IMO an excellent CD, Homage - Eberhard Weber.
There’s also a new Steve Tibbetts CD I want to check out. Not sure it’s on ECM though.
There’s also a new Steve Tibbetts CD I want to check out. Not sure it’s on ECM though.
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Roscoe, if you like Jarrett you might want to check out some of the early Kenny Wheeler issues on this label (Deer Wan and Gnu High). Jarrett plays on the latter, not sure on the former. Wheeler along with Egberto Gismonti were (are) my favorite artists on this label. Gismonti s like a Brazillian Keith Jarrett: he's that versatile. |
Charles Lloyd, "The Call." With Billy Hart, Bobo Stenson, and Anders Jormin, this album is, for my money, at the top of Lloyd's recordings. You hear a lot about Lloyd's new group, which includes Jason Moran, but I've never heard him better than on this 1993 recording. It also has the virtue of being one of the most beautifully engineered albums in the ECM catalogue (or at least in that part of the catalogue that I own). Astonishing in every way. |
Have I got a report for didgeridoo lovers! I went to the library and got the "real deal". You know it the instant you hear it. The sound is like a huge deep drone coming from who knows what, it's "otherwordly". This deep modulated "drone" and sticks that click in that aboriginal rhythm pattern, plus the sound of birds and insects in the background puts you square in the Australian outback with the tribe. They are the most unique people to inhabit the planet. Allow me to diverge for a moment. A long time ago, I read a book written by an anthropologist who lived with the Aborigine in the 1800's. This is when their original culture was intact. According to her, if someone was a long distance away, they communicated "telepathically". These very deep modulated "drone" sounds and clicking sticks communicate to me, what is the essence of the Aborigine spirit. I've listened to it over and over, it puts me in a trance. This is for the "didgeridoophile" only, while "Didgeridoo Groove" is fantastic music that I believe others who have posted on this thread could enjoy. Both are available on line; go to "Kado CD's" "Didgeridoos" sound of the Aborigine for "the real deal" and "Didgeridoo Music" for the groove. |
Duh! You caught me Orpheus10, I am also known as Mick the Didgeridologist. Any normal evening you can find me didgering a few doons in the twilight sky, scaring the heck out of northern Frankfurt's collective population. Seriously though, looks like a decent place to get some music. I listened to a number of tracks, in general they seem to be more palatable to a much broader public than the ones I mentioned yet avoiding to become too pop-y and insipid. Do we have a 'phile from Down Under in the audience who could tell us how close to the real thing something like "Didgeridoo Groove" might actually still be? And talking about unusual instruments, I'd like to point once more to the Hadouk Trio with the fantastic Didier Malherbe (e.g. on "Baldamore" with doudouk, khen, djembé, derbouka, gumbass, hajouj, ... oh well check it out yourselves: Baldamore live, a great recording to hear what your system is capable of in terms of a multitude of different timbres btw.) OK, next time I come to this forum, I promise to get back to ECM. |
Orpheus10, check out David Hudson "Rainbow Serpent" or "The Art of Didjeridoo", also the album "Australia, Sound of the Earth" (Hudson, Hopkins, Roach). Attention though, this can be waaaay too much to many western ears. There are certainly more melodious albums that often cross the line into pure kitsch, however (imho). So, listen to the samples first please! |
Airegin, you closed the Oud - Bandoneon loop for me. along with Anouar Brahem, one of my greatest musical discoveries of the last decade is Richard Galliano on Accordeon/Bandoneon. I like his playing better than Piazolla (Galliano plays quite a few Piazolla compositions though). I first heard Galliano on Brahem's excellent CD "Khomsa" and have since aqcuired over 10 of his discs (as well as seen him live). My favorite would be "Blow Up", which is a duo with Michel Portal on clarinet. |
I recommended Mavrothi Kontanis's in an earlier post as many like I love the oud. I also admit a strong affection for the bandoneon. For a poor, white, lower middle-class kid from middle America my music tastes are very different from most of my peers. This past week one of my typical diverse play cycles: Arvo Part's Spiegel Im Spiegel, Jordi Savall performing Marin Marais's music for the viole, Bill Frisell's Disfarmer, Babatunde Olatunji's Circle of Drums, and Helge Lien Trio's Hello Troll. |
For all of us willing to leave trodden paths (and I'm happy to notice we seem to be numerous), here's yet something else: the always astounding Paolo Fresu with Daniele di Bonaventura & A Filetta Corsican Voices, "Mistico Mediterraneo" Mistico Mediterraneo |
Before, I mentioned how I discovered my tastes had changed when I listened to some of my old ECM records. After hearing "The Astounding Eyes of Rita", I have discovered "we", ECM and me are back in sync. This is music that existed in ancient biblical times. It also has up to the minute qualities, combined with a dark brooding aura. The title of the album and the photograph on the cover, conjure up a mysterious "Rita" with hypnotic eyes. This album is so unique, that I don't believe it will ever get old. Many years from now, I will on occasion, still give "The Astounding Eyes of Rita" a spin. |
The only complaint I can lodge against ECM is that unlike "audiophile" labels like Chesky, they never got into SACD. Commercially probably a sensible decision, but an infinite regret to me. My taste has evolved too, but there are some very timeless releases on ECM that I keep coming back to, and the occasional new discovery to boot. Since this is becoming a bit of a world-music / fusion free for all, I have to mention Hariprasas Chaurasia (try "Shikhar"). Absolutely phenomenal raga on the bamboo flute. |
For "Audiophiles" only. Before I came to "Agon" I knew I was an Audiophile, now I'm not so sure. While I've spent 30 years listening to tubes, capacitors and interconnects in the past; now I listen exclusively to music. The reason I mention this is because I have discovered the sonic qualities of ECM records to be head and shoulders above all of the other records in my collection. While my musical tastes have changed since I bought these records, listening to them has been an adventure. My analog rig seems much better than I ever thought it was; the 3D sound-stage has expanded my listening room, bass is deeper, and the treble is clear and extended. Although all music is subjective and one's taste in music can change, the sonic qualities of records are constant. I mention all of this for the analog audiophile's who place an extremely high value on sonics. I still rate much of the musical content on ECM very high, but my musical tastes have changed somewhat. |
For Charles Lloyd I favor 'Lift every Voice' which is quite cathartic given it's inspirational spiritual response to the 9/11 tumult. For Anouar Brahem recordings, all of them, but 'Le pas du chat noir' & yes agree, 'The Astounding Eyes of Rita.' A non-ECM release that's really worth seeking out is Mavrothi T.Kontanis's 2008 CD. You won't regret it. Just a few of my many ECM discs I go back to often: - (believe it or not of all Tomasz Stanko's this one) 'From the Green Hill' - ..and from some of Tomasz's co-musicians of the past this one for contemplative listening (but of course so much of these recordings fit under 'contemplative' music: Marcin Wasilewski Trio, January - ..and bassist experimenter extraordinaire Eberhard Weber's 'Pendulum' a beautiful fragility flows forth from this one. - one final one on many listeners ECM fav list (for good reason too): Towner & Fresu on 'Chiaroscuro. I have not mentioned some excellent Indian music of which there is much. Checkout Waterlily recordings to start. Peace fellow audiogon'er's |
While Pat Metheney "Offramp" is my favorite, I'm going to give them all a new spin. Mick Goodrich. Old and New Dreams, Don Cherry, Dewey Redman, Charlie Haden, Ed Blackwell. Cadona 1, 2 and 3 with Colin Walcott, Don Cherry, Nana Vasconcelos. Chick Corea, Return to Forever. Art Lande, Rubisa Patrol, with Mark Isham, Bill douglas and Kurt Wortman. |
And speaking of Oud players (actually just one of many instruments he plays), has anyone been turned on to Stephan Micus? I have several of his releases on ECM. Towards the Wind is one of my favorites. Desert Poems is on my short list. FYI: The Chants, hymns, and Dances release mentioned previously is probably the best CD purchase I've made in the last 10 years (out of hundreds). I can't recommend it highly enough. |
Here are my top picks for ECM recordings, that is top of my ECM collection. I have about a dozen or so ECM recordings so I am sure (and very happy) that there is lot left to discover. 1- Changes - Keith Jarrett, Jack Dejohnette and Gary Peacock 2- Tin Can Alley - Jack Dejohnette and Special Edition 3- Return to Forever - Chick Corea with among others Airto Moreira and Flora Purim. |
I pretty much own every Brahem and Abou Khalil album so let me chime in. Rabih Abou Khalil has a lot of different albums out, which can be generally loosely described as oriental / jazz fusion. Oriental melodic and rhytmic signature (I am not a musician clearly). The astounding eyes of Rita is more traditional oriental, as are my other two Brahem favorites that I mentioned. In "The astounding eyes of Rita" Brahem goes back to the moods of his earliest albums. Rabih Abou Khalil also has one very traditional oriental sounding album out called Nafas (GET IT - Great stuff), while Brahem's most Jazzy album is Khomsa. While we are on subject, there is another ECM favourite which is a must have and you are sure to like if you like any of the brahem stuff. This album is "Making Music" by Zakir Hussain. By the way, the reason some folks picked up a Brahem album may be because "The astounding eyes of Rita" was record of the month in Stereophile a while ago. I first heard him (Barzakh) in an oriental furniture store in London and was immediately hooked. |
Edorr thanks for the suggestion, actually Rabih is the next one on my list of oud players as I read about him when searching information on Anouar! I will start with the album you say! Russell, yes "Astounding Eyes of Rita" is one of the best. Do not forget to listen to the Tsabropoulos album "Chants, Hymns & Dances", it is pure magic, a journey to a different world!! Happy Listening! |
Right now I am very much into Anouar Brahem and Vasilis Tsambropoulos. Two great artists, the first one plays the oud and the latter the Piano! I would suggest from Anouar Brahem as a first listen (cause you got to have them all): The outstanding eyes of Rita And from Vasilis Tsambropoulos: Chants, Hymns & Dances! Happy Listening, Mike |