Norwegian saxophonist Jan Garbarek's distinctive sound has shaped European jazz for more than 30 years. Working closely with the renowned ECM label of producer Manfred Eicher, Garbarek has released annual recordings since his first in 1969. Often labeled "chamber jazz," the music of Garbarek and his cohorts is as deeply rooted in contemporary classical music as it is in the blues.
Early on, Garbarek worked with several visionary musicians, most notably avant-jazz theorist/bandleader George Russell and seminal pianist Keith Jarrett. Garbarek soon formed his own groups and staked out a broad swath of musical territory where European jazz could develop in its own way.
In the '80s and '90s, Garbarek expanded his directions by collaborating with musicians from West Africa, India and Pakistan, such as Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Most recently, Garbarek worked with vocal quartet the Hilliard Ensemble to create an eclectic blend of jazz and European polyphonic and Renaissance music. They toured Japan together last year, replicating the haunting acoustics of the Austrian monastery where they recorded their two CDs ("Officium" and "Mnemosyne") in pristine symphony halls. This year, Garbarek brings over his newest jazz group featuring longtime European bandmates. He took time to talk by phone from Norway where the temperature was far below freezing and the snow piling up deep outside his mountain home.