SINIKKA LANGELAND – THE MAGICAL FOREST        
ECM 2448     602547768315     CD

Sinikka Langeland: kantele, zpěv
Arve Henriksen: trubka
Trygve Seim: soprán & tenor saxofony
Anders Jormin: kontrabas
Markku Ounaskari: perkuse
Trio Mediaeval – Anna Maria Friman, Berit Opheim, Linn Andrea Fuglseth: zpěv

The colours of The Magical Forest glow in this remarkable recording which brings together Sinikka Langeland’s Norwegian-Finnish-Swedish Starflowers quintet with the singers of the Trio Mediӕval. It’s an inspired concept: the Trio Mediӕval, with their affinity for folk music and their unique vocal blend, adapt themselves ideally to Sinikka’s sound-world, which is once archaic, timeless and contemporary. The quintet members, all bandleaders in their own right, are amongst the most characterful players in Scandinavia today, and Sinikka sets them free to improvise around her cycle of songs, built upon myths and legends of the world tree.
The Magical Forest was recorded at Oslo’s Rainbow Studio in February 2015, and produced by Manfred Eicher.

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MATS EILERTSEN – RUBICON
ECM 2469     602547743152     CD

Mats Eilertsen: kontrabas
Eirik Hegdal: soprán & baryton saxofony, klarinet, basklarinet
Thomas T Dahl: kytara
Rob Waring: marimba, vibrafon
Harmen Fraanje: klavír, Fender Rhodes
Olavi Louhivuori: bicí nástroje

Norwegian bassist Mats Eilertsen has been a strong and supportive presence on a dozen ECM sessions to date. WithRubicon he steps forward to present his own music, with an international cast. The album features compositions originally written in response to a commission from the Vossajazz Festival.All About Jazz reviewed the premiere performance: “Rubiconproved to be a very dynamic work. Eilertsen ensured that each of the instrumentalists took their share of the spotlight, brought together combinations of players that emphasized tonal variation, and created ensemble sections bursting with life.” After fine-tuning the material on tour, Mats brought his septet to Oslo’s Rainbow Studio, where Manfred Eicher produced this definitive version of Rubicon in May 2015.

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PETER ERSKINE, JOHN TAYLOR, PALLE DANIELSSON – AS IT WAS
ECM 2490-93     60254758329     4CD-box

John Taylor: klavír; Palle Danielsson: kontrabas; Peter Erskine: bicí nástroje

The newest addition to ECM’s popular Old and New Masters Series is a box set reprising the four albums made by Peter Erskine’s American-British-Swedish trio with John Taylor and Palle Danielsson between 1992 and 1997: You Never Know, As It Is, Time Being and Juni. If its core concept – a piano led by a drummer – was unorthodox, the group was nonetheless influential, and the recordings provide an excellent environment for appreciating the distinctive writing and playing of John Taylor. The British pianist was the Erskine Trio’s primary composer, with the drummer-leader and bassist Danielsson also contributing pieces and the repertoire topped up with tunes by Vince Mendoza and Kenny Wheeler. Of his trio mates Erskine says, "We drew out our most explorative and interesting playing from each other. Without trying to be, we were a truly unique group. I’ve heard nothing like it before or since.”  

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CARLA BLEY, ANDY SHEPPARD, STEVE SWALLOW – ANDANDO EL TIEMPO
ECM 2487     602547797117     CD
ECM 2487-1  602547848635     LP

Carla Bley: klavír
Andy Sheppard: tenor a soprán saxofon
Steve Swallow: baskytara 

"Andando el Tiempo" představuje novou hudbu širokého emocionálního záběru Carly Bley a podtrhuje její originalitu a nápaditost coby jazzové skladatelky. Trio se Sheppardem a Swallowem je pro ni pak ideálním provozním prostředkem a zároveň jí poskytuje jeden z nejlepších kontextů pro její jedinečný způsob klavírní hry. Stejně jako kritikou chválené ECM album "Trios" z roku 2012, bylo "Andando el Tiempo" nahrané v RSI Studiu Lugano a produkované Manfredem Eicherem.

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