More than 50 years have already passed since the ECM label was established in Munich, Germany. As the name “Editions of Contemporary Music” suggests, ECM has kept producing fragrant music considering the improvisation as a contemporary art form. The renewed appreciation of the label's timeless artistry may be the reason why the several magazines have recently put together features on ECM. Many ECM’s pieces cannot be categorized as classical, jazz, or pop music. I’ve listened to three relatively new albums from ECM. Since ECM is also known for its brilliant sound quality, these albums are impressive from an audio standpoint.
#193 Beautiful Fusion of Armenian Religious Music and Improvised Piano
Luys I Luso / Tigran Hamasyan
(Universal Music ECM UCCE-3049)
The Republic of Armenia is located east of Turkey and north of Iran. Born in its western town of Gyumri, Tigran Hamasyan is one of the most remarkable and original pianists of the day. He moved to the United States at the age of 16, and won the Thelonious Monk Institute International Jazz Vocals Competition in 2006, the gateway to success for newcomers.
The blood of Armenian folk songs runs through his work, which makes Tigran's music particularly unique. “Luys I Luso,” Tigran's debut album for ECM recorded in 2014, is an ambitious work approaching to the religious music of his native Armenia, where Tigran’s piano freely improvises with the solemn singing of the Erevan Chamber Choir. The choruses range from 5th-century church melodies to 20th-century compositions, and Tigran has arranged all of them. As Tigran says, “I was fascinated by the beauty of Armenian hymns and wanted to make an album of them,” the choruses transcend the passage of time and resonate beautifully through the ears of modern times. Tigran’s piano shimmeringly melts into the melody hymns sung in a dusky church. The music is full of creativity which cannot be bound by genre. I see genius in Tigran not only in the way he gazes into his own roots, but also in his ability for re-creation with his own free ideas.
#194 John Surman’s Poetic World
Invisible Threads / John Surman
(Import ECM-2588)
It is a trio performance by John Surman, British saxophonist, with Nelson Ayers, a pianist born in Sao Paulo, and Rob Waring playing vibraphone and marimba, who is also active in the field of contemporary music. In 1960s, when John Surman made his startling debut, he improvised freely with a powerful baritone saxophone, but since then, his music seems to have gradually matured moving back and forth freely between melodic lyricism and free improvisation.
In “Invisible Threads,” recorded in 2017, you can fully enjoy the poetic world of Surman appreciated through his unique penetrating sensibility. Most of the performed pieces were written by Surman. He performed ＜At First Sight＞ on soprano saxophone expressing the feeling of gently wiping away tears. In “Autumn Nocturne,” deep autumnal landscapes spread out. When I visited Audio Note’s listening room on the other day, I brought along this album, and the rich sound emanated from each instrument was all the more superb, and I felt as if Surman was really playing the saxophone in front of me.
#195 Elina Duni’s Voice Expressing Strong Will in Simplicity
Lost Ships / Elina Duni
(Universal Music ECM UCCE-3065)
The Republic of Albania is located on the Balkan Peninsula facing the Adriatic Sea on the other side of Italy. Born in the capital city of Tirana, Elina Duni, a singer, moved to Switzerland at the age of 10 to study at a university of arts in Bern. “Lost Ships,” recorded in 2020 is her fourth release for ECM and, is the duo with Rob Luft, a British guitarist, who she has played with for the past several years, and is joined by two other musicians. Elina Duni sings simple melodies with honest expression somewhat carrying sorrow in her voice. As Duni says, “I wanted to bring the strength of the lyrics to the surface,” the song shows her undaunted will at the core.
The half of the pieces are originals of Duni and Luft. There are two traditional Albanian melodies, and a traditional Italian melody, ＜Bella Ci Dormi＞ is also included. The wide-range repertoires from the standard ＜I’m a Fool to Want You＞ to Charles Aznavour’s chanson, ＜Hier Encore＞, are covered. Matthieu Michel accompanies Duni’s voice with a melancholic flugelhorn solo on an American folk song, ＜The Wayfaring Stranger＞. No matter what song she sings, she always shows us a dignified expression with a hint of shade, which is typical of this artist.
About the Author
Masamichi Okazaki
Surrounded by various kinds of music from his childhood, Masamichi Okazaki joined Waseda University Modern Jazz Club. He started contributing articles to music magazines when he was a student. He covers wide range of music not only trad, modern and contemporary jazz, but also from pops to classics. He writes liner notes for CDs and LPs, and is a regular contributor to “JAZZ JAPAN,” “STEREO,” and others. He joined a big band, “Shiny Stockings,” as a saxophone player. He is a director of The Music Pen Club Japan (MPCJ).
