Crossing Over 2009

ECM made history in 1984 with the release of Tabula rasa, the first of the jazz label’s equally influential New Series. Not only did this beloved recording introduce many to the music of Arvo Pärt, but it also clarified producer Manfred Eicher’s classical roots and fed into the likeminded sensibilities Eicher was then bringing with increasing confidence to his groundbreaking approach to jazz. It is therefore appropriate that Pärt, the imprint’s shining star, should be represented here more than any other composer or performer.

In large part a reworking of Jerry Goldsmith's rejected score for the sci-fi thriller Alien Nation, The Russia House proves a far more potent effort than its mongrel pedigree may suggest. Despite the film's Soviet Union setting, Goldsmith largely eschews Russian musical conventions in favor of a taut, suspenseful approach utterly American in its orientation. Combining sleek electronics with a jazz trio led by saxophonist Branford Marsalis, the composer creates a series of mysterious, archly sophisticated themes simmering with tension. In short, with The Russia House Goldsmith effectively updates the classic espionage formula for the digital era, composing a score as vital and innovative as any in his long and distinguished career. It's an unexpected and under-recognized masterpiece.