One of the best recordings for Keith Jarrett's mid-'70s American quartet (whose style differed sharply from its European doppelgänger), "Survivor's Suite" opens with Jarrett's aching, breathy sigh on the bass recorder, evoking the sound of a horn somewhere across a great expanse of fog.

The second album by the original Bill Evans group was recorded after the pianist, bassist Scott LaFaro, and drummer Paul Motian had spent a year working together and honing the telepathy that established a new standard for trio interaction. Featuring intimate readings of several standards, plus three compositions from the jazz world that became synonymous with the trio's sounds, and with ample space for LaFaro's virtuosity to shine, the album was cited by Evans years later as among his own favorite recordings. With an excellent performance of "The Boy Next Door" (omitted from the original release for lack of space) and an alternate take of "Beautiful Love," this edition of Explorations contains all of the music preserved by one of jazz's seminal bands on its final visit to a recording studio, plus two previously released alternate takes.

The young, Vancouver guitarist and oud player Gordon Grdina sought out Gary Peacock after a Keith Jarrett concert in San Francisco in 2000, and for the next five years Gary became his mentor and teacher. At their last meeting at Gary's house in upstate New York there was virtually no discussion, they just sessioned together for an hour or so, and the next day Gordon asked Gary if he would do a trio record. Gary agreed, and helped bring Paul Motian (another of Gordon's musical heroes) into the picture. Recorded in Brooklyn in January, "Think Like the Waves" is a remarkable international jazz debut, full of compelling original tunes by Grdina and deep interaction by the trio.

"Moon Beams" is a pivotal recording from the newly reformed and influential jazz ensemble, The Bill Evans Trio. Following the death of long-time band member Scott LaFaro, Bill Evans enlisted bassist Chuck Israels to perform on this soothing tapestry of jazz ballads. The subtle, yet mind-blowing set, included the haunting Evans' original, "Re: Person I Knew", a jazz rendition of "Stairway to the Stars" and the sublime, "Polka Dots and Moonbeams".

The legendary Keith Jarrett Trio, playing live at NDR Funkhaus, Hamburg. The trio with Haden and Motian formed in 1966 was Jarrett’s first great band, his choice of players a masterstroke. With the bassist who had learned his craft in Ornette Coleman’s band, and the drummer from Bill Evans’s ground-breaking trio, Jarrett was able to explore the full scope of modern jazz, from poetic balladry to hard-swinging time-playing to ferocious and fiery free music, the improvisation including episodes with Keith on soprano sax. The interaction between the three musicians is uncanny throughout, reaching a peak in an emotion-drenched performance of Charlie Haden’s “Song for Che”. ECM set up the 1972 tour of the Jarrett Trio, including the German radio concert from which this album is drawn. Manfred Eicher returned to the original tapes, remixing the music for this edition in Oslo in July 2014, together with Jan Erik Kongshaug.

Mose Allison is a master of extended technique. On "Wild Man on the Loose", the virtuoso musician is joined by spectacular bassist Earl May and legendary drummer Paul Motian. The trio embeds a rootsy New Orleans sound into an album of mostly originals. With soulful execution, simplistic touches and Allison’s timeless precision, the album is an enchanting masterpiece. Stand out moments include “Wild Man on the Loose”, “War Horse,” “No Trouble Living” and the instrumental stunner “Power House.” This super pristine hi-res download is sonically mesmerizing.

"Mysteries" was recorded in 1975 and originally released in 1976 and features performances by Keith Jarrett's 'American Quartet'. It was produced by Esmond Edwards and recorded at Generation Sound Studios in New York City.

"Shades" is the fifth album on the Impulse label by jazz pianist Keith Jarrett. Originally released in 1976 it features performances by Jarrett's 'American Quartet' which included Dewey Redman, Charlie Haden and Paul Motian with Guilherme Franco added on percussion.

In the 80s Paul Motian asked Stefan Winter and Hiroshi Itsuno, whether they would be interested in producing with him new interpretations of well–known and less known pieces from musicals. This was the beginning of the "Paul Motian On Broadway" recordings, a series of albums, which is considered an important milestone of unique interpretations of famous jazz standards. Stefan Winter, who recorded with Paul Motian over 25 albums, selected for "Standards plus One" seven works, which have been of special significance for Motion in his life.

Recorded live at the Village Vanguard on February 24, 1973, "Fort Yawuh" is one of Jarrett's early acoustic albums. The playing is intimate and wild, with the leader's '60s-era, Ornette-inspired group injecting some funk, extra melody and extended vamps into all-Jarrett material.

A truly landmark jazz recording, 1961’s "Waltz for Debby" redefined the possibilities of the piano trio. Scott LaFaro’s ultra-melodic bass-work, Paul Motian’s fluid drumming, Evans’ virtuosic, impressionistic playing and the trio’s nearly telepathic interplay set a standard that has yet to be exceeded. This hi-res remastering adds new depth and warmth to an already essential audiophile live set.

Keith Jarrett's two primary '70s performing ensembles were based on two different continents (North America and Europe), and, for the most part, recorded for two different labels (Impulse and ECM). This 1976 recording of his American quartet was originally released in 1979, after they'd disbanded. Recorded live in concert in Austria, they're at their most organic here.

Guitarist Ben Monder first recorded for ECM as a member of the Paul Motian Band on “Garden of Eden” in 2004, and "Amorphae" was originally conceived as a series of duets for Ben and Paul. A first exploratory duo session was recorded in 2010. After Motian’s death the following year it was decided to expand and complete the project with another highly influential and innovative drummer, Andrew Cyrille, adding also Pete Rende on synthesizer on two pieces.

A quartet of master musicians and a program of jazz classics. “Live At Birdland” presents the finest moments from two inspired nights at New York’s legendary club, as Konitz, Mehldau, Haden and Motian play “Lover Man”, “Lullaby Of Birdland”, “Solar”, “I Fall In Love Too Easily”, “You Stepped Out Of A Dream” and “Oleo” with freedom, tenderness, and a love of melody that only jazz’s greatest improvisers can propose.

New all-star quintet session features trumpeter Enrico Rava, the greatest Italian jazz musician, and his prot 'g', pianist Stefano Bollani, together with three leading American jazzmen: master drummer Paul Motian, bassist Larry Grenadier, and saxophonist Mark Turner. The CD is both a transatlantic project and a kind of 'homecoming'. Rava found his musical direction while living in New York in the late 60s/early 70s. Since then an increasingly 'Italian' lyricism has also made itself felt in his playing. Rava's soulful trumpet is strongly contrasted with the lean, analytical playing of Mark Turner. Bollani's playful harmonic imagination shapes bridges between them. Larry Grenadier is "present and focused in every moment" as Rava says, and Paul Motian is as idiosyncratically creative as ever.