Jan Garbarek (born 1947) is a Norwegian saxophonist known for his clear, icy tone on soprano and tenor saxophones. A prominent ECM artist, he has blended jazz with world, ambient and sacred music across a long international career.

Associated with ECM Records; notable collaborations mentioned in reviews include Keith Jarrett, Charlie Haden, Bill Frisell, The Hilliard Ensemble, Ustad Fateh Ali Khan, Kim Kashkashian, Manu Katché, Rainer Bruninghaus, Marilyn Mazur, Eberhard Weber and conductor Jansug Kakhidze.

Collection of DeBaser reviews highlighting Jan Garbarek's distinctive, crystalline saxophone and his blending of jazz, world and sacred music. Reviews praise collaborations (Hilliard Ensemble, Ustad Fateh Ali Khan) and landmark albums like Officium and Rites. Some critics note repetitive elements in later records.

For:Listeners of jazz, world and ambient music; fans of ECM and sacred/classical-jazz fusions.

 In his long career, the Norwegian saxophonist Jan Garbarek has explored the universe of music far and wide, adorning his discographic history with very bright stars.

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 Anyone intent on categorizing an artist into a genre will have a tough time with Jan Garbarek, because the Norwegian saxophonist encapsulates world music, jazz, new age, Nordic folk, and even electronic music, and surely there’s some other genre that has influenced him.

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 This Work is tangible proof that other worlds exist, and only a few possess the keys to access them, to open them and let in a select few in strict silence.

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 And here we have another "sacred monster" in our hands, an untouchable now revered everywhere like the new messiah of ECM, the one who brought us "Officium" thus changing the features of that jazz-ambient of a "mystical" nature.

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 It's really strange how certain albums transcend space and time barriers to slowly but inevitably seep into your DNA, influencing even your character or life choices.

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