Jan Garbarek(杨葛柏瑞克),生于1947年,不到二十岁就开始职业演出生涯,在六○年代出道之初,走的 是自由即兴的风格。当时,概念前卫的钢琴/编曲家乔治罗素(George Russell)定居欧洲,葛柏瑞克在罗素的乐团待了四年,罗素是在五○年代首倡调式即兴的爵士理论家,开阔的视野,对年轻的葛柏瑞克影响颇大。 从六○末到七○年代初期,葛柏瑞克自组乐团录制了不少作品,他在ECM唱片旗下录制的《Afric Pepperbird》等专辑,被视为塑造所谓“ECM Sound”的作品,葛柏瑞克清冷、疏离,时而引入挪威民乐的音乐表现,掳获了不少乐迷的拥戴。但是真正获得国际性的知名度,还是由于他在钢琴家凯斯杰瑞(Keith Jarrett)的欧洲四重奏乐团当中的演出。
从七○年代以来,葛柏瑞克就是一个胆子非常大的爵士乐手,从七○到九○年代初期,他和巴西、黎巴嫩、巴基斯坦各地的顶尖民族乐手有非常精彩的合作,而且颇乐意与厉害但尚未出名的各色乐手合作,他以ECM二哥之尊(ECM的一哥,当然是凯斯杰瑞),愿意不计市场地尝试新风格,而且乐于提携新人。
七○年代的融合风潮,开启了爵士乐与摇滚融合激汤的契机,同时,许多乐手们走到另一个方向:将各地的民族音乐融入爵士之中。葛柏瑞克与中亚、南亚乐手的合作,正是此一思维的具体实现,他和沙奇海珊(Zakir Hussain)、法德阿里汉(Ustad Fateh Ali Khan)等人的合作,在民族音乐之中找到一个非常奇特的切入点,《Making Music》、《Ragas And Sagas》等专辑,葛柏瑞克的萨克斯风在印度、巴基斯坦音乐的节奏中自在优游的即兴,呈现出一种特殊的平衡协调,一方面在聆听的当下,会觉得这样的音乐真是美好,完全正确的组合搭配;但是转念一想,又发现这种音乐真是怪:除了他们,全世界还真没有几个人这样玩!
Jan Garbarek是自吉普赛音乐大师Django Reinhrdt以后欧洲最重要的爵士乐手之一。这位优秀的挪威萨克斯风手1968年与Eicher在意大利一见如故,从此开始了与ECM的合作。爵士乐向来是美国站主流地位,绝大多数欧洲爵士乐手不是被淹没在主流大潮中,就是被美国风格同化,很少有坚持本身的背景文化,创作出反映自我生命的作品。Jan Garbarek无疑是个例外。他的作品充满一种北极凛冽的气息,更像一座冰雪覆盖的火山,冷中藏热,这来源于他挪威家乡的纯朴民谣,加上印地安旋律,加上印度,南美的民族音乐,从而使他的音乐风格丰富多彩。正如他自己说的那样:“......你或许可以说在精神上与我环游了整个世界......”
有评论说:Jan Garbarek的高音萨克斯风的音色是当代爵士乐最美的声音!这一点不为过。
by Scott Yanow
Norwegian saxophonist Jan Garbareks icy tone and liberal use of space and long tones has long been perfect for the ECM sound and, as a result, he is on many recordings for that label, both as a leader and as a sideman. He had won a competition for amateur jazz players back in 1962, leading to his first gigs. Garbarek worked steadily in Norway throughout the remainder of the 1960s, usually as a leader but also for four years with George Russell (who was in Scandinavia for a long stretch). Garbarek began recording for ECM in the early 70s and, although he had opportunities to play with Chick Corea and Don Cherry, his association with Keith Jarretts European quartet in the mid-70s made him famous, resulting in the classic recordings My Song and Belonging. In the 1980s, Garbareks groups included bassist Eberhard Weber and at various times guitarists Bill Frisell and David Torn. Garbarek, whose sound is virtually unchanged since the 1970s, collaborated with the Hilliard Ensemble in 1993 (a vocal quartet singing Renaissance music) and the result was a surprisingly popular recording. Visible World followed in 1995, and four years later he resurfaced with Rites. In April of 1999, Garbarek and the Hilliard Ensemble returned with Mnemosyne.