Tenor saxophonist George Adams' third recording as a leader (following two obscure releases for the Italian Horo label) is a little unusual in that the extroverted soloist is heard on the usually introverted ECM label. Adams is teamed with fellow tenor Heinz Sauer (who has a cooler sound), trumpeter Kenny Wheeler, pianist Richard Beirach, bassist Dave Holland and drummer Jack DeJohnette for five group originals. The playing is advanced but not as fiery as most of Adams' later sets.

In the '70s, pianist Richard Beirach pioneered a distinctive type of ethereal jazz, characterized by lush, polytonal harmonies and frequent outbursts of angular, high-velocity lines that broke up the austere moods of his compositions. This beautiful trio outing with bassist George Mraz and drummer Jack DeJohnette is classic Beirach, and as apt an example of the "ECM sound" as one will find. The piano reverberates in concert hall fashion, even as the bass and drums interact with a looseness, and often an explosiveness, that is anything but cold and removed. There are only five tracks on Elm, but because each presents a different aspect of Beirach's music, the album is satisfying and quite whole. The opener, "Sea Priestess," presents deceptively simple harmonies over a lilting even-eighth groove…

Having already established himself playing electric piano in David Liebman's Lookout Farm group in the early '70s, pianist Richie Beirach set up his solo career by way of some fine ECM releases. Mixing in solo work with combo dates, Beirach showed off his Bill Evans-tinged style and revealed his own brand of soft melancholy to the jazz audience. This solo date from 1977 proves the point with nine meditative pieces, all couched in ECM's patented spacious sound. While not on the same intensity level of Keith Jarrett's work or as subtle as Evans' prime recordings, Beirach's playing here still delivers its own dreamy rewards.