ECM Records

The music of Manu Katche lolls around, languorously getting where it desires to go, making expert use of space and silence. The French drummer garnered attention for work on classic rock records by Peter Gabriel and Sting before embarking on a solo tack as a jazz composer and bandleader. His third record, 2007's PLAYGROUND on ECM, written entirely by him, revels softly in an early-morning haze. Katche's tendency is to put himself in the background, using his beat as gentle guidance for the brass, piano, and bass to linger together whisperingly.

Personnel: Manu Katche (drums); Manu Katche; David Torn (guitar); Trygve Seim (soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone); Mathias Eick (trumpet); Marcin Wasilewski (piano); Slawomir Kurkiewicz (double bass).

Recording information: Avatar Studios, New York, NY (01/2007).