ECM

180 gram vinyl.<br/><br/>Released on the occasion of Anouar Brahem's 60th birthday, "Blue Maqams" offers many reasons to celebrate. Recorded in New York's Avatar Studios in May 2017 and produced by Manfred Eicher, it brings the Tunisian oud master together with three brilliant improvisers: the "Maqams" of the title refers to the Arabic modal music system, rendered kind of blue by the jazz players. For Anouar Brahem and Dave Holland the album marks a reunion: they first collaborated 20 years ago on the very widely-acclaimed "Thimar" album. Brahem meets Jack DeJohnette for the first time here, but Holland and DeJohnette have been frequent musical partners over the last half-century beginning with ground-breaking work with Miles Davis - their collaborations are legendary. British pianist Django Bates also rises superbly to the challenge of Brahem's compositions. And Anouar in turn is inspired to some of his most outgoing playing. "Blue Maqams" is a highlight of ECM's autumn season.

180 gram vinyl.

180 gram vinyl.<br/><br/>Circle was a band on fire with creativity. Chick Corea and Dave Holland had just left Miles Davis's band, keen to explore all parameters of new music in an improvised context. Anthony Braxton, equally inspired by Stockhausen and Coltrane, brought in new directions from the AACM. Barry Altschul's resumé included extensive work with Paul Bley. Together they were, for a while, matchless. Corea called the Paris Concert (recorded 1971) the realization of a dream. Melody Maker: "Paris Concert is evidence that here was one of the most excitingly talented bands of recent years, for these 94 minutes of music simply burst with vigorous invention."

180 gram vinyl.

180 gram vinyl.

180 gram vinyl.

180 gram vinyl.<br/><br/>A year after his impressionistic, critically-lauded ECM debut "Into The Silence", trumpeter Avishai Cohen's "Cross My Palm With Silver" introduces a programme of new pieces which put the focus on the ensemble, on teamwork, with a quartet of the highest calibre. The adroit, almost telepathic interplay among the musicians allows Avishai Cohen to soar, making it clear why he is one of the most talked-about jazz musicians on the contemporary scene. "All of these people together are my dream team", says the charismatic trumpeter of fellow players Yonathan Avishai, Barak Mori and Nasheet Waits, who share his sense for daring improvisation and his feeling for structure. "I feel we're in a perfect place with the balance. It's open and there's so much room for the improvisation to take the music any place we can. At the same time the composition is very specific and the vibe is very direct and thought about." As with "Into The Silence", "Cross My Palm With Silver" was produced by Manfred Eicher at Studios La Buissonne in the south of France. It is issued on the eve of a major European tour, with concerts in France, Italy, Spain, Luxembourg, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands.