Customer Reviews

Twelve Moons

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Over the past 30+ years, audiophiles around the world have come to expect nothing but the highest quality from German-based ECM Records, founded and lovingly guided throughout its life by Manfred Eicher. With stunning music -- ranging from the simply beautiful to the complexly challenging -- as their foundation, their releases have always featured crystal-clear, pristine sound quality, artistic freedom for their artists, and some of the most gorgeous cover art ever to grace lp/cd sleeves. How fitting that their 500th release (this album, from 1993) feature one of their stalwarts, Norwegian saxophonist/composer Jan Garbarek, in what I think is one of his finest outings -- and, clocking in at over 75 minutes, we're treated to quality AND quanity here, with not one single throw-away cut.

For this release, Garabrek has (as usual) assembled a stunning cast of supporting musicians -- Rainer Bruninghaus (keyboards), the always-amazing Eberhard Weber (bass), Manu Katche (drums) and Marilyn Mazur (percussion). To these players' fine efforts are added the vocal colorings of Agnes Buen Garnas (Garbarek's collaborator on the breathtaking 'Rosensfole' album of medieval music from Norway) and Sami singer Mairi Boine. Under Garbarek's direction, playing mostly his own compositions, they have given the listener a meticulously assembled yet naturally flowing sound painting that evokes the Nordic spirit which gives Garbarek much of his inspiration.

A true leader in every sense of the word, Garbarek knows when to step forward to let his soprano and tenor saxes speak for him -- and he knows equally well when to step back and allow these players to layer their own strokes into this soundscape. The piano and synthesiser work of Bruninghaus alternately acts as a canvas for the others and as a delicately weilded definer of moods in its own right. Eberhard Weber (who has released many excellent albums of his own as a leader) is as proficient as ever on bass -- gently surprising and pleasing the listener's ear from time to time with a subtle run of chords, then going back to his flowing lines of single notes. Manu Katche has lent his percussive skills to several ECM releases as well -- his work here gives the music its pulse, but he has a master's touch and never dominates. Mazur's light percussion adds texture and life to the compositions as well. Agnes Bues Garnas is stunning on 'Psalm', which gives a good idea of what the pieces on the 'Rosensfole' cd sound like, for those listeners unfamiliar with that recording. Mari Boine adds her impressive voice to the session on her own composition 'Darvanan', accompanied only by Garbarek's soaring tenor saxophone in a stunning performance -- Jan's incredible empathy is in full force here, allowing his sax to act as a second voice. The interplay between the two is astounding.

For those listeners familiar with the quality and breadth of Jan Garbarek's work, this album will be a joy to hear, but no surprise. For those who have never experienced the incredible music of this man, this is a great place to begin -- but leave plenty of room on your cd rack, you're going to want more.

Some of my other favorite recordings by Jan Garbarek are the above-mentioned 'Rosensfole', plus 'Legend of the seven dreams', 'I took up the runes', 'Witchi-tai-to' and his beautiful duet album with guitarist Ralph Towner, 'Dis'. Explore and be amazed.

I'm relatively new to Jan Garbarek. My introduction was his collaborative work with Keith Jarrett. He's also worked with some other great modern day jazz musicians, such as Gary Peacock (another favorite of mine), and the Hilliard Ensemble, so it seemed like as good a time as any to buy a "solo" album and see what he could do.

All in all I enjoyed this album - but with some reservations. Frankly, at the end of the day it wasn't Garbarek who caught my attention. I won't pretend to have heard much by his cohorts here - I think I might have an album tucked away with Eberhard Weber on it, but the rest of the musicians are a mystery - that's a shame, because some of them are very good.

As far as Garbarek goes, I now have heard three of his solo albums, and of course I have the collaborative work - and I don't hear much development going on. Seems like he's a "if you like one you'll like them all" type of guy. He plays fleeting pieces of sax (lots of long notes with spaces in between) with a touch of reverb. Sometimes that darn echo got on my nerves, other times it worked okay.

Unlike the previous reviewer, the only track that really grated with me was "Brother Wind March." It's a "pretty" tune, but goes way too close to sounding like a Yanni track to me (no, I don't like Yanni's music.) Elsewhere on this album however, we have Garbarek stretching out a bit, playing some improvised music - and twice has a vocalist join for what sounds like some traditional indian music (chanting really, rather than singing.) It works really well. (You'll hear this on track 2 and 9.)

A standout track would be "There were Swallows" which features Manu Katche on drums and Marilyn Mazur on percussion. I'm not familiar with them other than their work with Garbarek, and they do such a great job on this track. I'm surprised I have not heard more of Katche - he's really superb! Manfred Eicher does a great job of the production too.

Sorry if this offends anyone (seems like any negative comment garners a "I didn't find this review useful" mark) but I have to call it as I see it. For my tastes (more of a jazz guy) Garbarek can sometimes get way too close to the New Age/popular line for me. I prefer something more abstract. However, when he delivers a more free-wheeling jazz track, he really shows what he can do. It's a fine line at times, and that gives me pause for thought. Overall though - I'd have to say that he delivers are very interesting record here. The good far outweighs the bad. Not a bad place to start if you're considering trying him out.

Released in 1993, this was the 500th album on the ECM label, and Garbarek's 50th for the Manfred Eicher team. Although I prefer 'I Took Up the Runes' for its consistency, 'Twelve Moons' represents a great entry point for the budding Garbarek fan. Listen to the 10-minute 'Brother Wind March', ideally through a decent set of speakers, and you get a good idea of what Garbarek is about. First time through, the soprano sax solo intro means nothing, meandering through an undulating landscape. There is one of those instances where Garbarek imitates once of his sax heroes by moving in a split second from coarseness to the most refined lyricism. Suddenly it mobilises into one of Garbarek's pretty tunes, and Eberhard Weber's bass shocks you with its percussive entry. It is only on subsequent hearings that the whole thing fits together.

The finest 'Eurovision Song Contest' occurred when Norway hosted the event some time in the 1990s. The real unexpected thrill was the film shown in the intermission while the judges decided on their votes: a three-minute hymn to the great Nordic outdoors, depicting many of the great Norwegian musicians from the ECM stable: Terje Rypdal, Agnes Buen Garnas, and of course Jan Garbarek, playing their instruments by the fjords, on North Sea oil rigs, or on windswept, reindeer-strewn landscapes. I would love to get hold of a copy of that film, but have never been able to track it down.

Recorded in Oslo, this CD captures much of the aura of the Nordic countryside. It is European jazz -- Garbarek acknowledges that American jazz musicians have grown up under completely different socio-cultural conditions and thus express a different reality.

I've owned this CD for eight years, and I've only just noticed what a wonderful track 'The Tall Tear Trees' is, playing the album while I write this review. That's the trouble with Garbarek albums -- you play certain tracks to death because they're so beautiful, which means you ignore so many hidden gems. You need to force yourself to listen to the whole CD all the way through every so often.

I own over a dozen titles by Garbarek at this point, and this work gets my vote in "the best place to start" category for those interested in starting to explore his music. As the other reviewers indicate, the mood of the music varies according to its folk, ambient, jazz, or 'new age' underpinnings, but unless one is truly hypercritical it is very difficult to view the results as less than masterful. I kinda think of this music as 'Northern Lights' music: always shimmering, natural, and graceful. If this is 'jazz-influenced new age' music, then--fine! The side players on this work especially shine; in particular, the percussionists and the pianist.

Jan Garbarek came to my city (Izmir) for the first time in 1994 and I had a chance to listen him at the concert. That was also the first time for me to listen him and it was unbelievable to see that all the people in the hall was moving very slowly with his music, and the song was "Brother wind march". So impressive. A friend gave "Twelve Moons" to me as a gift and after that I listened it all the following 3 months consistently. His music is not very well known in my country but whoever listened this CD in my home loved it. My favorite song is "Brother wind march". Just buy and listen it with all your hearth and ears. You'll love it too.

This music envokes memories of our ancestors. It is voice of the wilderness, dark woods, endless marshes and fjords, plains and mountains. This music has beauty of the nature itself.

Well, I have read all the reviews. Let me add something. I am a Pole as Garbarek partially is (his father was Polish). I got this CD as a gift. I had not been familiar with his music before. When I was a child I use to wander in Polish countryside as my town was small and the countryside was 30 minutes walk from the place I lived. There is a specific tree that grows along small streams in Poland. It is type of short, narrow at the bottom and bulky at the top, with branches shutting straight up weeping willow species. This tree has a specific smell to it. The tree starts growing back leaves in spring when you still have a lot of fog created at the ground level in early mornings. When I got the CD I deemed the light in my room and started listening. I was in shock. After 30 years abroad (I live in the US) I started to see the trees in the early morning Spring fog in Poland along the streams and literally recalled their smell when listening to Garbarek's masterpiece. Why do I call it a masterpiece? Recall Chopin, the most famous Polish composer. He created his masterpieces during Polish occupation by Russians, Austrians, and Prussians. When people during his time listened to his music they were amazed. They were saying: "There are cannons hidden in roses" in Chopin's music. If you can smell trees or see "hidden cannons in roses" while listening to the music....it must be good.

3 1/2

Another powerfully relaxed outing for this sensitive player, TM is mostly solid with the occasional atmospheric indulgence.

This CD is my weak-point. This was the first Garbarek`s work I `ve heard and it is still my favourite one. "Psalm" is a breathtaking piece!!!

This is one of the best CDs from the musician who, in my opinion, is the world's greatest jazz innovator. Garbarek's music evokes a sense of Nordic wilderness in a way quite unlike anything else I have ever heard.

Buy this CD! You will not be disappointed!