Jazz & Improvisation / All styles

Enrico Rava's first ECM album, seven of his compositions played by a pianoless quartet with John Abercrombie (guitar), Palle Danielsson (double bass) and Jon Christensen (drums), recorded in June 1975 at Tonstudio Bauer, Ludwigsburg.

Collin Walcott's first album as leader, released by ECM in 1976: Walcott on sitar and tabla with John Abercrombie (guitar), Dave Holland (double bass) and Jack DeJohnette (drums), recorded in March 1975 at Tonstudio Bauer, Ludwigsburg.

Ralph Towner's 1975 ECM quartet album with Jan Garbarek (saxophones, flute), Eberhard Weber (bass, cello) and Jon Christensen (drums, percussion), recorded in December 1974 at Arne Bendiksen Studio, Oslo, and produced by Manfred Eicher.

Steve Kuhn's 1975 ECM album of eight original pieces, recorded in November 1974 at Generation Sound Studios, New York, with Steve Swallow on electric bass, Jack DeJohnette on drums and Sue Evans on percussion.

Paul Motian's second album as leader for ECM, released in 1975, with Charlie Haden (bass), Sam Brown and Paul Metzke (guitars) and Carlos Ward (alto saxophone). Recorded in May 1974 at Generation Sound Studios, New York.

Terje Rypdal's 1974 ECM album: two pieces with a quintet including Odd Ulleberg, Pete Knutsen, Sveinung Hovensjø and Jon Christensen, and a title work for electric guitar and Südfunk Symphony Orchestra members under Mladen Gutesha. Recorded January-August 1974 in Oslo and Ludwigsburg.

Bennie Maupin's 1974 ECM debut as a leader, eight of his compositions recorded in March 1974 at the Record Plant, New York, with Herbie Hancock, Buster Williams, Billy Hart, Freddie Waits, Bill Summers and Charles Sullivan.

Album by the Jan Garbarek-Bobo Stenson Quartet, with Palle Danielsson (bass) and Jon Christensen (drums), playing tunes by Carla Bley, Don Cherry, Jim Pepper and others. Recorded in November 1973 at Arne Bendiksen Studio, Oslo, released by ECM in 1974.

Duo album by pianist Art Lande and Jan Garbarek (flutes, soprano and bass saxophone), all compositions by Lande, recorded in November 1973 at Arne Bendiksen Studio, Oslo, and released by ECM in 1974.

Ralph Towner's first entirely solo album, recorded on 4-5 April 1973 at Tonstudio Bauer, Ludwigsburg, with Towner on 12-string and classical guitars, piano (via overdubs) and gongs. Produced by Manfred Eicher.

Gary Burton's 1973 ECM album with guitarist Mick Goodrick, bassist Abraham Laboriel (his first recording) and drummer Harry Blazer, recorded in March 1973 at Aengus Studios, Fayville, Massachusetts. Produced by Manfred Eicher.

First duo album by Gary Burton (vibraphone) and Chick Corea (piano), recorded on 6 November 1972 at Arne Bendiksen Studio, Oslo, and produced by Manfred Eicher. Pieces by Corea, Steve Swallow and Michael Gibbs.

Keith Jarrett's first solo piano album and first ECM recording, eight original pieces recorded on 10 November 1971 at Arne Bendiksen Studio, Oslo, during a day off from touring with Miles Davis. Produced by Manfred Eicher.

Terje Rypdal's first album as leader for ECM, recorded in August 1971 at Arne Bendiksen Studio, Oslo, with Jan Garbarek, Arild Andersen, Jon Christensen, Inger Lise Rypdal and others. Produced by Manfred Eicher.

Ritornare (ECM, 2026) is the ECM debut of Enzo Favata's quintet Atlantico, with Marcello Peghin (ten-string guitar), Daniele di Bonaventura (bandoneon), Salvatore Maltana (double bass) and U.T. Gandhi (drums). Recorded January 2026 in Munich, produced by Manfred Eicher.

Winter Songs (ECM, 2026) is Steve Swallow's first leader album since 2013: nine originals, One to Nine, played by a sextet with Chris Cheek, Mike Rodriguez, Gil Goldstein, Steve Cardenas and Adam Nussbaum. Recorded September 2024 at Sear Sound, New York.

Feebles, Fables and Ferns (ECM, 2026) is a previously unreleased duo session by guitarist Mick Goodrick and pianist Fred Hersch, recorded in August 1988 at Classic Sound Studio, New York, produced by Hersch and remixed in 2025 by Chris Allen.

While I Was Away (ECM, 2026) is the first album by Julia Hülsmann's octet: piano, violin, cello, bass and drums with singers Aline Frazão, Live Maria Roggen and Michael Schiefel, setting Dickinson, Atwood and Cummings. Recorded September 2023 at Hansa Studio, Berlin.

Corners (ECM, 2026) is the first ECM album by Enrico Rava's Fearless Five (Paggi, Diodati, Ponticelli, Polidoro) with guest Joe Lovano on tenor saxophone: nine originals recorded in July 2025 at the Auditorium Parco della Musica in Rome, produced by Manfred Eicher.

First duo album by pianist Marilyn Crispell and bassist Anders Jormin: four free improvisations and seven compositions by the two. Recorded July 2025 at Auditorio Stelio Molo RSI, Lugano, produced by Manfred Eicher.

Duo album by singer Elina Duni (voice, percussion) and guitarist Rob Luft (guitars, electronics): songs by Irving Berlin, Pino Daniele, Fauré, Ornette Coleman, Kosovan tradition and three originals. Recorded June 2025 at Studios La Buissonne, produced by Manfred Eicher.

Trumpeter Ralph Alessi's quintet with his brother Joseph Alessi (trombone), Matt Mitchell (piano), John Hébert (double bass) and Ches Smith (drums, vibraphone) in eleven Alessi compositions. Recorded February 2025 at Oktaven Audio, produced by Alessi and Manfred Eicher.

First duo album by guitarist John Scofield and bassist Dave Holland: nine of their own compositions, five by Scofield and four by Holland. Recorded August 2024 at NRS Recording Studio, Catskill, New York, produced by the two musicians.

New trio of pianist Ayumi Tanaka, bassist Thomas Morgan and drummer Thomas Strønen: eight collectively improvised pieces and Tanaka's La Source. Recorded May 2025 at Studios La Buissonne, Pernes-les-Fontaines, produced by Manfred Eicher.

Eleventh ECM album by guitarist Steve Tibbetts: twenty linked parts of improvised guitar over loops and drones, with Marc Anderson (percussion, gongs, handpan, loops) and JT Bates (drums). Recorded 2021-2024 in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Drummerless trio of English saxophonist Andy Sheppard with pianist Rita Marcotulli and bassist Michel Benita: eight Sheppard originals and Carla Bley's Lawns. Recorded March 2025 at Auditorio Stelio Molo RSI, Lugano, produced by Manfred Eicher.

Debut of Joe Lovano's Paramount Quartet with Julian Lage (guitar), Asante Santi Debriano (bass) and Will Calhoun (drums): five Lovano originals plus pieces by Charlie Haden and Wayne Shorter. Recorded February 2025 at Studios La Buissonne, produced by Manfred Eicher.

Duo album by Greek lyra player Sokratis Sinopoulos and pianist Yann Keerim: free reworkings of Bartok's six Romanian Folk Dances alongside four originals. Recorded February 2024 at Sierra Studios, Athens, produced by Manfred Eicher.

Second ECM album by the quartet of Swiss saxophonist Nicolas Masson with Colin Vallon (piano), Patrice Moret (double bass) and Lionel Friedli (drums): ten Masson originals and one group improvisation, recorded November 2023 at Studios La Buissonne.

Second ECM album by Joe Lovano (tenor saxophone, tárogató, percussion) with the Marcin Wasilewski Trio: Wasilewski (piano), Slawomir Kurkiewicz (double bass), Michal Miskiewicz (drums). Recorded November 2023 at Van Gelder Studio, New Jersey, produced by Manfred Eicher.

Third ECM album by Thomas Strønen's Time Is A Blind Guide: Strønen (drums), Ayumi Tanaka (piano), Håkon Aase (violin), Leo Svensson Sander (cello), Ole Morten Vågan (double bass). Recorded December 2021 at Rainbow Studio, Oslo, mixed in Munich in 2024.

Second ECM album by Mark Turner's pianoless quartet with Jason Palmer (trumpet), Joe Martin (double bass) and Jonathan Pinson (drums): six Turner originals, recorded April 2024 at Studios La Buissonne, produced by Manfred Eicher.

Second ECM album by pianist Benjamin Lackner, with a new quintet: Mathias Eick (trumpet), Mark Turner (tenor saxophone), Linda May Han Oh (double bass), Matthieu Chazarenc (drums). Recorded March 2024 at Studios La Buissonne, produced by Manfred Eicher.

First duo album by clarinettist Louis Sclavis and pianist Benjamin Moussay: nine new pieces, two-thirds by Moussay, the rest by Sclavis. Recorded March 2024 at Studios La Buissonne, Pernes-les-Fontaines; produced by Manfred Eicher.

Eight previously unreleased performances by Keith Jarrett (piano), Gary Peacock (double bass) and Paul Motian (drums), recorded live at the Deer Head Inn, Pennsylvania, on 16 September 1992, the same night as the 1994 album At the Deer Head Inn. Produced by Bill Goodwin.

Arild Andersen's first solo album: double bass with loops created live through effect pedals. Recorded in concert on 18 June 2020 at Victoria Nasjonal Jazzscene, Oslo, with one piece recorded at home; mixed at Rainbow Studio in 2024.

Pianist Lucian Ban and violist Mat Maneri arrange Transylvanian songs and dances collected by Béla Bartók. Recorded live on 29 October 2022 at CJT Hall, Timișoara, for the Retracing Bartók project; produced by Steve Lake.

A five-part suite by trumpeter Avishai Cohen, written after 7 October 2023, plus Ravel's Adagio assai and a tune by his daughter. With Yonathan Avishai (piano), Barak Mori (bass) and Ziv Ravitz (drums). Recorded November 2023 at Studios La Buissonne.

Tord Gustavsen Trio with Jarle Vespestad (drums) and Steinar Raknes (double bass): five Gustavsen originals, a Norwegian hymn, two Bach chorales and Nearer My God, to Thee. Recorded October 2023 at Studios La Buissonne, produced by Manfred Eicher. ECM 2820, 2024.

ECM debut of Israeli soprano saxophonist Yuval Cohen with Tom Oren (piano), Alon Near (double bass) and Alon Benjamini (drums), eight Cohen originals. Recorded September 2023 at Studios La Buissonne, produced by Manfred Eicher. ECM 2818, 2025.