You are right that Universal distribute but they only distribute what they are given. Universal do not create any content.
Content is all done by a small “independent” ECM team who are less than a dozen in number including Manfred covering all aspects from album production, press, marketing to sales (including their warehouse staff). I do happen to know the team quite well and I’ve spent time with them at their office and it’s not big. Their focus is predominantly on releasing new material which seems to be why they did not release all back catalogue on CD. After a big digital catch-up (40 hi-res downloads) in their 50th anniversary year there are still 4/5 albums that have not had the digital treatment and maybe they never will…
Overall they have been very successful at punching above their size and are a successful label in the jazz and classical worlds and in recent years have been putting out some 40-50 albums a year - quite an achievement (although this year they are releasing fewer)…
Beautiful album. I went to see them play this live in Munich last year - even better than the recording. The gig was broadcast live on German radio. Yonathan is a top guy.
Some upcoming ECM’s…and Anja and Francois named theirs after me …I saw them play it in concert last year and it sure is beautiful music. Keith is the second concert to be released from his 2016 European Tour - he liked this show a lot. And the Elina Duni/Rob Luft outing should be special as they are truly wonderful musicians. Dino at aged 85 delivers a new solo recording.
Anja Lechner/Francois Couturier Lontano - Oct 16
Keith Jarrett Budapest Concert - Oct 30
Dino Saluzzi Albores - Nov 6
Elina Duni/Rob Luft Lost Ships - Nov 13
I keep listening again and again to the Jarrett, Peacock, DeJohnette LP Inside Out.
Brilliant improvised music ranging across the landscape of jazz, played by all time masters of the art, who decided to open up and let it go that night.
These are one-off improvised events - they make it up as they go along never to be repeated in concert.
As for audience response, Jarrett will always get an enthusiastic response so I can’t really remember the subtlety of reception that night. I remember the lecture on the “bass sounds different in the hall to how it will on record” from Keith.
As for personal experience I saw them the year before in Paris and that was mind blowingly beautiful - you can listen to that show as it was put out under the title “Whisper Not” and is one of Jarrett’s strongest trio releases. That was what I was hoping for more of at the time. Saw the trio a further 3 times after Inside Out and it was standards every time and always stunning.
…I saw them play it in concert last year and it sure is beautiful music. Keith is the second concert to be released from his 2016 European Tour - he liked this show a lot. And the Elina Duni/Rob Luft outing should be special as they are truly wonderful musicians. Dino at aged 85 delivers a new solo recording.
