Manfred Eicher’s ECM Label Scoops Downbeat Critics’ Poll

The jazz bible recognises the achievements and artists of the trailblazing label.

Published on

June 27, 2018

Photo: Manfred Eicher

The ECM label, founded by Manfred Eicher and known both for its jazz catalogue and other genre-straddling releases, has won landslide success in the 66th International Critics’ Poll for 2018, published by jazz bible Downbeat. Resuilts will be published in full in Downbeat’s August issue, details of which can be seen here.

ECM itself was record label of the year, Eicher himself was named producer of the year, while Vijay Iyer was named artist of the year and his Sextet won the group category. Other individual musician awards went to Jack DeJohnette for drums, Steve Swallow (electric bass), Thomas Morgan as rising star (bass) and Jakob Bro with the same award for guitar.

Keyboardist and composer Iyer, whose Far From Over album with his Sextet was released in August 2017, is touring with the group this summer. Acclaim for Iyer has arrived from such respected voices as the Guardian, who described him as “one of the world’s most inventive new-generation jazz pianists” and the New Yorker, who said he was “extravagantly gifted…brilliantly eclectic.” Iyer’s dates can be seen below, all of them with his Sextet with the exception of the Manchester show, with his Trio; a tour with Nik Bartsch’s Ronin will follow in the autumn.

5 July
Warsaw, Poland
Warsaw Jazz Festival

6 July
Wadowice, Poland
Mlyn Jacka Hotel & Spa

7 July
Gent, Belgium
Gent Jazz Festival

8 July
London, United Kingdom
Jazz Cafe

10 July
Elmau, Germany
Schloß Elmau

11 July
Augsburg, Germany
Botanischer Garten

13 July
Funchal, Portugal
Funchal Jazz Festival

15 July
Rotterdam, Netherlands
North Sea Jazz Festival

16 July
Manchester, United Kingdom
Band On the Wall

17 July
Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Jazz & Blues Festival, Assembly Hall

19 July
Pori, Finland
Pori Jazz, Kirjurinluoto Concert Park

21 July
Perugia, Italy
Umbria Jazz Festival