John Taylor, Norma Winstone, Kenny Wheeler, Azimuth – Azimuth (ECM)

Azimuth, the trio of pianist John Taylor, trumpeter Kenny Wheeler and singer Norma Winstone, already sounded like a very experienced and well-rehearsed group when this debut was released in 1977. Azimuth broadened the spectrum to which the vocal jazz genre was often confined, demonstrating a forward-looking creative spirit from the outset. In the year of the album's release, Melody Maker magazine commented that "this album is perhaps (...) the first sign of [John Taylor's] emergence as a truly significant composer: its graceful, flowing beauty conceals an exploratory spirit that is sure to lead further".

Reviews

"ECM seems to be saying goodbye to the 180g dogma, the lighter 140g pressing sounds equally outstanding despite very few ticks." (AUDIO+stereoplay, May 2024)

"The '77 debut album [...] cruises through Nordic emotional worlds with oscillating synth carpets, sometimes brittle, sometimes melodic brass accompaniment and floating vocals [...] First-class overdubbed by the original masters; high-quality pressing." (Stereo, May 2024)