ECM & Jazz

I have recently began to have an appreciation for Jazz music. I started working at a really cool record store, and they have an amazing selection of not only CD's, but vinyl as well. I have always been a music freak, but I have never liked Jazz. There are some really cool guys who work there who introduced to some cool Jazz sounds that I really like. We also can borrow from the massive library of used LP's, so it makes investigating new sounds much easier. You son't have to invest actual money until you already know that you like the record. Much like Punk or Indie-Rock, each Jazz label seems to have it's own sound. Through my studies I have found that I am obsessed with the sounds on the ECM label. Their artists are much minimal in their approach to not only the music, but the artwork and presentation as well. The artwork reminds me a lot of the Factory record label of the late 70's and early 80's. It lends to the mood of the record when artwork is really cool. The jazz that I am loving on this label is almost "ambient" in it's approach, and not "busy" Jazz at all. Not that there is anything wrong with artists like Miles Davis and John Coltrane or anything, I just usually find myself in the mood for something more tranquil and peaceful. If you like Jazz, and more minimal music, and haven't explored any of the ECM records catalog, I can whole-heartedly recommend it you. Some of the artist that I love are Terje Rypdal, Ralph Towner, and Steve Tibbetts, very good stuff indeed!