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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZGARBAREK, Jan(b 4 March '47, Mysen, Norway) Saxophones, flute, composer. Self-taught, inspired by John Coltrane. Became leader in his early twenties, played with George Russell '60s, travelled to USA '70 to study jazz. Became member of Keith Jarrett's European quartet mid-'70s, produced classic ECM albums Belonging '74 and My Song '77, establishing himself '80s as a quintessential ECM artist, intensely contemplative, attentive to nuance, 'European' in his deriving inspiration from his country's folk music in a dozen haunting, atmospheric albums, incl. Paths, Prints '81, Legend Of The Seven Dreams '88; he had played with Indian musician Zakir Hussain and was already using folk elements in his work when he went all the way on Rosensfole '89, built around mediaeval Norwegian songs sung by Agnes Buen Garnas, with not much sax but lots of overdubbed keyboard and percussion, a glossy entry in the world music stakes, followed by I Took Up The Runes '90 and Twelve Moons '93. His attitude was that jazz is now a world language, and just as US musicians had the blues other countries have their folk musics upon which to draw, and at its best his music had plenty of integrity. Also recorded as co- leader on ECM with Jarrett, Ralph Towner, Bobo Stenson, Charlie Haden, Miroslav Vitous, Ragas And Sagas with Ustad Fateh Ali Khan, etc. Esoteric Circles on Freedom is the only currently listed Garbarek album that isn't on ECM. His plaintive, keening skirl is one of the most distinctive sounds in contemporary jazz; Officium '94 in ECM's New Series has him improvising on tenor and soprano along with the Hilliard Ensemble (four voices, otherwise unaccompanied) in mediaeval and Renaissance music; this album was said to be three years in the making and was a big hit, but the reverberant acoustic suits the voices not the sax, which sounds overpowering in this context. Visible World '95 has a septet playing his film and TV music, dangerously close to mood music. |