Jan Garbarek

artist: Jan Garbarek
track: Folk Song
recording: Folk Songs – ECM 1170 (1981)

www.goyo.net/musicaluni/jg-fs.mp3

artist notes
Norwegian saxophonist Jan Garbarek had an early break into the elite of modern jazz in the 60s due to his extensive collaboration with piano demigod Keith Jarrett, and his name is associated with the conception of a distinctly European sound in jazz.

Garbarek refers to his heritage as “the North and Nature, Song and Mystery”, and he combines a strong inner connection to Norwegian folklore with Brazilian and Asian influences. Garbarek’s tonal sound is pure and crisp, with a focus on clear articulation of singing, soaring melodies. Says Garbarek, “In my best moments I hope to give meaning to every note,” hence the urgency and ascetic rendering of his melodies and phrases, ancient songs which speak to the very origins of music.

Folks, this is NOT Kenny G. Same instrument, but this guy’s got minerals.

track notes
A few words regarding ECM Records. The record-label-without-borders was founded in Munich in 1969 and has since released almost 900 records by luminous artists including Jan Garbarek, Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea, Pat Metheny, Egberto Gismonti, Jack DeJohnette, Carla Bley, Gary Burton, Bill Frisell, Eberhard Weber, Nana Vasconcelos, the list goes on… What would seem like a global, “fringe” (I hate that term) jazz roster is certainly not the complete story, as ECM creations cannot be so easily described. I hear it as a melding of trans-cultural jazz and folk, often improvised (although sometimes notated), spontaneous collaborations between musicians put in a blender by founder Manfred Eicher and innovated at all levels. Sublime music, and the album design/artwork is also exquisite. My advice is: go buy some ECM, as there is something for everyone. Visit www.ecmrecords.com for more information, and scour eBay for classic recordings (1970s thru mid-1980s was the golden period in my opinion).

“Folk Song” features Garbarek (on soprano sax) hooked up with Egberto Gismonti (8-string guitar) and Charlie Haden (acoustic bass). Simply placing these Norwegian, Brazilian and American masters in the same room in 1979 Oslo, dimming lights, turning on microphones and rolling tape was certain to result in acoustic alchemy, and that’s just what happened.

Throughout the track, each musician plays transient leader and perpetual follower as phrases expand and contract, serpentine melodies rising and falling with no rules other than the silvered, sinuous contour of the song. During the first two minutes the main melody is cast and recast, followed (in typical jazz fashion) by a round of solos; however, where most jazz solos are clearly delineated, these players allow their statements to cascade one into the next without confinement nor closure…

Garbarek’s horn solo begins at 2:00, extending existing themes and saturated with longing. Gismonti’s guitar inherits the lead at 3:45, mounting tension in a punctuated, solitary dialogue supported by Haden — a marvelous duet. Haden’s bass emerges at 5:02, a beautiful counterpoint played with extreme presence with Gismonti’s soft arpeggios floating in the background (special bonus points to whoever can identify Haden’s melodic quote at 6:02). The re-entrance of the main melody at 6:44 leads us to a subtle close, where voices of ancient trees are whispered through metallic leaves.

Eat it up.