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Your 10 (or 5, or 3) favorite ECM albums


mandrill

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I'll only add that ECM of the 70s is a far cry from what they've been putting out for the last two decades or so. Yeah, some of the more recent stuff is okay, but goddam so much of it puts me to sleep. Chewy's right in that regard - but only to a point. I dig a much much higher percentage of their 70s sides, when the label really meant something.

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The ECM sound doesn’t appeal to me, so aside from Vesala, I haven’t given much of the label’s output of the past 20 years much of a listen. I’m not discrediting fans out there, but the ECM stuff sounds like it was recorded in a domed stadium.

I do like a lot of the 1970s output, however.

Never heard the Waldron and much of the Wheelers, but wish I had.

Here’s my Top 10:

Edward Vesala, Ode to the Death of Jazz

Edward Vesala, Nordic Gallery

Edward Vesala, Lumi

Dave Holland, The Conference of the Birds

Marion Brown, Afternoon of a Georgian Faun

Circle, Paris Concert

Bennie Maupin, The Jewel in the Lotus

Kenny Wheeler, Around 6

Edward Vesala, Satu

Jimmy Giuffre, 1961

Edited to add the Giuffre, even though it's a Verve in ECM clothing.

Edited by B. Clugston
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AEC ~ Nice Guys

Don Cherry & Ed Blackwell ~ El Corazon

DeJohnette ~ Special Edition

The Hillard Ensemble ~ Lassus

Meredith Monk ~ Turtle Dreams

Not orignally an ecm

Jimmy Giuffre 3 ~ 1961

I don't really want to play this game but this list comes close.

OK - Where's Circle, Dave Holland's Conference of the Birds, Paul Bley and a bunch of Japos?

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This is a tough one. Here's 10, alphabetized:

Chick Corea - Return to Forever

Charlie Haden - The Ballad of the Fallen

Dave Holland - Conference of the Birds

Keith Jarrett - Whisper Not: Live in Paris 1999

Julian Priester - Love, Love

Tomasz Stanko - Balladyna

Tomasz Stanko - Soul of Things

Kenny Wheeler - Gnu High

Kenny Wheeler - Music for Large and Small Ensembles

Close runner-ups are:

Keith Jarrett - The Koln Concert

Dave Holland - Jumpin' In

Tomasz Stanko - From The Green Hill

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In the 70's ECM, along with Keith Jarrett and Oregon was what lured me into the jazz world.

Keith Jarrett - Solo Concerts Bremen - Lausanne

Keith Jarrett w/ Jan Garbarek - Belonging

Terje Rypdal - Whenever I seem to be far away

Ralph Towner - Solstice

Ralph Towner - Diary

Gary Burton - Steve Swallow - Hotel Hello

Art Lande - Rubisa Patrol

Paul Motian - Tribute

Albums I know are great but just haven't heard often enough

Dave Holland - Conference of the Birds

Old and New Dreams

Evan Parker - Paul Bley - Sankt Gerold

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How about India Navigation? Too few titles? Is that important?

Alan Braufman - Valley of Search

Arnold Dreyblatt - Nodal Excitation

Anthony Davis - Lady of the Mirrors

Hamiet Bluiett - Birthright

Arthur Blythe - The Grip

Assume the Yoshi Wada is good; never had it... for some reason, the Revolutionary Ensemble on IN never got to me, though I do stand by other sessions of theirs.

Hell, what about Of the Cosmos Records?

Edited by clifford_thornton
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How about India Navigation? Too few titles? Is that important?

Alan Braufman - Valley of Search

Arnold Dreyblatt - Nodal Excitation

Anthony Davis - Lady of the Mirrors

Hamiet Bluiett - Birthright

Arthur Blythe - The Grip

Assume the Yoshi Wada is good; never had it... for some reason, the Revolutionary Ensemble on IN never got to me, though I do stand by other sessions of theirs.

Hell, what about Of the Cosmos Records?

Gimme a break. The catalog was much wider than that. I might not agree with all the choices but Bob was a good producer and helped the music more that most at the time. For a couple of years I have been thinking about starting a thread about him and his work. Rest in peace Bob Cummins, one of the real people in the background.

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Chick Corea - Return to Forever (my absolute favorite ECM)

Chick Corea/Gary Burton - Crystal Silence

Chick Corea - Piano Improvisations, Vol. 1 and 2

John Abercrombie - Timeless

Stanley Cowell - Illusiuon Suite

Ralph Towner - Solstice

Ralph Towner - Diary

Ralph Towner/Gary Burton - Matchbox

Keith Jarrett - Whisper Not

Mal Waldron - Free at Last

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How about India Navigation? Too few titles? Is that important?

Alan Braufman - Valley of Search

Arnold Dreyblatt - Nodal Excitation

Anthony Davis - Lady of the Mirrors

Hamiet Bluiett - Birthright

Arthur Blythe - The Grip

Assume the Yoshi Wada is good; never had it... for some reason, the Revolutionary Ensemble on IN never got to me, though I do stand by other sessions of theirs.

Hell, what about Of the Cosmos Records?

Gimme a break. The catalog was much wider than that. I might not agree with all the choices but Bob was a good producer and helped the music more that most at the time. For a couple of years I have been thinking about starting a thread about him and his work. Rest in peace Bob Cummins, one of the real people in the background.

I don't doubt that, but those are some of my favorites. Is that a problem?

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I don't have a comprehensive ECM collection but these are my favorites:

Charles Lloyd, Canto

Charles Lloyd, Voice in the Night

Paul Motian, Tribute

Paul Motian, I Have the Room Above Her

Jack DeJohnette, Special Edition

Keith Jarrett, The Cure (but the best Keith is on Impulse!)

Keith Jarrett, Blue Note box disc 3

Abercrombie/Holland/DeJohnette, Gateway

Dave Holland, Conference of the Birds

Chick Corea, Return to Forever

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