ECM: The quintessential European jazz label. Part 4: “Sax appeal”

Way back in 1846, Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax patented his new instrument, the saxophone. Little did he know at the time how pivotal the instrument would become to a then-unknown musical genre: jazz.

The idea behind the saxophone was to create a hybrid of woodwind and brass. It’s clear that the instrument was not an initial success. It was not taken seriously by classical composers or mainstream musicians, who stubbornly remained loyal to the clarinet, affectionately called the liquorice stick by early jazz musicians.

The use of the saxophone by classical composers has been rather dismal. Fortunately, one of my most loved composers, Ralph Vaughan Williams, did embrace the instrument. I would draw your attention to the third movement of his fantastic final symphony, Symphony No. 9, which features a trio of saxophones to great effect. Please give it a listen.

For many years, the saxophone remained an instrument for dance orchestras and parade-ground bands. Marching bands adopted it, but the trombones and trumpets were not at all threatened.

It took the rise of jazz for this awkward-looking and difficult-to-master instrument to take off. The Jazz Age of the 1920s and 30s saw its real ascendancy. In the hands of Sidney Bechet and Charlie Parker, it truly came of age. It took on a role of seriousness that its inventor could never have imagined.

By the time the ECM label was born in 1969, the saxophone had become to jazz what the violin was to classical music. An instrument for the maestro? The coolest instrument a jazz musician could embrace?

The ECM label has its fair share of saxophonists. It also has some masters of the clarinet and, as there is often an overlap between the instruments, I will be including a few of them too. A reed player is always an important member of any jazz ensemble.

As usual, apologies for any artist or recording you feel I’ve missed. This is a personal, rather than comprehensive, review.

So, let’s start with the big one!

Jan Garbarek

I Took Up the Runes by Jan Garbarek, Mike’s desert-island choice from the ECM saxophone catalogue.

Along with Keith Jarrett and Pat Metheny, Jan Garbarek is one of the three biggest-selling artists on the ECM label. This ice-cool Norwegian has remained loyal to the label throughout his long career, so there is a wealth of fabulous recordings, more than 50, to explore.

In the circumstances, I will only draw your attention to those records I would never want to be without. You could literally spend years listening to all his superb offerings, but I’d single out It’s OK to Listen to the Grey Voice, Visible World, All Those Born with Wings, Legend of the Seven Dreams and my desert-island choice, I Took Up the Runes.

I would also mention his first stunning collaboration with The Hilliard Ensemble, Officium. Great late-night listening!

A superb composer, his live performances are, for me, akin to a religious experience. He is a true saxophone colossus and the epitome of cool European jazz. His importance to the European jazz movement cannot be overemphasised.

But not everyone is as enthusiastic as me. I took a lady friend to an expensive live Garbarek concert at London’s Southbank Centre to impress her with my cool aestheticism, only to be told that he did nothing for her.

My loss and Jan’s…

John Surman

The Amazing Adventures of Simon Simon

If Garbarek is the superstar of ECM sax players, John Surman is the pearl. This unassuming son of Tavistock, Devon, has been quietly entertaining me for decades.

A musician, composer and arranger, he is a master of the bass clarinet, saxophone and synthesiser. An early pioneer of the 1970s British jazz scene, he joined the ECM stable in the late 1970s with the brilliant Upon Reflection.

He is a master of modal jazz, as well as a lover of folk music themes. Again, with so many beautiful recordings on ECM, it’s very hard to choose favourites. However, I would not want to be without The Amazing Adventures of Simon Simon, Withholding Pattern and Saltash Bells.

If ever I feel troubled or confused, a dose of John Surman sorts me out. Our National Health Service should have his recordings available on prescription!

Try All Cats Whiskers and Bees Knees, the third track from the album Withholding Pattern. A real pick-me-up.

Louis Sclavis

Napoli’s Walls

This talented French musician is a master of the clarinet, bass clarinet and soprano saxophone. Like most ECM musicians, he covers musical styles ranging from free jazz to contemporary classical.

As well as traditional jazz recordings, he is a prolific writer of film scores, some of which are represented on the ECM label. He joined the ECM stable in the early 1990s but continued recording for other labels too.

I started listening to him when I discovered his score for the artworks of Ernest Pignon-Ernest, dedicated to the city of Naples. Sclavis’s score for the works really hits the mark, and I would recommend the album Napoli’s Walls for its beautiful inventiveness.

The more recent album Unfolding from 2024 is also worth a listen. It features some lovely improvised but melodic music with pianist Benjamin Moussay.

Mette Henriette

Drifting

A new find for me. Mette is a fabulous delight, with delicate playing and interesting compositions from the Sámi-Norwegian mistress of the saxophone.

Her compositions on 2023’s Drifting are gentle, atmospheric and ambient in nature. I’ve yet to explore her earlier self-titled offering on ECM, but I can highly recommend Drifting.

On the evidence of this album alone, I would regard her as a real rising star of the saxophone. Please check her out.

Iain Ballamy

This Is Not a Miracle

I’ve been a big fan of Iain Ballamy since his days with the British big band Loose Tubes.

For those who don’t know Loose Tubes, they were around during the mid-to-late 1980s. They represented the much-heralded renaissance of British jazz, and the big band contained many young players who went on to become household names on the scene.

They were an absolutely dynamite live experience. I was lucky enough to hear them at the Barbican in London.

Iain has a good few recordings on the ECM label as both a leader and a sideman, but my favourites are those he has made with his band Food. This Anglo-Norwegian band blends ambient soundscapes with acoustic and electronic sounds.

All three of their recordings are sublime: Quiet Inlet, Mercurial Balm and my favourite, This Is Not a Miracle. Yet another desert-island disc.

Check out the penultimate track on this album, entitled The Grain Mill. From the musical content, I have rightly or wrongly interpreted that what’s going on is a life-and-death scenario between an electronic cat and an electronic grain-pinching blackbird or thrush.

But I could be wrong…

It’s breathtaking stuff. Please let me know, Iain, if you ever read this!

Andy Sheppard

Movements in Colour

Although never a member of Loose Tubes, Andy came to prominence during the same era as Iain Ballamy. He did, however, perform in the Carla Bley Big Band, as well as leading his own bands.

Another talented British saxophonist, he has been well represented in the ECM catalogue since 2008. He is a lyrical, atmospheric saxophonist who has had a significant effect on the international jazz scene.

He learnt to play as a teenager and was performing in public almost immediately. Some musicians are simply that talented!

On ECM, I recommend Movements in Colour and Surrounded by Sea. If you like big-band jazz, there are a number of Carla Bley’s big-band offerings, as well as her trio recordings with Andy and bassist Steve Swallow.

Chris Potter

A prominent sideman for famous jazz musicians such as trumpeter Red Rodney, bassist Dave Holland and drummer Paul Motian, to name just a few, Chris has also become a leader in his own right on the ECM label.

Hailing from Chicago, Illinois, you could ask the question: who hasn’t he played with? He has even performed with giants such as Steely Dan and singer and pianist Patricia Barber.

A great CV.

As well as appearing as a sideman to Dave Holland on ECM, he has recorded three albums as a leader: The Sirens, Imaginary Cities and The Dreamer Is the Dream.

Joe Lovano

Paramount Quartet

I got to know Joe as a sideman in the Paul Motian trio. He made an impression on me alongside Paul and guitarist Bill Frisell.

Check out their excellent It Should’ve Happened a Long Time Ago, as well as the 1981 debut Psalm with Paul Motian.

As a leader, I lost touch with him, but I’ve recently got into the 2026 Paramount Quartet. The reason for this is that the quartet features one of my favourite guitarists, Julian Lage, who until now has featured on the Blue Note label.

There is some very lovely playing on this album from all the artists involved. I’m hoping Lage will appear again on ECM.

Sha, aka Stefan Haslebacher

Awase

A stupendous supporting saxophone player to pianist Nik Bärtsch, Sha has made a big impression on me. In my view, he is a true maestro of the saxophone.

You’ll have to wait for the next article to get my lowdown on his magical, virtuosic playing.

As ever, apologies for any saxophonist or reed player I have omitted from my very personal round-up. With the vast ECM catalogue, it’s so easy to miss someone out.

As with my previous offerings, this really must be treated as a dip into those artists I have grown old with. What’s so nice about the label is that, just as you believe you have heard it all, along comes a new player who awakens your enthusiasm afresh. Mette Henriette is a case in point.

As I previously pointed out, the excellence of the recordings and the production values of the label ensure you always get a quality product.

When I first got into ECM, vinyl was king. This was before streaming and even CDs. The vinyl records were so good that my friends and I really enjoyed spending our hard-earned money on them.

We still do.

If you’ve never bought an ECM record, then in my opinion you have missed out on something rather special. Go on, you must have a favourite jazz artist on the label, so give it a try.

There is no gamble involved. Quality is guaranteed…

And, by the way, they sound excellent on Lowther speakers.

Next time on ECM… it gets very big!

Keep listening,

Mike Blackmore