In A Mellow Tone, May 14: Spring to Spring - ECM releases from April '24 to May '25
A show featuring releases from ECM - including Billy Hart, Fred Hersch, Mathieu Eick and others
ECM Records is a European-based record label established in 1969. “ECM” originally stood for “Edition of Contemporary Music”, although no one uses the full title anymore. The label was founded by producer Manfred Eicher in 1969, and to date has issued more than 1700 albums in many genres of music. However, at its core it is a jazz label - reflecting its roots. The first album released was by American expatriate pianist Mal Waldron (“Free at Last”). ECM went on to release recordings from jazz luminaries such as Keith Jarrett, Jan Garbarek, Chick Corea, Paul Bley, Gary Burton, Egberto Gismonti, Pat Metheny, Jack DeJohnette and the Art Ensemble of Chicago.
ECM continues to release music from well-known jazz artists such as Billy Hart, Joe Lovano and Fred Hersch. On this show we will hear new releases from those three, as well as music from European artists such as Arve Henrikson, Mathieu Eik, and Florian Weber.
ECM also pushes the boundaries with some of its releases, incorporating artists and instruments not normally associated with jazz, such as the oud. On the show we will hear a track from the new release from Anouar Brahem, “After the Last Sky”. The album gets its title from a line in a poem by Mahmoud Darwish: “Where should the birds fly, after the last sky?”. On the album, Brahem is reunited with the legendary jazz bassist Dave Holland. Also on the release are Anja Lechner on violoncello and Django Bates on piano. Here is the group with the title track.
Join me for two hours of ECM releases on Wednesday from 9 to 11 p.m. at 93.1 on the FM dial in the National Capital Region or live streaming at CKCUFM.com. The show is also available to listen to on demand.