March 29th Releases!

Don’t miss these two new March 29th releases!


Julia Hülsmann Trio
Imprint

Julia Hülsmann: piano
Marc Muellbauer: bass
Heinrich Köbberling: drums

On the second ECM disc from the popular Berlin-based Julia Hülsmann Trio, the leader’s themes stand out in stark relief, as if stamped or printed into the surrounding improvisation. “Imprint” offers highly communicative jazz in which melody, clearly-etched melody, is paramount. Hülsmann is a gifted jazz-composer and there are surprises amongst her pieces here, including a powerfully-swinging Thelonious Monk tribute entitled “Who’s Next”. Bassist Muellbauer and drummer Köbberling also contribute intriguing tunes of their own, and this year’s offbeat cover version is a lilting Austrian Schlager tune from the 1940s, “Kauf dir einen bunten Luftballon”.

Listen to a few sample tracks here: http://player.ecmrecords.com/huelsmann


Ketil Bjørnstad / Svante Henryson
Night Song

Ketil Bjørnstad: piano
Svante Henryson: cello

Ketil Bjørnstad returns to the piano/cello duo, instrumentation which defined two of his best-loved albums, “The River” and “Epigraphs” with David Darling, back in 1996 and 1998. This new collaboration with Svante Henryson, however, tells a different story. As cellist, Henryson currently works in duos and trios with distinguished classical musicians including pianists Roland Pöntinen and Bengt Forsberg, clarinettist Martin Fröst, mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter and baritone Mikael Samuelson. ECM listeners, however, first heard him as a member of Jon Balke’s Magnetic North Orchestra on “Kyanos” (2001). In jazz contexts, he has also played in diverse formations with Tord Gustavsen, Marilyn Mazur, Nils Petter Molvaer, Arild Andersen and others. In rock and pop, he has collaborated with artists from Yngwie Malmsteen to Elvis Costello. In brief, he is an artistic polymath, rather like composer/improviser/author Bjørnstad himself. The music they create together - atmospheric, dark-hued, of melancholic temperament - is similarly beyond category.

Listen to a few sample tracks here: http://player.ecmrecords.com/night-song

Upcoming solo performances by Ketil Bjørnstad in USA:
May 29th – Charleston, SC – Spoleto Festival
May 30th – Charleston, SC – Spoleto Festival
June 1st – Charleston, SC – Spoleto Festival

Starting March 29h, you should be able to find these albums in fine record stores but for your convenience, here are the links to the pages on Amazon.com where you can preorder:
Julia Hülsmann: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004DLWGLS?ie=UTF8&tag=various02-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B004DLWGLS
Ketil Björnstad: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004D0YX2O?ie=UTF8&tag=various02-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B004D0YX2O

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