Audiopile Review: The legend of producer Manfred Eicher’s ECM label was established early on, with a diverse run of avant-garde jazz releases in the 70s. As ECM moved into the 80s, it became increasingly associated with an atmospheric ambient jazz sound, which has never been more relevant. The label’s reputation has been on the back boiler for the last few decades, but Manfred Eicher has never slowed down. Legacy ECM artists like Barre Phillips have continued making music as radical and atmospheric as ever. And later Eicher discoveries like Anouar Brahem have helped to keep the Edition of Contemporary Music contemporary. If you’re a fan of Eicher’s classic 70s and 80s productions, looking to dip into the best that later-period ECM has to offer, we’ve got a treat for you. Originally released in 2001, pianist Marilyn Crispell’s ‘Amaryllis’ is an archetypal ECM classic. A trio with label stalwarts Gary Peacock (bass) and Paul Motian (drums), it’s richly atmospheric but fearlessly exploratory. Eicher’s famed production skills are beautifully displayed here. It has been noted that, as a bass player himself, he tends to make bassists sound particularly great, and Peacock’s richly woody tone is utterly glorious here. The trio members share compositional duties and there’s a great rendition of Motian’s ‘Conception Vessel’. But it’s Crispell’s show, and her piano playing is phenomenal. This is the first vinyl outing for ‘Amaryllis’, making it an essential purchase for all ECM fans and ambient jazz enthusiasts.

Luminessence, ECM’s audiophile vinyl reissue series, is a kaleidoscope, shedding light on the jewels of the label’s deep catalogue in elegant, high-quality editions. The hallmarks of the series: original and evocative music, imaginatively played and sensitively produced. The recordings underline the scope and variety of ECM’s world of sound and the LPs are presented in different formats.

The series features albums that have changed perceptions of creative music-making, albums now heralded as classics.

Return of the great American jazz trio that delivered the poll-topping Nothing Ever Was, Anyway in 1997. Material heard on Amaryllis is by turns thoughtful, touching, joyous and viscerally exciting. Some of the songs are well known – almost classics of new jazz – including Crispell’s “Rounds,” Peacock’s “Requiem” and “December Greenwings,” and Motian’s “Conception Vessel.” There are also a number of startlingly effective free improvised ballads. As leader Marilyn Crispell says, “There’s a great depth of communication, a rare delicacy.” Interaction between the musicians is exceptional.