Garbarek's Double Album Ritual
Rites finds Garbarek working with ensemble textures rather than his usual solo framework.
Rites is a double album that catches Jan Garbarek at a point where he's willing to share space. If you know his solo work or his ECM recordings with strings, this one operates differently — it's more collaborative, less about the saxophone dominating the soundscape. Recorded in March 1998, the album moves through various instrumental combinations and approaches across its four sides. Garbarek's tone remains distinctive no matter the context, that cool Nordic clarity that's defined his sound for decades, but here he's genuinely listening to what's happening around him rather than leading from the front.
Within Garbarek's catalog, Rites sits in his mature period. By 1998, he'd already made his mark with ECM across multiple formats and collaborations. This isn't an entry point for newcomers — you'd be better served starting with one of his earlier standard albums if you're just discovering him. But if you've spent time with his music and want to hear him engage with ensemble playing on a larger scale, this double album offers that. The format itself — two discs — suggests he had material worth exploring at length, though it also means not every moment lands with equal weight.
The recording sits comfortably within ECM's aesthetic, which means clean sound, space around the instruments, and patient pacing. It's a solid late-career work from an artist who'd already proven himself, neither a peak moment nor a misstep. If you're building a serious Garbarek collection, this belongs in it. If you're sampling his work, it's worth circling back to after you've gotten comfortable with his more focused projects.
Who's playing
Eberhard Weberbass guitar
Jan Garbareksoprano saxophone
Bugge Wesseltoftadditional, electronic instruments, synthesizer
Marilyn Mazuradditional, cymbal
Rainer Brüninghauskeyboard
Where next?
More by Jan Garbarek
All 15 albums →
The musicians on this record
Their own records, close in time
