ECM Records Podcast

In the 34th episode of the ECM podcast we're joined by pianist Fred Hersch, whose solo-debut for ECM Records, "Silent, Listening", was recorded in Lugano, in 2023 and produced by Manfred Eicher. In the conversation, Fred talks about the close collaboration with Manfred Eicher, the serendipity of life and how special this album is to him.

In the 33rd episode of the ECM podcast we're joined by Arve Henriksen and Harmen Fraanje, whose duo debut "Touch of Time" presents the musicians in both freely improvised forms and carefully wrought themes, picking up and finishing each other's phrases. They talk about their approach to improvising, how "Touch of Time" presents exactly where they meet in music and about how various literature informed the titles on this album.

In the 32nd episode of the ECM podcast we're once again joined by Vijay Iyer, whose new album "Compassion" is the pianist's second outing with his trio of Linda May Han Oh on bass and drummer Tyshawn Sorey and was co-produced with Manfred Eicher. Vijay talks about the state of the world, the bond created when making music in collaboration with others, album titles and compassion.

In the 31st episode of the ECM Podcast we're joined by the French Saxophonist Matthieu Bordenave, whose second leader-date for ECM, "The Blue Land" features a quartet with Florian Weber on piano, bassist Patrice Moret and new addition James Maddren on drums. The album was produced by Manfred Eicher. Matthieu talks about the inspirations behind the music, his approach to composition and how it all comes together in collaboration with Manfred Eicher.

In the 30th episode of the ECM Podcast we're joined by Nils Økland & Sigbjørn Apeland, whose second duo recording with ECM, Glimmer, showcases their special musical chemistry in a trans-idiomatic context. On the album the violinist and harmonium player equally draw from traditional folks songs and contemporary music. Nils and Sigbjørn talk about the inspirations behind the music on the album, and how much of it is actually improvised in the moment.

In the 29th episode of the ECM Podcast we're joined by pianist Nitai Hershkovits, whose leader-debut for ECM Records is an impressive piano-solo album, recorded in Lugano and produced by Manfred Eicher. In our conversation, Nitai talks about his inspirations, the old wise ones in his life, the recording of this album and the magic of music.

In the 29th episode of the ECM Podcast Sinikka Langeland joins us to talk about her new album "Wind And Sun", featuring a Norwegian cast of ECM-stalwarts including trumpeter Mathias Eick, saxophonist Trygve Seim, bassist Mats Eilertsen and Thomas Strønen on drums. Sinikka talks about nature, sounds and poetry.

In the 27th episode of the ECM Podcast we are joined by John Scofield, whose newest recording, the double-album "Uncle John's Band" - the guitarist's third leader-date for the label - features Vicente Archer on bass and Bill Stewart on drums. John talks about the music he loves, the joy of playing with friends and how to turn anything into a jazz song.

In the 26th episode of the ECM Podcast we met up with Austrian guitarist/composer Wolfgang Muthspiel to talk about his new trio recording "Dance of the Elders" with Scott Colley on bass and Brian Blade on drums. On the album the group's interplay has grown even more fluid. Wolfgang takes us through the album song by song and talks about the collaborative spirit he shares with his sidemen and about the magic of being able to tell a good story through the sequencing of an album.

In the 25th episode of the ECM Podcast Polish alto-saxophonist Marciej Obara joins us to talk about his new album "Frozen Silence", recorded with his long-standing quartet of Dominik Wania on piano, Ole Morten Vågan on bass and drummer Gard Nilssen. It is the group's third album for the label and perhaps the quartet's strongest musical statement to date, inspired by the dramatic landscapes of South West Poland. Maciej talks about the different voices and colours his bandmates bring to the group, and about the various influences - from free jazz musicians like Bill Dixon to classical composers like Rachmaninoff - that informed the writing process of the music for the new album.

In this 24th episode of the ECM Podcast we're joined by Elina Duni to talk about her new recording "A Time To Remember", which sees her continuing her intimate musical conversations with Rob Luft on guitar, Fred Thomas on piano and percussion as well as Matthieu Michel on flugelhorn. Elina talks about images, sounds, exile, water and love.

In this 23rd episode of the ECM Podcast, guitarist Jacob Young joins us to talk about his new trio recording "Eventually", with Mats Eilertsen on bass and Audun Kleive on drums. Jacob talks about the process of writing and recording his first guitar trio album, about other guitarists and guitar trio records that inspired him and about the influence ECM stalwart Jon Christensen - his mentor of many years - had on him.

In the 22nd episode of the ECM Podcast, trumpeter Ralph Alessi talks about his new quartet recording "It's Always Now", on which he is joined by pianist Florian Weber, bassist Bänz Oester and Gerry Hemingway on drums. The album was produced by Manfred Eicher. Ralph gets into the differences of being a musician in the US and Europe, talks about education in music and about the art of naming songs.

In the 21st episode of the ECM Podcast, Zsófia Boros joins us to talk about her new album "El último aliento". The Vienna-based, Hungarian guitarist recorded the album at the Auditorio Stelio Molo in Lugano, with Manfred Eicher producing. On the record Zsófia interprets contemporary Argentinian compositions from Carlos Moscardini, Joaquín Alem, Quique Sinesi and Alberto Ginastera as well as expressive pieces by French composer Matthias Duplessy. In our conversation Zsófia talks about the recording session in Lugano, about how she lets instinct guide her choices of repertory, and she outlines her relationtionship to the songs she interprets and how they become her "good friends".

In the 20th episode of the ECM podcast, we are joined by acclaimed American guitarist Ralph Towner, who has been with ECM since back in 1973, when his debut for the label was released. On his new solo album, “At First Light”, recorded in Lugano in 2022, the guitarist presents new and familiar original compositions as well as a couple of songs from the Great American Songbook, performed on classical guitar. In our conversation, Ralph goes all the way back to the beginnings of his collaboration with Manfred Eicher and talks about his days as a piano player, or studying guitar in Vienna and then founding the band Oregon. Of course, we also speak about his new record.

In this 19th episode of the podcast, we are joined by British drummer and composer Sebastian Rochford, whose leader-debut for ECM, “A Short Diary”, was just released and finds him in intimate performances of deep feeling and hymn-like clarity, together with pianist Kit Downes. The album is dedicated to Rochford’s father, Aberdeen poet Gerard Rochford (1932-2019) and to his family. Seb talks about loss, grief and how the music of this special album came to him.

In this 18th episode of the podcast, we are joined by the Norwegian saxophonist-composer Mette Henriette, whose sophomore recording for the label, “Drifting”, was just released and finds her in an intimate trio setting with Johann Lindvall on piano and Judith Hamann on violoncello. Mette talks about the relationship between improvisation and composition, how important it is to give ideas time to let them mature, as well as about the recording, mixing and mastering of her new album in Oslo, France and Munich.

In this 17th episode of the ECM Podcast we got together with German-American pianist Benjamin Lackner, whose ECM debut “Last Decade” features Mathias Eick on trumpet, Jérôme Regard on bass and drummer Manu Katché. Benjamin talks about the recording of the album at Studios La Buissonne, about his past ten years and why they ended up as the album’s title, about studying with his teachers Charlie Haden and Brad Mehldau as well as about what it’s like to work with this specific group and the groove that they bring.

For this 16th episode of the ECM Podcast we met up with both Joe Lovano and Jakob Bro whose new album “Once Around The Room” is a tribute to Paul Motian and features bassists Thomas Morgan, Larry Grenadier and Anders Christensen as well as both Joey Baron and Jorge Rossy on drums. Joe and Jakob talk about the influence of Paul Motian in their music and their life, the importance of “transmission” and much more.

In this 15th episode of the ECM Podcast, we get together with German pianist Julia Hülsmann, whose new album “The Next Door”, was just released. It’s the second album by her quartet lineup with Uli Kempendorff on saxophone, Marc Muellbauer on bass and Heinrich Köbberling on drums. Julia talks about her different approaches to creating new music, what her colleagues bring to the table and what “fluidity” has to do with it all.