Vijay Iyer, Linda May Han Oh, and Tyshawn Sorey Find ‘Compassion’
The Vijay Iyer Trio’s new album Compassion contains some of the pianist’s most immediately enjoyable music without sacrificing any of his usual complexity.
ecm records
Mette Henriette’s Minimalist Chamber Jazz Was Destined for ECM
Like the snow-coated cover art of Drifting, the paradoxical sound of Mette Henriette’s trio presents a bit of serenity by way of extreme conditions.
Dave Holland Returns with a Daring Guitar Trio Featuring Kevin Eubanks
On Another Land, jazz bassist Dave Holland returns to the guitar trio format with Kevin Eubanks of The Tonight Show band flying by his side.
Pianist Vijay Iyer Looks Back and Ahead with His New Trio on ‘Uneasy’
Vijay Iyer Trio’s Uneasy is a set of modern piano jazz covering a remarkable range, featuring three brilliant musical imaginations playing well together.
John Scofield Renews the Jazz Guitar Trio on ‘Swallow Tales’
The jazz guitar trio is a classic format, and John Scofield, Steve Swallow, and Bill Stewart are as well-equipped to venerate it and renew it a bit on Swallow Tales.
Avishai Cohen Mixes Acid-Psych, Ambiance, and Smoky Jazz on ‘Big Vicious’
Avishai Cohen's Big Vicious offers a stunning take on Massive Attack's "Teardrop" among other highlights on an album that feels like a jazz version of post-rock.
Jazz Guitar Virtuoso Wolfgang Muthspiel Gets the ‘Angular Blues’
Jazz guitar virtuoso Wolfgang Muthspiel scales back to a trio for Angular Blues, trimming the fat while leaving plenty of space for inventive and exciting improvisation.
Areni Agbabian Brings Heart and Spirit to Minimal Avant-Garde Folk on ‘Bloom’
The key to Areni Agbabian's success on Bloom is a purity of emotion; passion laid bare in such a way that it allows her and Nicolas Stocker to execute not only with significant technical skill but with feeling.
Bill Frisell, Thomas Morgan, and Their Unorthodox Cover Choices on ‘Epistrophy’
Guitarist Bill Frisell and bassist Thomas Morgan give us another quiet night at the Vanguard by way of the ECM label.
Vijay Iyer and Craig Taborn Continue Their Explorations on ‘The Transitory Poems’
The Transitory Poems is a live recording of two jazz masters, Vijay Iyer and Craig Taborn, playing four-handed, exploratory improvisations on two pianos.
Larry Grenadier Plays 45 Minutes of Riveting Solo Bass on ‘The Gleaners’
Larry Grenadier offers solo jazz acoustic bass for about 45 minutes, but The Gleaners is varied and riveting, as we expect from an ECM recording.
Joe Lovano Keeps on Discovering and Surprising on ‘Trio Tapestry’
Joe Lovano's debut for the meditative ECM label both conforms to the meditative, gorgeous standard and transcends it through a sense of constant motion and surprise.