★ECM Records
Surrounded by Sea
Third ECM album by saxophonist Andy Sheppard, with Eivind Aarset (guitar, electronics), Michel Benita (double bass) and Sebastian Rochford (drums). Recorded August 2014 at Auditorio Stelio Molo RSI, Lugano; produced by Manfred Eicher.
Many More Days
Second ECM album by the Swiss-Italian trio Third Reel: Nicolas Masson (tenor and soprano saxophones, clarinet), Roberto Pianca (guitar), Emanuele Maniscalco (drums, piano). Recorded August 2014 at Auditorio Stelio Molo RSI, Lugano; produced by Manfred Eicher.
The Declaration Of Musical Independence
ECM leader debut of drummer Andrew Cyrille, with Bill Frisell (guitar), Richard Teitelbaum (synthesizer, piano) and Ben Street (double bass). Recorded July 2014 at Brooklyn Recording, New York; produced by Sun Chung.
In The Morning - Music of Alec Wilder
Live trio album devoted to songs and art songs by Alec Wilder, with Stefano Battaglia (piano), Salvatore Maiore (double bass) and Roberto Dani (drums). Recorded 28 April 2014 at Teatro Vittoria, Torino (Torino Jazz Festival); produced by Manfred Eicher.
Now This
Gary Peacock Trio (Peacock, double bass; Marc Copland, piano; Joey Baron, drums): seven Peacock tunes, two by Copland, one by Baron and LaFaro's Gloria's Step, recorded July 2014 at Rainbow Studio, Oslo, produced by Manfred Eicher.
Amorphae
Ben Monder's first ECM album as leader: solo electric guitar, duos with Paul Motian (October 2010, Sear Sound) and with Andrew Cyrille, plus trios with Cyrille and Pete Rende on synthesizer (December 2013, Brooklyn Recording). Produced by Sun Chung.
Break Stuff
Vijay Iyer Trio (Iyer, piano; Stephan Crump, double bass; Marcus Gilmore, drums), the group's first ECM album: Iyer originals with Monk, Strayhorn and Coltrane, recorded June 2014 at Avatar Studios, New York, produced by Manfred Eicher.
A Clear Midnight - Kurt Weill and America
Julia Hülsmann Quartet (Hülsmann, piano; Tom Arthurs, trumpet, flugelhorn; Marc Muellbauer, bass; Heinrich Köbberling, drums) with singer Theo Bleckmann: songs by Kurt Weill and three Whitman settings by Hülsmann, recorded June 2014 at Rainbow Studio, Oslo.
Outland
Fifth album by the Norwegian trio Jøkleba (Per Jørgensen, trumpet, voice; Jon Balke, piano, electronics; Audun Kleive, drums, electronics) and its first for ECM: free collective pieces recorded in May 2014 at Madstun and Rainbow Studio, Oslo.
Time Before And Time After
Solo violin recital by Dominique Pifarély, improvised pieces dedicated to poets plus Victor Young's My Foolish Heart, recorded in concert at Poitiers (2012) and Argenteuil (February 2013); produced by Manfred Eicher.
Midwest
Mathias Eick's third ECM album, eight originals on Norwegian emigration to the Midwest, with Gjermund Larsen (violin), Jon Balke (piano), Mats Eilertsen (double bass) and Helge Norbakken (percussion). Recorded May 2014 at Rainbow Studio, Oslo; produced by Manfred Eicher.
Nomad Songs
Eleven pieces composed and performed alone by Stephan Micus on nine instruments, including the Moroccan genbri and the San ndingo, both new to his work, plus voice. Recorded 2012-2014 at MCM Studios; his 21st album for ECM.
Trees Of Light
Swedish-Japanese trio of Anders Jormin (double bass), Lena Willemark (voice, fiddle, viola) and Karin Nakagawa (25-string koto), with poems sung in Älvdalen dialect. Recorded May 2013 at Konstepidemin, Göteborg; executive producer Manfred Eicher.
This Is The Day
Second ECM album by the Giovanni Guidi Trio: Giovanni Guidi (piano), Thomas Morgan (double bass), João Lobo (drums), with nine Guidi originals, a Lobo piece and two standards. Recorded April 2014 at Auditorio Stelio Molo RSI, Lugano; produced by Manfred Eicher.
Dallëndyshe
Second ECM album by singer Elina Duni with Colin Vallon (piano), Patrice Moret (double bass) and Norbert Pfammatter (drums): Albanian traditional songs of love and exile. Recorded July 2014 at Studios La Buissonne, Pernes-les-Fontaines; produced by Manfred Eicher.
Spark Of Life
Fourth ECM album by the Marcin Wasilewski Trio (Wasilewski piano, Sławomir Kurkiewicz double bass, Michał Miśkiewicz drums) with Swedish tenor saxophonist Joakim Milder. Recorded March 2014 at Auditorio RSI, Lugano; produced by Manfred Eicher.
Songs of Thessaloniki
Fourth ECM album by Greek singer Savina Yannatou with Primavera en Salonico: songs and hymns of the communities of Thessaloniki, arranged by Kostas Vomvolos. Recorded February 2014 at Sierra Studios, Athens; produced by Manfred Eicher.
Trusting In The Rising Light
Fourth ECM album by Robin Williamson (vocals, Celtic harp, guitar, Hardanger fiddle, whistles), his first of all-original songs, with Mat Maneri (viola) and Ches Smith (vibraphone, drums, percussion). Recorded January 2014 at Rockfield Studios, Monmouth; produced by Steve Lake.
Made In Chicago
Live reunion of AACM associates Jack DeJohnette, Muhal Richard Abrams, Roscoe Mitchell and Henry Threadgill, with Larry Gray, recorded 29 August 2013 at the Pritzker Pavilion, Millennium Park, during the 35th Chicago Jazz Festival.
The Jazz Composer’s Orchestra Update
Michael Mantler's 2013 reworking of his 1968 Jazz Composer's Orchestra music, played live at Porgy & Bess, Vienna, by the Nouvelle Cuisine Big Band under Christoph Cech, with radio.string.quartet.vienna, guitarist Bjarne Roupé and Mantler on trumpet.