RITES

Jan Garbarek has released close to 50 albums I believe on the ECM label and the man can play the sax. His debut is the only one I've kept around "Afric Pepperbird" and to be honest I don't have a lot of Jan's recordings. "Rites" is a highly rated double cd from 1998 worth over an hour and a half of music.

Essentially a five piece with two keyboardists including to my great surprise Rainer Bruninghaus from EILIFF. What? Well Rainer would be older here after all this is some 25 years after his Krautrock band called it quits. Rainer is playing piano and keyboards while the other keyboardist adds synths and effects. Jan's left arm is here otherwise known as Eberhard Weber on bass of course. We also get drums along with an orchestra and a boys choir.

I initially was drawn more to disc one for it's melancholy but a funny thing happened after repeated listens I just felt it was too sad. The second disc has some variety on but over all this just isn't my music like a lot of ECM albums, although I do have my favourites. Yes it was a tough go with "Rites" being such a long recording, but like I said fans rate this one high and 1998 was a tough year for our music.

One to consider if your a Jazz enthusiast. Hey there's even a Don Cherry cover on here.