What a great time it is for Jazz music collectors: The Tone Poet series, The BN80 series and of course Touchstones on ECM. Not so good for my wallet, but anyway... Just yesterday got those two: lovely music for late night listening.
Carla Bley – The Lost Chords Find Paolo Fresu Label: WATT Works – WATT/34, ECM Records – 173 7750 Format: CD, Album Country: Germany Released: 26 Oct 2007 Genre: Jazz Style: Contemporary Jazz
I can't stop listening to this album, and you know it has to be great with two jazz legends (David Holland, Jack DeJohnette) backing it up. I want more! What a great discovery this record is for me (thanks to Roon with Qobuz integration). Anouar Brahem. I was previously familiar with a more traditional Oud (or Ud), from my brief (two semesters) ethnomusicology studies decades ago that included Moorish and Persian music. I'm discovering more of Brehem on Qobuz, but what do you like? What has the stature of this album, if anything?
Astrakan Café (2000) [ECM 1718] is my favourite Brahem album. His interpretations of sounds and traditionals from Azarbeidjan, Turkmenistan, etc... are of utmost excellence and beauty. It's one of the first ECM albums I've ever heard and the album I pull out most of Brahem's works.
Here's the ad from this month's Jazzwise with all the new Touchstone releases on it. I'm working my way through the 7 I picked up last night...currently on Bennie Maupin's The Jewel in the Lotus.
I just picked up Blue Maqams as well. A new recording by Brahem is now an automatic buy for me. I've only listened to two sides, but I really like it so far. I have Brahem's entire catalog. My take is that over time, his music has become more accessible to western ears without really losing the ethereal sound of his oud. I really like his last two as well, especially The Astounding Eyes of Rita.
Nice spins going on, and enjoy the Rypdal and Abercrombie posts. After the Rain is a favorite and JA is a talent and lends greatness to almost any project he gets involved in. On to Sat'd morning's 'controlled environment maniac music': Dave Holland's lp sounds good anytime, a standby; Gary Burton fit nicely into the cycle, thought I've not listened to as much as others from his catalog; and Marc Copland's includes some great playing by Kenny Wheeler (as usual--a non-ecm release) on Challenge Records, the international label in the Netherlands.
also a big fan of the album ... i think one of the best on ecm of the last years... also an audiophile stunner...if you are looking for oud-music i can recommend Rabih Abou-Khalil - Blue Camel
Thanks. I'm playing this now. Great lineup of supporting musicians. It's very good, yet very different than Blue Maqams, which I think is the superior work.
Another oud great is Dhafer Youssef from Tunisia. Check out his album Birds Requiem on Okeh records. It's also really beautifully engineered.
Though I like vinyl a lot, I think with ECM albums you get the best a CD can deliver and it is good enough for me
If you think the CDs sound great you should hear a good German-pressed AAA original on a good vinyl system, if you haven't already. There is no comparison. I've been listening to a lot of 24/96 ECM albums on my streamer, which is really quite good. They sound really fantastic (even the 16/44, but especially the 24/96 ones), but still don't stand up to my old vinyl issues.
I think this one is relatively unknown outside Poland, but it's been on constant rotation at my house. If you like Marcin Wasilewski albums, it might suit you as well. Beautiful, shimmering music.
I have written to ECM recently asking them if they plan to reissue the three Masqualero albums on CD, perhaps in an "Old and New Masters" boxset but I got no reply. If anyone is interested please let them know, perhaps they will consider it...
My favorite Gismonti date. He revisits some of his earlier compositions to great effect, Maybe his most, I don’t know ... “normal?” recording.
one of my favourite albums of all time! at the moment i'm listening to Wolfgang Muthspiel's new album 'Where the River Goes' which has Brad Mehldau on Piano, Larry Grenadier on Bass, Eric Harland on Drums, and Ambrose Akinmusire on the trumpet - highly recommended!
I tend to think that it's a shame that Jarrett didn't record more with the European Quartet. After having played my latest 7 ECM titles I I updated the list I downloaded from here and had a count up...if I add in the albums included in the white boxes e.g. Garbarek, Abercrombie, Codona etc I now have exactly 200 ECM titles!
