ECM - the quintessential European jazz label. Part 3: "The bass men cometh"

Before I get going I would like to draw your attention to the ECM podcasts to be found on YouTube. They are a great source of new music and the artists, on the ECM label, will act as a far better source of information than my humble offerings which are much more of a personal appreciation. At the time of writing there are 68 podcasts with more coming all the time.

Of late I've been wrestling with the definition of "high art" and why jazz is more, or less, regarded as a high art music form, along with classical music. It's fair to say popular music is regarded, in all its various forms, as a low art form. Some would argue otherwise. I don't make the decisions as to why this is the case, but amongst the various reasons may be the importance of the upright double bass in both classical and jazz music? I'm hastened to say this is my personal view which might not necessarily be accepted by the various intellectual thinkers that decide such matters! "Why" you rightly say — not the use of percussion, which again is an almost common factor? It's a tricky question. All I know is that for me the double bass is such an important part of both classical and jazz art forms.

I rather love and respect the bass in all its various forms. It's definitely one of my favourite instruments. Both acoustic and electric, as well as it being plucked or bowed! The musicians that master this instrument are far more talented than they may first appear. In jazz both the bassist and the drummer are often (but not always) regarded as the foundation and metronome of the band, with other musicians anchoring their own performance around these special beat keepers. Such is the importance of these foundation musicians.

ECM has long recognised their unique importance, to the music, with many examples of both bass players as ensemble leaders and as invaluable sidemen as well as composers. I could not include these bass players in Part 2 due to the great number of them on the label (with nine featured below) and their importance to the genre of jazz in particular. For me they not only act as anchor men but also as profoundly gifted composers in their own right. Again please don't see my choice of artists and their works as definitive. As always I have left out some artists and recordings for the sake of brevity. If I offend I apologise and ask you to put both your favourite ECM bass players and recordings into the mix! I'm actually aware that my musical musings are only a snapshot of what's out there. As always I leave you to further investigate. So in no particular order or form:

Dave Holland

Been making glorious music for over five decades. An Englishman from Wolverhampton who is the complete master of his instrument. Always open to new approaches with each new recording he makes. As important as a leader as he is a sideman to various great musicians. Since I discovered the label, many years ago, I have and remain in awe of his talent. He was part of Miles Davis's band at the time of the recording of Bitches Brew. Many recordings as leader and co-leader. Some of my personal favourites: Thimar with oud player Anouar Brahem and reeds-man John Surman; Angel Song with trumpeter Kenny Wheeler; and Voices in the Night with the legendary Charles Lloyd on tenor sax. Also the splendid Points of View recorded in 1998 with his Quintet. A very prestigious back catalogue.

Gary Peacock

Passed away in 2020. Plenty of albums recorded under his own name, but perhaps most famous as Keith Jarrett's bass player, with drummer Jack DeJohnette, in Jarrett's Standards Trio. Like Holland a complete master of his instrument. A great believer also in the physical connection to his instrument. A believer in meditation and Zen. Too many fantastic recordings to list but a personal favourite is the box set entitled Setting Standards. This Jarrett Trio recording collects and features Standards Vol 1 & 2 plus the Changes album. God Bless The Child from Vol 1 is an all-time favourite of mine. All three albums were recorded at Power Station NYC with producer as ever Manfred Eicher. Peacock's contribution to this set cannot be overstated.

Glen Moore

Known principally for his bass playing with jazz supergroup Oregon, he partnered Ralph Towner in the 1973 album Trios/Solos. This partnership partly led to the eventual formation of Oregon. His bass playing on all three Oregon albums is exemplary. Please do check out all three albums on ECM. They are Oregon (1983), Crossing (1984), and Ecotopia (1987). I love all three recordings and would highly recommend you give them a listen. They have a jazz/world music vibe. Oregon went on to record many more albums but, for my money, the best three were on ECM. According to what I read on the net his bass is vintage 1715 and his tuning features both a low and high C string. Sounds impressive but, not being a musician, I can't really comment!

Marc Johnson

In Part 2 mention was made of Johnson's (1986) Bass Desires and Second Sight (1987). Two fabulous slightly rock-vibe albums featuring guitarists Bill Frisell and John Scofield as well as drummer Peter Erskine. Check out Overpass (2022) in which he revisits some previous compositions with a new ear. I also recommend the John Abercrombie album Current Events (1986). I would also further like to suggest that you give Lost and Found (1996) a listen. On this Johnson acts as sideman to guitarist Ralph Towner. Before famous pianist Bill Evans's death, in 1980, Johnson was also a member of Evans's last trio. He is married to another ECM artist, Brazilian pianist/composer Eliane Elias.

Steve Swallow

Another American legendary bass player. Probably most famous for his work with the equally legendary pianist/composer, and his one-time wife, Carla Bley, who died in 2023. In Bley we are talking jazz royalty, so Swallow is well connected! He is a jazz composer himself (see Swallow Tales) and has a lyrical style of bass playing. If truth be told I've never quite got into the Bley "free jazz vibe" although I'll cover it in a forthcoming part, but Swallow has made some lovely recordings for ECM. Personal favourites are Swallow Tales (2020) with guitarist John Scofield and the various 1970s albums when he featured as bass player in the Gary Burton Quartet. For those who don't know, Burton is a legendary vibraphonist. Lovely stuff.

Eberhard Weber

He is probably best known for being the bass player in the Jan Garbarek group. Although a great sideman he is also a great composer and leader in his own right. I can't believe he is now 86. Unfortunately a stroke in 2007 curtailed his performing. You just have to listen to any of his Garbarek recordings to realise what a fabulous bass player he is. He is also an accomplished cello player. His use of the electric upright bass is often melodic and ambient. So many great recordings apart from his sideman appearances. Some of my favourite recordings are his Later That Evening (1982) and the very different Ragas and Sagas with Garbarek. I Took Up The Runes (another desert island disc) and Madar are also worth checking out.

Miroslav Vitous

Czech nationality bass player who came to fame as one of the founding members of jazz supergroup Weather Report. In fact some of his recordings feature his own Weather Report retrospectives. He has always pushed the boundaries in his own compositions but is also a most sought-after sideman. Two albums to check out are his solo offering Emergence (1985) and Atmos (1993) in collaboration with Jan Garbarek.

Arild Andersen

Talking of Garbarek reminds me to finally mention Arild Andersen. A fellow Norwegian who made his debut on the ECM label on the famous Garbarek Quartet's Afric Pepperbird album. A seminal recording which combines improvisation with a Nordic lyrical style. I'm not always sure about "free style jazz" but there is no denying the recording's importance in the ECM catalogue. Arild is a great bass player who is, like all the above, a stunning live performer. Please take any opportunity to hear all of them in a live venue. You won't regret it.

Michel Benita

What I love about the ECM label is you're always just one recording from another great musical find. I found this fabulous atmospheric bass player when researching the upcoming article on sax players. So far I've only checked out his fabulous 2016 Silver River album with his band Ethics. What a stunning album. Go immediately and play it on your streaming service. It's a classic on a first listen. Michel is a very talented Algerian/Parisian composer and bass player. I'll be checking out all his other ECM recordings for sure.

I hope the above has given you some idea as to the importance of the bass instrument in the jazz world. As much as we think of saxophones and trumpets as being the archetypal jazz instruments, the bass is often pivotal in the success of a composition. It underpins so many great musical achievements and its exponents on the ECM label are, and should be taken as, great composers in their own right.

So what does the bass do for me personally? Well, I find the instrument both beautiful sounding and very versatile musically. In the hands of a great musician it can be a band's backbone one minute and a butterfly the next. It's no wonder the instrument sits comfortably across both high art jazz and classical music. Bowed or plucked, those resonating strings talk to the heart.

Next time on ECM — the quintessential European jazz label we seek out some "sax appeal".

A final note

We live in a time when a lot of the great jazz musicians are unfortunately passing away. As I write, such greats as Sonny Rollins and Abdullah Ibrahim have left the auditorium. The ECM stable has its fair share of younger artists but also a great number of older musicians. What has always been nice to witness, on the ECM label, is how the old school have worked with and endorsed "the young Turks" who eventually replace them in the ranks.

As ever, please keep supporting these fabulous musicians. Buying their musical offerings is important to them and to you as a connoisseur of high art. I do my best, and as the supermarket slogan goes, "every little helps"…

Keep listening,

Mike Blackmore