ECM Special VI: New Music in Bass

ECM Special VI continues the journey through this rare 1970s compilation series from the Japanese Trio Records imprint, gathering a deepening philosophy of resonance. Across its seven selections, the instrument becomes a hidden intelligence moving through the floorboards, where melody becomes sediment and rhythm grows roots in the dark. “Re: Person I Knew” features Ralph Towner on 12-string guitar and piano alongside Glen Moore on bass in a crystalline selection from Trios/Solos. The Bill Evans tune shines in this lively rendition, its familiar contours given a freshly polished interior. Moore moves with a buoyant radiance, carrying joy with a shadow tucked inside it, that secret bruise at the center of lyricism. The combination of instruments and the raw presence of the recording create a classic sound, as though the tune had been waiting inside the grain of the room for someone to touch the right string. “Conference Of The Birds,” from the Dave Holland classic of the same name,…