Nothing Ventured - Nothing Gained

Initially I was going to write about something else today, but then an email arrived this morning that changed my focus. First a little preface: The first jazz record I ever bought (while still in High School) was a recording on the ECM label called "Crystal Silence" by Chick Corea and Gary Burton. Shortly afterwards I purchased my second jazz LP called "Waves" by the Norwegian guitarist Terje Rypdal, also on the ECM label (pictured above). To tell you the truth I was first attracted to these LPs because of their cover graphics which featured very moody landscape photographs. I had heard of Chick Corea and Gary Burton before, but not Terje Rypdal. Both records were great and have remained some of my favourites for all these years. These recordings were very different from each other, the first being a duet album with piano and vibes, the second being an album filled with new sounding electronics (at least for its time) and four piece band led by the guitarist. What the two records had in common was a certain sound, something that suggested both closeness and spaciousness at the same time. This sound, I later learned, was known as the "ECM Sound" and it is found on most recordings on the ECM label. Both of these first jazz records had something else in common - both were recorded in Oslo, and both were engineered by Jan Erik Kongshaug. Over the decades it is Jan Erik Kongshaug more than anyone else who has been responsible for the ECM sound. He has personally engineered the majority of ECM releases, and we are talking 100's of recordings by this point. Many of these recordings were made at Rainbow Studio in Oslo, which is Mr. Kongshaug's own studio. Over the years as I added more ECM recordings to my collection, and once again discovered in the liner notes that the engineer was Jan Erik Kongshaug and the studio was Rainbow Studio in Oslo, I found myself saying "If I ever get back to Norway I would love to see this Studio and meet this person".

A little internet searching and I found a website for Rainbow Studio, including an email address. I've actually known about this for a while, but I have been hesitating to write with a request to visit the studio for fear that I would be disappointed (either by hearing nothing back, or worse being told that would be impossible). But yesterday I decided that I would stand a better chance of this happening if I asked in advance, rather than just showing up on the doorstep one day. So I sent an email explaining about my appreciation of the music that has come from this studio and my desire to see the place and perhaps meet the master engineer. So I sent the email off. In talking about this at supper Beth said "Nothing ventured, nothing gained." I had to agree, now it was wait and see what happens.

I didn't have to wait long, this morning waiting for me was an email from Jan Erik Kongshaug himself! He indicated that a visit to the studio would be possible and that I should contact him closer to the date we would be there to arrange a suitable time. Wow! This little email made my day. Now I am looking forward to the time when I will be able to see where some of my favourite musicians have recorded, people like Tord Gustavsen (mentioned in an earlier post), Pat Metheney, Terje Rypdal, Jan Garbarek, Eberhard Weber, Ralph Towner, Mike Nock, Peter Erskine, John Abercrombie and Keith Jarrett. Actually I might not see the same building since Rainbow Studio moved to a new location a few years ago, and prior to Rainbow Studio being built another Oslo studio called Talent Studio was used. However, I will be meeting the man responsible for capturing these musician's performances on tape (or disc) and making them sound so good. In a way this too is like a pilgrimage, but for the recording producer/musician side of me.

One final side note about all this. A number of years ago I joined a community band in Regina called the Band-its. I did this so I could practice and improve my saxophone playing which I was just learning at that time. Through this band I became involved in the Jazz big band known as The Jazz Band-its. The director of both these groups was Joe Hary at the time. I have gotten to know Joe, and his wife Dale, quite well over the years and was delighted when they joined Christ Lutheran Church last year. I found out not that long ago that Joe had been Gary Burton's band teacher in High School! The same Gary Burton who was featured on the first jazz recording I ever purchased - it truly is a small world. So now in a few months I will meet the man from Oslo who recorded the man from Indiana who was taught by the man now from Regina who is one of my parishioners - makes your head spin, in a delightful way.

P.S. If you're interested in reading more about the ECM Sound I came across an article translated from a French recording magazine that talks about this very thing. The English is a little off in places, but there is lots of good information here: http://fernould.club.fr/ecmvo.html