Jan Garbarek-Bobo Stenson Quartet - Dansere (1975)

More Garbarek-Stenson loveliness to go nicely with the turning of the seasons.  This follow-up to Witchi-Tai-To was notably different in composition - other than one arrangement of a Nordic folk tune, everything was written by Garbarek.  He regarded the 15 minute title track as "a breakthrough point for me, in trying to find the material I feel most at home with", and the album as a whole has the feeling of carving out his comfortable niche in European jazz, right down to all the track titles being in Norwegian.

After that opening trek across the rural open space evoked on the album cover, the rest of Dansere (in English, dancers) progresses in similar atmospheric form.  Svevende aptly conjures up its titular feeling over hovering above great fjords via Christensen's nimble drumming, as the winds blown by Garbarek turn to a full-on icy blast.  Bris (breeze) features the most energetic playing on the record, propelled by Stenson, then a short interlude Skirk & Hyl (cries and howls) is an aptly-described spotlight for Garbarek and Danielsson.  The record settles down again with a traditional shepherding ballad in Lokk, then Christensen heats up the groove just enough for Til Vennene (to friends) to end the album on a bit of indoor warmth.

 

link

pw: sgtg

Jan Garbarek at SGTG:
Afric Pepperbird
Triptykon
Popofoni (also includes Stenson & Christensen)

Witchi-Tai-To
Solstice: Sounds And Shadows
Sol De Meio Dia
Paths, Prints
Song For Everyone
Making Music

Neighbourhood

Jan Garbarek - Bobo Stenson Quartet - Witchi-Tai-To (1974)

Dug out this ECM classic for the first time in a long while following that post of Escalator Over The Hill a few weeks back.  Starting off with a lengthy exploration of A.I.R. from EOTH, this album saw Jan Garbarek's windswept, keening mature style begin to solidify in a half-Norwegian half-Swedish quartet.  Bobo Stenson on piano fully deserves his name's co-prominence in this group, with an early highlight being his spotlight performance on Kukka, the only tune written by a member of the quartet (Danielsson).

A firey take on Carlos Puebla's Hasta Siempre spices up the album with a propulsive performance by the late Jon Christensen, closing out the original first side in style.  Over on side two, both Garbarek and Stenson shine on the title track by Jim Pepper, then a full twenty minutes are given over to a group exploration of Don Cherry's Desireless.  A lengthy Stenson solo gives way to a full force gale of Garbarek, and so on.  One of the very best ECM releases from its mid-70s imperial heights.

link

pw: sgtg

Jan Garbarek at SGTG:
Afric Pepperbird
Triptykon
Popofoni (also includes Stenson & Christensen)
Solstice: Sounds And Shadows
Sol De Meio Dia
Paths, Prints
Song For Everyone
Making Music

Neighbourhood

Keith Jarrett - Jan Garbarek Quartet - Belonging (1974)

The 'European Quartet' in their first and most timeless outing, and another chance here to pay tribute to the late Jon Christensen.  Right from the pulsing opener Spiral Dance, Christensen displays just how much he deserved the gig of ECM's house drummer, and remains great throughout these six tracks, all composed by Jarrett.

Two lengthy ballads show off Jarrett and Garbarek in their prime, as do the gospel strut of Gaucho Long As You Know You're Living Yours and the nifty groove of The Windup.  A brief duet between them in the form of the title track completes a truly legendary ECM session.

There's also some classic TV footage of this band floating around YouTube - see below.

link
pw: sgtg

Keith Jarrett at SGTG:
Gary Burton & Keith Jarrett
Expectations
The Köln Concert
Hymns/Spheres
G. I. Gurdjieff: Sacred Hymns
Invocations/The Moth And The Flame
Concerts: Bregenz/München
Setting Standards: New York Sessions
Dark Intervals
Changeless
Tribute
Vienna Concert
At The Blue Note: Saturday, June 4th 1994, 1st Set
Tokyo '96
La Scala

Jan Garbarek at SGTG:
Afric Pepperbird
Triptykon
Popofoni
Solstice: Sounds And Shadows
Sol De Meio Dia
Paths, Prints
Song For Everyone
Making Music