VINYL REVIVAL AT ECM…Jan Garbarek: Rites

One of the true faces of ECM Records, saxist Jan Garbarek, has one of his most ambitious albums, a lp set, reissued on vinyl. The 1998 Rites finds him with Eberhard Weber/b, Bugge Wesseltoft/acc-synth, Marilyn Mazur/perc-dr, Rainer Mazur/p-key and the Boys from Choir Solvguttene.

The double discs are divided in themes, with the first going into the mystical and spiritual side of life, with understated themes almost going to the level of meditative ambience as on “Song, Tread Lightly”, “Vast  Plain, Clouds” and the team almost wafting in and out on  ideas like “Where The Rivers Meet”. Garbareke’s trademark dry ice tone on tenor and soprano have a palpatory texture here, creating a mix on the second album of a more celebratory nature, mixing folksy circle dances, churchy gospel preaching and festive waltzes. One almost feels like it’s two sides of a Sunday morning, with the first being the liturgical service, and the second the Sunday  picnic. Pass the plate in two different ways,