Aug 23: Icarus

Here's a Sunday morning treat for you apropos of nothing....

Ralph Towner and Gary Burton playing 'Icarus' from the album 'Matchbook'

Aug 20: Tunisia and Anouar Brahem

For Tunisia, I am going to refer to the music of Anouar Brahem.

He is an oud player from Tunisia.

The oud is a stringed instrument which is a little like a mandolin or lute, but with a rounded back and a neck which includes an angled headstock.

Anouar has recorded a number of albums for ECM. Here's a live performance of a track from his latest album.

 

And here's a track called C'est Ailleurs from an earlier album...

 

Aug 15: ECM Podcast

There are now 70 episodes of the ECM Podcast, which shares news of acts on the roster of this record label, which has helped determine my musical taste over the decades.

Jul 4: 1976

1976 saw the arrival of another few classic albums. Blondie was in the charts a lot at the time - I was in Secondary school by now... and a half century has passed since... 

Genesis released 'A Trick of the Tail', another album since Peter Gabriel's departure.

Perhaps the best album released this year is now a classic, but I didn't encounter it for another 20 years at least....

2026 is the 50th anniversary of its release.

Bright Size Life is the name of the album: a trio recording, and the debut for Pat Metheny - at the age of just 21.

The album features Pat Metheny of course, plus Jaco Pastorius on bass and Bob Moses on drums. It was released by ECM Records. Details are here.

Here's the title track:

Meanwhile, there was another album which kick started a long career. This time in electronic music.

Jean Michel Jarre released 'Oxygene': a classic.

Rush released 2112, which really sent their career into overdrive too... I remember listening to this album when still at school, so that must have been a few years after it was released....

The summer of 1976 saw the heatwave which is still referred to to this day.

I remember it well.

I am currently reading this book, which is a social and cultural history of the months from May to July of 1976. 

One of the sections is about music.

I was also pleased to see that when I opened the book, a Spotify playlist had been created for it.

What are your favourite albums from 1976 with its long hot summer?

Apr 21: Nordan

One of the most striking album covers that ECM produced is Nordan by Ale Möller and Lena Willemark.

It's published by ECM.

A lovely review here:

Medieval Swedish folklore and balladry rise again in Nordan, the first ECM collaboration between songstress Lena Willemark and multitalented instrumentalist Ale Möller. While the latter brings out gorgeous sounds from mandola (i.e., alto mandolin), kantele (plucked zither), hammered dulcimer, and folk-harp, among others, the former lends the session’s most powerful instrument—her earthly voice—to an ensemble of bass (courtesy of regular sessioner Palle Danielsson), drone-fiddle, Swedish bagpipes, saxophones, and percussion. That voice is the central figure of nearly every painting in this gallery, tending to crisp plains in search of traditions and lives buried. It spurs the calls of “Trilo,” an incantation unto the wispy barbs of sentiment that abound therefrom, and calls from more distant pastures in “Gullharpan” and through the watery harp strains of “Mannelig”—these but a few of the many songs one might single out here for their remarkable sense of space and atmosphere. Willemark also proves her prowess on the fiddle for two Polskas, the rustic metalwork of “Hornlåt,” and the jig-like “Jemsken.” Möller has the last word with “Drömspår,” an epilogue for accordion that leads us into less turbulent waters than those depicted on the album’s cover.

The follow up was called Agram.

These were played regularly on journeys after release.

Ale Möller is a multi-instrumentalist who has played with many other musicians in different formats, including a band called Frifot.

Check out this track from the Nordan Suite... a recent reimagining of the album:

Apr 17: Nordic Light

A surprise new release today from Jan Garbarek... not new material - there's been none of that for a long time now sadly... but a lengthy compilation album called Nordic Light. 

The track selection is actually really good on this one, and gives you a good sense of the variety of styles that he has been involved with over the years.

Apr 10: Eberhard Weber

Eberhard Weber is a German bassist. He has sadly retired from playing following a heart attack which happened in April 2007.

He played with a great many of my favourite musicians.

The first time I saw him I was completely blown away by his style and sound. This was a concert with the Jan Garbarek Group performing 'Molde Canticle' from 'I took up the Runes' at the Cambridge Corn Exchange.

More on that to come in a few days' time...

Portrait by Gert Chesi - Shared under CC license

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eberhard_Weber#/media/File:Eberhard_Weber_-_Portrait_by_Gert_Chesi.jpg

I then saw him around a half dozen other times with the Jan Garbarek Group, including a concert at the St. Andrews Hall in Norwich, where I had front row seats.

One night in Norwich I also went to see him play a solo concert at the Norwich Arts Centre. He said quite a bit between the music that he played expressing thanks and surprise that people would come out to watch him "playing with himself".

This was a reference to the echo and delay unit that he used to layer up sounds and create some wonderful effects and tunes.

He started out working with other musicians, and recorded several solo albums too.

He also played with the Colours Quartet and recorded several albums, which had Lyle Mays as one of the players too.

Here's an early performance.

A tribute concert was held in Stuttgart in 2015.

It was released as an ECM album called 'Hommage a Eberhard Weber' - I have a copy of that album.

Musicians playing were: Gary Burton, Pat Metheny, Scott Colley, Danny Gottlieb, SWR Big Band, Helge Sunde.

Weber's latest albums, Résumé (2012) and Encore (2015) comprise solos from his performances worldwide with The Jan Garbarek Group, overdubbed with keyboards/treatments by Weber, saxophone by Garbarek, and flügelhorn by Ack Van Rooyen.

This included a long piece which was written by Pat Metheny.

This was recorded with musicians in front of a screen which showed some of his solo work.

One of the final pieces of music that the late Lyle Mays (who will be remembered in due course in a post on the blog) recorded is called 'Eberhard' and is a tribute to him.

Seek out some of his work with Jan Garbarek.

Finally, it's also worth saying that he also worked with Kate Bush.

A REDDIT post tells the story by sharing images of books.

He talks about the experience in an interview:

She called me once when I was in Hamburg. I couldn’t even believe it was her. The hotel had a message from Kate Bush and I called her back. She told me she loved ECM music in general and my music in particular. She wanted me to participate in one of her albums. She sent me a tape of the two tracks she wanted me to play on and asked me to think about countermelodies. So I did that and flew to London where she lived. I thought it would be like the jazz people I work with and that within two hours, the first tune is done and within another hour, the second tune is done. 

No. It’s very different, which I learned in this, my first appearance in the pop world.
They checked every note—everything, everything, everything. The first tune took six to eight hours. The second one the same. It explained to me why these pop people take so long to produce their albums. They never decide right away what to do. So when I came up with some ideas they said “yes, yes, let’s record it to 48 tracks.” Then I’d have another idea and again, it would be “yes, yes, yes, let’s do it this way.” I recorded dozens of ideas and in the end, only one was accepted. These people have the attitude that it’s only later when they mix that they decide. This is very unusual compared to the older ECM productions in the '70s when I started. 

Making a record only took three days: two days of recording and one day of mixing. 

Only later on when it became more complicated with synths and such did it take longer. 

But pop people take six months or even longer to make a record."

Here's one of the tracks he played on:

Jan 25: Northern Lights

Is it possible to capture the 'sound' or visual spectacle of the Northern Lights in musical form?

Jan Garbarek - All those Born with Wings is an excellent album with Jan's sax and the usual bandmates... and one of the best CD covers there is... showing a display of aurora. On the ECM label, which will also be showcased elsewhere on the blog.

From this album, check out the 3rd piece which perhaps best captures the atmosphere.

Suns of the Tundra - Aurora

A track on the 'Bones of Brave Ships' album from Suns of the Tundra, which tells the story of Shackleton's famous 'Endurance' expedition.

Apart from having a name which references a type of ecosystem, they also have chief examiner and top geographer Simon Oakes on lead guitar and vocals, adding to their geographical (and musical) credentials.

Why not head to the band's Bandcamp page. This is a good place to order their music too in various formats.

Lyle Mays - Alaskan Suite - Northern Lights, Invocation, Ascent

A track from Lyle Mays' debut album, and one of the finest albums there is.

Here's part of the three part movement...

I remember listening to this very loud while sitting on the shores of Loch Slapin on Skye. We'd been down to the Suisnish peninsula - an area cleared of crofters during the clearances, and across the loch was Bla-bheinn as the moon came up...

If you get the chance to go to Iceland during the winter months please do. 2025 saw a solar maximum of activity and some remarkable displays. 2026 will hopefully be just as good - January has certainly started out well.

Here's a picture of mine from 2024, taken at Laugarvatn.

Image by Alan Parkinson, shared on Flickr under CC license.

Have I missed other musical attempts to capture this remarkable phenomenon? 

Let me know in the comments...

Jan 24: Keith Jarrett's Köln masterpiece

One of the greatest albums of all time, and still the bestselling solo jazz album – and the bestselling solo piano album – of all time, selling more than 4 million copies to date - I have one of them.

It was recorded on this date, back in 1975. 51 years ago today!

There will be a few posts which will be posted on the anniversaries of particular events and this is one of them.

The story behind its creation is also fascinating. It very nearly didn't happen, and the piano it was recorded on had some serious problems which Jarrett overcame, and which contribute to the unusual sound and arrangements on the album. He was exhausted and hungry when he performed.

Jarrett himself has strong feelings about the recording.

I visited the venue where it was recorded in 2024 when I was in Köln for an educational event. 

The city has connections with other bands including Kraftwerk - we will return to them later in the year...

A documentary has been made about the circumstances under which this piece was recorded. The trailer for it is here. I would like to go and see the finished film if possible.

Jan 19: Record Labels #1: ECM

The first of a series of posts featuring some record labels which champion music from global artists.

The record label which I perhaps have more of than any other in my collection is ECM.

ECM was founded by Manfred Eicher.

The covers of ECM music are always works of art.

This Substack article showcases some.

I have a great many ECM records in my collection. 

Here's five of my favourites, although ask me again tomorrow and I'll choose a different five:

1. 'Twelve Moons' - Jan Garbarek Group (1993)

2. Pat Metheny - 'Bright Size Life' (1976)

3. Keith Jarrett - 'Köln Concert (1975)

4. Anouar Brahem - 'Le pas du cat noir' (2002)

5. Ale Moller and Lena Willemark - 'Nordan' (1994)

Some of these will have their moment on the blog as well....

Here's the opening track from one of the albums, the wonderful 'Twelve Moons' - played live. I saw this band and this track performed live.

We also had sad news yesterday of the passing of an artist who has recorded many times with ECM: the virtuoso guitarist and pianist Ralph Towner. A real multi-instrumentalist.