Colours

The three Eberhard Weber albums Yellow Fields, Silent Feet, and Little Movements - which incorporate all the music made for ECM by his innovative group Colours - are collected together in a specially-priced 3-CD box set. The recordings, produced by Manfred Eicher between 1975 and 1980, have been out of print for some time and their return will be welcomed by the great German bassist's many supporters.

The "Colours" boxset includes extensive liner notes by Michael Tucker, based on interviews with the musicians, and rare archive photos. Released to coincide with the presentation to Eberhard Weber of Germany's biggest jazz award, the Albert Mangelsdorf Preis, it is the latest instalment in ECM's acclaimed 'Old and New Masters' series. This has previously featured state-of-the-art music productions with Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea and Gary Burton, Steve Kuhn and Codona. Beautiful Collectors' Editions all, they make perfect presents.

Colours was formed in 1975, initially to take music from Weber's award-winning The Colours of Chloe on the road, but quickly took on its own special identity, drawing on the musicians' exceptional talents and touching on jazz improvisation, rock energy, contemporary composition, diverse world musics and the pulse patterns of minimalism. The line-up featured the great US jazz saxophonist Charlie Mariano and Rainer Brüninghaus on keyboards. Jon Christensen drummed on Yellow Fields, but for Silent Feet and Little Movements, British drummer John Marshall, who had been exploring similar sonic territory in his work between jazz and rock with the Soft Machine, was drafted in. And of course throughout there is the uniquely arresting sound of Eberhard Weber's customized upright electric bass.

Personnel: Eberhard Weber (bass), Charlie Mariano (soprano saxophone, shenai, nagaswaram, flutes), Rainer Bruninghaus (piano, keyboards), Jon Christensen, John Marshall (drums)