Barre Phillips - Mountainscapes (1976)

One of the most satisfyingly avant-garde ECMs from the label's first decade, and also the first appearance in-house for reedsman John Surman, whose association with ECM continues to this day.  Recorded in March 1976, Mountainscapes was the result of the Surman-Phillips-Martin trio being given fresh purpose by the addition of Austrian electronics wizard Dieter Feichtner.  

 

The collision of free jazz and synth ooze makes for a unique and thoroughly enjoyable listening experience, with the tracklist simply a numbered suite to immerse yourself in.  Parts III and VII are duos between Phillips' bass improvisations and the eerie glow of Feichtner's synths, cut from a 40-minute free-form session (imagine that in its entireity sitting in Eicher's vault somewhere...).  The closing piece makes good use of a happened-to-drop-by John Abercrombie, adding another texture to this singular record.

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Mick Goodrick - In Pas(s)ing (1979)

ECM's 50th Anniversary release of 50 more 'Touchstones' reissues continues at the end of this week, with the second batch of 25 albums including early jewels like Paul Motian's Tribute, Julian Priester's Love Love and Bennie Maupin's Jewel In The Lotus.  Sadly, as in January, there doesn't seem to be any that are making their digital debut: if, like me, you were holding out for a CD release of long-deleted treasures like John Clark's Faces or Hajo Weber/Ulrich Ingenbold's Winterreisse, we'll just have to keep hoping.

Anyway, here's a favourite out of a small handful that I picked up from January's tranche (see news for 18 Jan 2019) of new Touchstones.  Philadelphian guitarist Mick Goodrick made his ECM debut in Gary Burton's group, appearing on three albums - the first of which comes back into print on Friday, and the third was among the original 2008 Touchstones.  A few years later, Goodrick recorded his only ECM album as leader, with the dream team of Eddie Gomez & Jack DeJohnette on bass and drums, and John Surman on saxes and bass clarinet.

In Pas(s)ing, named as a pun on the Munich district, is an album of slow-burning, after-hours beauty.  Goodrick is such a subtle and understated player that you can at times find yourself forgetting you're not listening to a Surman album.  But whenever Surman takes a break, as on the brightest tune Summer Band Camp, the quiet beauty of Goodrick's chords and runs makes clear whose material you're enjoying.  Tonally, Goodrick is somewhere in between Metheny and Abercrombie and leaning towards the latter, but is a strong enough identity in his own right to make this an album to return to repeatedly.  A single favourite track is difficult - they're all cut from one cloth without being samey - but I'll go for the melancholy lilt of Pedal Pusher.

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John Surman - Upon Reflection (1979)

As Devon-born reed legend John Surman returns for his first ECM release in six years, let's dig out the all-solo-with-overdubs masterpiece that kicked off his relationship with the label.  Surman's credited here on soprano & baritone saxes, bass clarinet and synth, and it's a shimmering, crystalline loop of the latter that introduces the first track here, giving it an Azimuth-like feel straight away.  The 10-minute Edges Of Illusion then proceeds to introduce its various sax lines in an engrossing patchwork.

The following Filigree is based entirely of sax tape loops with a melody winding over the top, and the folky Caithness To Kerry just lets its joyous melody spin into the air unaccompanied.  Little ice crystals of synth return for the last track on the original side one, as the noirish jazz balladry goes on a melancholy closing time swagger.

Upon Reflection's second half starts on an equally sombre intro, but soon picks up the pace as the 'dance' part of Prelude And Rustic Dance starts to hold sway, the overdubbed parts again interlocking perfectly.  The Lamplighter's synth pulse sets its darker tone, before an upbeat minute-long interlude for baritone sax and reverb sets the stage for the 8-minute closer Constellation.  With a suitably sci-fi synth sequence providing the momentum, Surman weaves yet more magic, with the result sounding like a jazzy Deutsche Wertarbeit.  Surman would go on to grace the ECM catalogue with several more great albums, with different groups of musicians and varying styles, but this solo effort remains a jewel in his discography.

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Surman / Krog / Rypdal / Storaas - Nordic Quartet (rec. 1994, rel. 1995)

Another of ECM's more daring and slightly strange get-togethers - in other words, a perfect fit for this blog.  In August 1994, legendary Norwegian jazz singer Karin Krog got together with on-and-off collaborator John Surman and Norse colleagues Terje Rypdal and Vigleik Storaas.  I haven't heard pianist Storaas anywhere else as yet, and he's a fine understated presence on this reed and guitar dominated set.

Rypdal's billowing guitar is in fact all over the album like malignant, brooding Scandi-noir oppressive weather.  This led some reviewers to criticise how much he dominates - obviously not a problem if, like me, you can't enough of Rypdal's playing.  You'd never guess this album was a summer recording, as Surman too is in bleak, chilly mode; even without that perfect cover photograph this is a full-on zero-degrees experience.  Over the top of all of this, Krog coos and whispers ominously like the cool-headed Nordic detective who's just about to uncover something atrocious on those snowy docks.

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