Considered one of Ralph Towner's greatest albums, this 1975 release features the guitarist leading a quartet consisting of Jan Garbarek on saxophones and flute, Eberhard Weber on bass and cello and drummer Jon Christensen. Towner composed all the songs except for one contribution from Weber.

In a quick follow-up to her masterful album "Lions", Russian-born and now North Carolina-based pianist Yelena Eckemoff offers up Everblue, the most "ECM Records-sounding" set not on that deservedly esteemed label. It is, rather, released on her own L&H Productions. The names of the sidemen on the date explain in part the ECM-like sound: saxophonist Tore Brunborg, bassist Arild Andersen, and drummer Jon Christensen, the Norwegian contingent, are all long time ECM Records artists, as leaders and hired guns for other players, and their long term contributions have been instrumental in shaping the ECM aesthetic of subtlety, intricacy, and fluid motion.

Recorded in April 1979 in Tokyo but not released until 2012, this live concert album from Keith Jarrett's celebrated "European" quartet earned a place on The Guardian's list of the five best jazz releases of the year and was also included on the JazzTimes.com contributors' poll of the top 50 releases of 2012.

"Belonging" is an album by American pianist Keith Jarrett which was released on the ECM label in 1974. It is the first album by Jarrett's 'European Quartet' featuring Jan Garbarek, Palle Danielsson and Jon Christensen. "Long As You Know You're Living Yours" was the subject of a lawsuit between Jarrett and jazz-rock group Steely Dan: Jarrett alleged that the duo's title track from their 1980 album Gaucho had stolen from the song. Co-writer Donald Fagen later admitted he'd loved the song and was strongly influenced by it. Jarrett sued for copyright infringement and was then added as a co-author of the song.

"Gefion", named for the Norse goddess associated with ploughing, prophecy and premonition, is the ECM leader debut of Danish guitarist Jakob Bro. The guitarist’s feeling for melody, sound-colour and atmosphere served him well in those contexts, as it does here in the realization of his own free floating ballads and drifting, spacious-yet-focused pieces. “Lucidity is in the air when guitarist Jakob Bro plays,” the late Danish journalist Ib Skovgaard wrote. “His music transcends genres. It’s beyond categories, a personal music following a track which is consistent with Bro’s constant search for melodic clarity in the songs”.

Between 1979 and 1982, the Miroslav Vitouš Group was the primary outlet for the abundant improvisational skills of leader Vitouš and John Surman, exemplified by this 1981 release. Vitouš and Surman were well-matched in several ways, with roots and influences that extended beyond jazz, a love of playing freely and a commitment to using the full sound potential of their respective instruments: Surman sings at the top of the baritone sax’s range to match Vitouš’s fiddle-like arco flourishes on the double bass. Drummer Jon Christensen shared their passion for playing, as did Kenny Kirkland, only 24 at the time of this session, on his way to becoming one of modern jazz’s outstanding pianists. Repertoire includes classic Vitouš pieces, collective improvising and an early version of Surman’s relentlessly driving Number Six.

"Waves" from Norwegian guitarist Terje Rypdal is a jazzy fusion of electric guitars and bass, trumpet, drums and a revolutionary (at the time) sampling keyboard computer by RMI. The 1978 ECM album contains all Rypdal originals with the exception of one tune written by trumpeter Palle Mikkelborg.