician who's changed up his sound wonderfully over the decades – and yet, throughout it all, he's never stopped to give us an album of solo guitar – something he does here in a wonderfully fresh way – mixing up a surprising array of songs alongside his own work on guitar, which is sometimes augmented by loops! Scofield mixes in his own compositions with a few traditional tunes, numbers by Hank Williams and Buddy Holly, and a few standards as well – all to deliver a surprisingly personal record, and one that never lets the looping effects get in the way of the sensitive sounds on the guitar. Titles include "Elder Dance", "Since You Asked", "Not Fade Away", "My Old Flame", "You Win Again", "Trance De Jour", "Junco Partner", and "Coral". CD

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Source is Trygve Seim on sax, Oyvind Braekke on trombone, Mats Eilertsen on bass, and Per Oddvar Johansen on drums. CD

Features Stanko on trumpet, Marcin Wasilewski on piano, Slawomir Kurkiewicz on bass, and Michal Miskiewicz on drums. CD

Beautifully introspective work from Polish trumpeter Tomasz Stanko – one of the leading lights of the 60s modern jazz scene that featured Komeda, and still a heck of a compelling artist in his own right! Stanko's tone has a moody, evocative feel that's perfect for the ECM setting of the album – recorded with backing from an acoustic piano trio, over a suite of ten "Suspended Variations" titles that unfold in rich colors and tones as the set moves on. The set also features an added track, "Song For Sarah", that is even more quietly contemplative than the rest! CD

Bobo Stenson on piano, Charles Lloyd on tenor saxophone, Jan Garbarek on tenor and soprano saxophone, Don Cherry and Tomasz Stanko on trumpet, Anders Jormin, Palle Danielsson, and Arild Andersen on double bass, Jon Christensen, Tony Oxley, Billy Hart, and Anders Kjellberg on drums, and Okay Temiz on percussion. CD

Solo recordings by Surman on soprano and baritone sax, bass clarinet, and synthesizers. LP, Vinyl record album

Brasses aren't usually associated with the music of John Surman – which frequently finds its more common outlet in spare spaces for the reedman's many-textured lines – but here, Surman works with a very cool larger ensemble, directed by John Warren – and filled with great work from a host of really creative trumpet and trombone players! As with other larger-setting projects, Surman often steps out front, carving lines on soprano sax, baritone, and bass clarinet – plus a bit of piano too – but there's also some exceptionally strong soloists in the group, too – as one might expect from a lineup that includes Henry Lowther and Stephen Waterman on trumpets, and Malcolm Griffiths and Chris Pyne on trombones. The group also features John Marshall on drums and Chris Laurence on bass – and titles include "The Returning Excile", "Silent Lake", "Wider Vision", "The New One Two", "All For A Shadow", and "Mellstock Quire/Tantrum Clangley". CD

Features John Taylor on piano, Chris Laurence on bass, John Marshall on drums, and John Surman on soprano and baritone sax as well as alto and bass clarinets. CD

A record with a wonderfully evocative title, and a wonderfully evocative sound as well – solo piano material from Craig Taborn that maybe shows off a wider range of sounds and subtle touches than we've heard on other albums in recent years – maybe in part because the whole thing begins with one long track that would have taken up the first side of an ECM vinyl release back in the 70s! Yet Taborn's hardly stuck in the older aesthetic of the label – because while he makes use of that special Manfred Eicher approach to space and sound, he also brings all sorts of moody colors to the record of his own – sounds that are maybe even more amazing when you realize the performance was recorded live, but with an intimate feel that makes you think you're just catching Craig in his home studio late at night – discovering new ideas as he works alone on the piano. Titles include "Bird Templars", "Conspiracy Of Things", "Shadow Play", "Now In Hope", and "A Code With Spells". CD