Blog

50 Years of ECM - Part 1

Blog
50 Years of ECM - Part 1

16.01.2019

Text: Cem Kayıran
Translation: Yetkin Nural 

Jazz scene’s visionary label ECM has stepped into its 50th year in 2019. We will be exploring the label’s journey, which was founded in Munich by Manfred Eicher, in a series of articles that will extend over the upcoming months.

Free At Last (1969), the first album out of the 1500 items in the ECM catalogue belongs to American pianist Mal Waldron, who also played with John Coltrane for a while. The album was recorded at a West Germany town, and even though it marked the first step of a journey that will shape music history; no one, including Manfred Eicher, had any idea what was to come. Years later, Manfred Eicher re-defined his producer position in this album as the “supervisor” and continued to leave his touch on every single album that came out of ECM in a masterful way.

Eicher defined his vision as “bringing talented musicians together and recording the communication between them”, and compared producing an album to directing a theatre play. As such, he continuously pushed the boundaries of the “producer” definition and became known as one of jazz music’s modern visionaries since the second half of 20th Century.

Especially effective in Europe, ECM became one of the few major labels of jazz scene since the 1970’s. Keith Jarrett’s 1975 live album The Köln Concert is one of the top-selling jazz albums of all time today. Norwegian sax player Jan Garbarek, Polish trumpeter Tomasz Stańko, German bassist Eberhard Weber, American musicians Chick Corea, Jack DeJohnette and John Abercrombie are just top of the iceberg when it comes to the names that shaped and glorified the ECM catalogue at this period.

While accommodating a varied and rich selection of approaches to jazz, ECM also included pieces of classical and world music in its catalogue, quickly becoming one of the leading platforms for a variety of sounds which Eicher defines as “music that he likes and wants to introduce to the masses”. We will continue to explore ECM Records’ history decade by decade in the following articles, but first here are 10 albums from ECM’s first decade that you should definitely give an ear to. 

Mal Waldron Trio – Free At Last
(1969)

The answer to “how it all began?”.

Jan Garbarek Quartet – Afric Pepperbird
(1970)

Maybe one of the most fervent, aggressive records from Jan Garbarek, Afric Pepperbird is also one of the milestones for free jazz.

Robin Kenyatta – Girl From Martinique
(1971)

Robin Kenyatta’s only record that came out of ECM, Girl From Martinique is an experimental work with psychedelic touches. 

Gary Burton Quartet w/ Eberhard Weber – Ring
(1974)

The star-studded quartet of the vibraphone virtuoso Gary Burton creates a progressive and layered work with Eberhard Weber’s delicious bass sounds.

John Abercrombie – Timeless
(1975)

Jan Hammer and Jack DeJohnette keeps John Abercrombie company in his first ECM album. The name of the album, Timeless, is probably the ideal adjective for what you are about to hear.

Keith Jarrett – The Köln Concert
(1975)

One of the first albums that come to mind when talking about ECM. The recording of the performance that took place at Cologne’s opera building is still at the top of most-selling jazz records of all time.

Dave Holland – Emerald Tears
(1977)

A solo bass album that showcases the spellbinding style of one of the most talented bass players of history, Dave Holland and serves as the proof of his unique relationship with his instrument.

Steve Reich – Music For 18 Musicians
(1978)

One of the best examples that shows how ECM is much more than another conventional jazz label. We should note that the album, which is arguably one of the most glorious recordings of music history, was originally recorded for Deutsche Grammophon, but was released two years after its recording by ECM when Manfred Eicher discovered it.

Eberhard Weber – Fluid Rustle
(1979)

Weber, this time with Gary Burton, Bill Frisell, Bonnie Herman and Norma Winstone, creates probably the most melodic album of his career.

Pat Metheny – New Chautauqua
(1979)

After releasing two albums for ECM with names such as Eberhard Weber, Jaco Pastorius and Lyle Mays, Pat Metheny played all the bass and guitars in his first “solo” recording. The result is a naive and graceful album.

You may also like

Follow Us
TR EN
Filter events by label
18 SEP MON
-
19 SEP TUE
-
20 SEP WED
-
21 SEP THU
1

18:30

Conversation Akbank 41st Contemporary Artists Prize Exhibition Exhibition Talks: "Spinoza'ya Saygı"

Akbank Sanat

22 SEP FRI
-
23 SEP SAT
1

20:30

Concert Mercan Dede Live DJ Set with Secret Tribe

Müze Gazhane

24 SEP SUN
3

11:00

Concert Yarkın Duo (Nağme Yarkın & Baturay Yarkın)

Sakıp Sabancı Müzesi

14:00

Conversation fugamundi x Mert Pekduraner Jazz Listening Club

Bant Mag. Havuz / Bina

19:00

Workshop Jazz-hop Junction: Beatmaking Workshop with Da Poet

Kolektif House Moda

25 SEP MON
1

21:00

Concert Al Di Meola

AKM Theatre Hall

26 SEP TUE
2

19:00

Concert Kâmil Özler Trio & Yasemin Özler

Akbank Sanat

20:00

Concert Sub-Rehavi

Yeldeğirmeni Arts Center

27 SEP WED
4

19:00

Concert Yumi Ito

Akbank Sanat

20:00

Concert Neşet Ruacan, Cem Tuncer, Yarkın Tuncer

Yeldeğirmeni Arts Center

20:30

Concert Mert Pekduraner

Çevre Tiyatrosu / Semaver Kumpanya

22:00

Concert KAM x Yasemin Mori

Bova

28 SEP THU
2

18:30

Concert Onur Çalışkan

CoBAC Workspace Terrace Garden

21:00

Concert All Night Jazz: BOSQ, Zeynep Erbay, Recep Şencan

Frankhan

29 SEP FRI
2

20:30

Concert Terence Blanchard featuring the E-Collective with Turtle Island Quartet

Zorlu PSM, Turkcell Platinum Stage

22:00

Concert Ayyuka

Babylon

30 SEP SAT
6

11:00

Workshop Wild Child Orchestra

Akbank Sanat

16:00

Conversation Turkey Jazz Network: Understanding the Venue through Music

Yeldeğirmeni Arts Center

19:00

Concert Hend

North Studio

20:00

Conversation Continents of Jazz

Outro Record Store

22:00

Concert Gabi Hartmann

Babylon

22:00

Concert LoftCaz Record Selection

Outro Record Store

01 OCT SUN
2

18:30

Concert İdil Naz Dönmez & Rüzgar Yıldırım

Alan Kadıköy Amphitheater

20:30

Concert Ozan Musluoğlu Quartet ft. Kerem Görsev

Alan Kadıköy

02 OCT MON
1

20:30

Concert Lakecia Benjamin “Phoenix”

Ses Tiyatrosu

03 OCT TUE
3

19:00

Concert Wayne Shorter Tribute Night

Akbank Sanat

20:00

Concert Şevket Akıncı, Mehmet Korkmaz, İlhami Tunç Gençer

Arter

20:30

Concert Sissoko / Segal / Parisien / Peirani “Les Egarés”

Cemal Reşit Rey Concert Hall

04 OCT WED
3

19:00

Concert Zoe Rahman Trio "Colour of Sound"

Akbank Sanat

21:30

Concert Immanuel Wilkins Trio

Babylon

21:30

Concert Tribute to Ella & Louis

Nardis Jazz Club

05 OCT THU
2

19:00

Concert Bulut Gülen “Bosphorus Train”

Akbank Sanat

21:30

Concert Hidden Orchestra

Babylon

06 OCT FRI
2

20:30

Concert Ladies and New Standards

Zorlu PSM, Turkcell Platinum Stage

22:00

Concert Mehmet Uluğ Tribute Night: İlhan Erşahin & Friends

Babylon

07 OCT SAT
4

11:00

Workshop Wild Child Orchestra

Akbank Sanat

15:00

Conversation Afro-Cuban Jazz: Past and Present

Akbank Sanat

20:30

Concert Tord Gustavsen Trio

Zorlu PSM, Turkcell Platinum Stage

22:00

Concert Erik Truffaz "Rollin’ & Clap!"

Babylon

08 OCT SUN
3

11:30

Concert Cazlı Brunch

Serenita, SES Eşitlik ve Dayanışma Derneği Lokali

16:00

Concert Alara Tütüncü Duo

MSGSÜ Tophane-i Amire Kültür ve Sanat Merkezi

19:00

Concert Seçil Akmirza & Alp Ersönmez Band

Bizim Tepe

Add event to your calendar

Subscribe to Newsletter