ECN Music is a new company created by Elaine Crouch, Claire Martin OBE, Emma Perry and Nadja von Massow to support artists as they navigate their careers in an ever-involving industry. “The four of us have worked together in the past and have often seen that artists lack the guidance they most need when presenting their music,” explains Martin. “ECN Music aims to create a safe space for artists to develop. This could be through design, marketing, funding applications or simply advice.”
In collaboration with the ECN Music team, solo artists, orchestra managers and band leaders are empowered to build a ‘bespoke’ strategy for gaining maximum benefit from the release of their music (physically, digitally and live) with individual objectives firmly at the forefront of any activity. Specific services include career consultation, administrative tasks, marketing and PR, production, distribution and funding advice.
ECN Music is proud to announce their first collaborations with leading British pianist Zoe Rahman and Dutch vocalist Wilma Baan who will both be releasing new albums in July. Colour of Sound (7 July) is Rahman’s seventh album on her Manushi label and features eight original compositions. She has assembled some of the finest musicians in contemporary jazz to create a stunning octet – Alec Dankworth (double bass), Gene Calderazzo (drums), Idris Rahman (saxes/clarinet), Rowland Sutherland (flutes), Alex Ridout (trumpet/flugelhorn), Byron Wallen (trumpet) and Rosie Turton (trombone).
Baan follows her 2019 debut So Nice with twelve delightful songs on Look At Me Now (28 July). Produced by Claire Martin, the line-up includes Graham Harvey (piano), Jeremy Brown (double bass), and Sebastiaan de Krom (drums) with guest appearances from Nigel Price (guitar), Nat Steele (vibraphone), James McMillan (trumpet) and Tristan Banks (percussion).
Late Summer and Autumn collaborations include keyboardist/vocalist Mike Lindup (Level 42 founding member) who will be releasing Changes 2 featuring Omar, Jon Culshaw, Yolanda Charles MBE and Tony Momrelle, and has already inspired remixes from dance music royalty Louie Vega and Dave Lee; Multi-reedist/composer Tim Garland’s Forever Seed, his next orchestral project and innovative touring with Gwilym Simcock and Asaf Sirkis, the release of an album in 2024 which includes the Britten Sinfonia and comes with a Dolby Atmos downloadable feature; French horn player/composer Jim Rattigan’s three new recordings with Ivo Neame, Nick Costley-White and Hans Koller; creative and funding support for trombonist/composer Raph Clarkson.
