ECM

[mjzee]

I wonder how many ECM sessions are in the can, waiting to be released?

How old is the oldest one?

Does Manfred Eicher stockpile sessions?

Has he ever rejected a session, or not issued it because it was sub-par?

Are there extra tracks recorded at these sessions, or do the musicians only prepare the exact number of tracks that will appear on the record?

Are there alternate takes, or do the musicians always get it right the first time?

[clifford_thornton]

Oldest would be Paul Bley sessions that resulted in ECM 1003, dating to 1963 or thereabouts. They were originally slated for Savoy, I believe, but were not issued until Paul Bley with Gary Peacock.

They also reissued the Giuffre sessions from '61 that resulted in Thesis and Fusion.

I'm pretty sure that there is more music from the Just Music date that resulted in ECM 1002, which was a reissue of a privately-pressed LP recorded in 1969 with Alfred Harth, Thomas Cremer, Thomas Stoewsand and others. But it would be in Harth's possession. Eicher has worked pretty closely with musicians to ensure some amount of "perfection," so the presence of rejected takes seems sort of anathema to what ECM is "about."

[David Ayers]

When Blue Notes were first translated to CD extra tracks were added whenever possible. ECM went the opposite way and added nothing. Who was right? Answer, O History!

[mjzee]

What prompted this was I thought I saw somewhere (can't find it now) that the Roscoe Mitchell "Far Side" date was recorded a few years ago. Certain Keith Jarrett dates are issued long after being recorded (Tokyo 1996, for example). So what else is in the vaults waiting to be released?

[JETman]

Oldest would be Paul Bley sessions that resulted in ECM 1003, dating to 1963 or thereabouts. They were originally slated for Savoy, I believe, but were not issued until Paul Bley with Gary Peacock.

They also reissued the Giuffre sessions from '61 that resulted in Thesis and Fusion.

I'm pretty sure that there is more music from the Just Music date that resulted in ECM 1002, which was a reissue of a privately-pressed LP recorded in 1969 with Alfred Harth, Thomas Cremer, Thomas Stoewsand and others. But it would be in Harth's possession. Eicher has worked pretty closely with musicians to ensure some amount of "perfection," so the presence of rejected takes seems sort of anathema to what ECM is "about."

Those Giuffre sessions were originally Verve and NOT ECM vault possessions.

[clifford_thornton]

I know that; when I retyped my post it got lost. Chill.

Edited October 30, 2010 by clifford_thornton

[Guy Berger]

As far as Eicher stockpiling sessions, it is fairly common for him to release stuff that's several years old. I don't know how much studio stuff he sits on for a long time (though they've issued live occasions "well after the fact").

Haven't some of the recent boxes included material not originally released?

[Bluerein]

The Corea/Burton set has one or two tracks not issued earlier. All the others have LP's of which some appear on CD for the first time.

Some artists (read: Keith Jarrett) won't let ECM even remaster the tapes for a new reissue!!!

This happened with the New York Standards set......

[JETman]

The Corea/Burton set has one or two tracks not issued earlier. All the others have LP's of which some appear on CD for the first time.

Some artists (read: Keith Jarrett) won't let ECM even remaster the tapes for a new reissue!!!

This happened with the New York Standards set......

FYI, it wasn't Jarrett who stopped Eicher from remastering those tapes. Eicher did not feel that they needed remastering, as he feels for most of ECM's holdings.

[7/4]

looking forward to the day when ECM comes to their senses and releases an Abercrombie/Beirach box with a live show (or two!) in it.

[JETman]

looking forward to the day when ECM comes to their senses and releases an Abercrombie/Beirach box with a live show (or two!) in it.

Me too.