Jan Garbarek In-depth Biography
Norwegian saxophonist Jan Garbarek}'s icy tone and liberal use of space and long tones has long been perfect for the ECM} sound and, as a result, he is on many recordings for that label, both as a leader and as a sideman. He had won a competition for amateur jazz} players back in 1962, leading to his first gigs. Garbarek} worked steadily in Norway throughout the remainder of the 1960s, usually as a leader but also for four years with George Russell} (who was in Scandinavia for a long stretch). Garbarek} began recording for ECM} in the early '70s and, although he had opportunities to play with Chick Corea} and Don Cherry}, his association with Keith Jarrett}'s European quartet in the mid-'70s made him famous, resulting in the classic recordings My Song} and Belonging}. In the 1980s, Garbarek}'s groups included bassist Eberhard Weber} and at various times guitarists Bill Frisell} and David Torn}. Garbarek}, whose sound is virtually unchanged since the 1970s, collaborated with the Hilliard Ensemble} in 1993 (a vocal quartet singing Renaissance} music) and the result was a surprisingly popular recording. Visible World} followed in 1995, and four years later he resurfaced with Rites}. In April of 1999, Garbarek} and the Hilliard Ensemble} returned with Mnemosyne}. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
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