Tigran Hamasyan, Arve Henriksen, Eivind Aarset, Jan Bang ‎- Atmosphères (2016)

Double album of atmospheric improvisations / ambient jazz / just great music, from the combination of four of ECM's most interesting latter-day musicians.  Armenian pianist Hamasyan was joined for this three-day recording session in Italy by Norwegians Henrisken on trumpet, Aarset on guitar/electronics, and Bang on electronics/sampling.

The backbone of Atmosphères is the ten-part Traces suite, with a handful of compositions by Hamasyan's national legend Komitas threaded through it.  With no drummer, and the suite only occasionally catching fire (such as Parts 2 and 7), the main mode of expression is free-floating, wispy ambience.  I remember buying Atmosphères on its release, and taking a while to really warm to it - but it's well worth sticking with, everything here equally rewards background listening or close attention.

Disc 1 link

Disc 2 link

pw: sgtg

Tigran Hamasyan at SGTG:

Luys I Luso

Eivind Aarset & Jan Bang at SGTG:

Dream Logic