ECM for Italy

The sampler collaborations between Musica Jazz and ECM Records grew from a partnership woven into European jazz history. Founded in 1945, Musica Jazz is the world’s second-longest-running jazz magazine, and since November 1981, it has included an exclusive record or CD with every monthly issue. These releases extend the magazine’s criticism into sound, giving its features a parallel musical life. Producer Manfred Eicher has often helped curate these issue-specific compilations, each one a compact map drawn by tone and attentive listening. On this 2015 sampler, one could spin the wheel of ECM’s Italian roster and land on greatness every time. The Stefano Battaglia Trio makes a fitting entry with “Moon And Sand,” drawn from In The Morning (ECM 2429). The performance carries Battaglia’s early encounters with Alec Wilder through Keith Jarrett’s refracting influence. Recorded live in 2014, it seems to discover its shape while already inhabiting it. Battaglia gives the melody a nervous…