„On March, 4, Jan Garbarek turned 75. ECM’s decades-long collaboration with the great Norwegian saxophonist goes all the way back to his label debut Afric Pepperbird recorded in September 1970, with Terje Rypdal, Arild Andersen and Jon Christensen. An album now regarded as a classic, it set the stage for many highly influential records with Jan as a leader, co-leader and creative contributor.“
My twelve ten Jan Garbarek albums (their rankng order changing from year to year) are those I loved from the beginning, and neverheless they grew with time passing by, at least they never became the stuff of nostalgic rituals. Life‘s company. Lifers! Am I lost, a bit, in the 70’s? Sorry, but I rely on my limitations. „Officium“, with the Hilliard Enselmbe, at this point of time, is no. 13, another five stars in the night sky. Here they are – and there are more, believe me -, and everybody has different preferences:
1. Jan Garbarek-Bobo Stenson Quartet: Witchi-Tai-To
2. Jan Garbarek: Dansere
3. Jan Garbarek w/ Ralph Towner: Dis
4. Jan Garbarek: All Those Born With Wings
5. Jan Garbarek (as part of Keith Jarrett‘s Norwegian Quartet): Belonging
6. Keith Jarrett / Jan Garbarek: Luminessence
7. Jan Garbarek: It‘s OK to listen to the Gray Voice
8. Jan Garbarek / Egberto Gismonti / Charlie Haden: Carta de Amor
9. Jarrett / Garbarek / Danielsson / Christensen: Sleeper
10. Jan Garbarek: Places
11. Jan Garbarek: Sart
12. Jan Garbarek: Wayfarer