Playground (Manu Katché Album)

''Playground'' is an album by drummer and composer Manu Katché recorded in the first week of 2007 and released September 25, 2007 on ECM.ECM Releases
accessed October 24, 2016

Reception

The AllMusic review by Thom Jurek says "''Playground'' is an exciting new chapter in Katche's evolution as a leader; but more than this, bodes well for the future of jazz: it never loses sight of itself, but moves the various threads of its subgenres further without stretching any of them to the breaking point."

In ''JazzTimes'' Jeff Tamarkin wrote "Manu Katché must be the least egotistical drummer on the planet. Although he’s rarely out of earshot on ''Playground'', and the vision is clearly his, there’s not a moment when he hogs the spotlight ... most of the star turns go to the Norwegian hornmen, Trygve Seim on tenor and soprano saxophones and trumpeter Mathias Eick, and to the Polish pianist, Marcin Wasilewski. But they too keep things in check, and ''Playground'', despite brief flashes of intensity, often teeters toward the smooth-jazz chasm—it never quite falls in, but it comes awfully close."Tamarkin, J.
JazzTimes Review
November 2007 - accessed October 24, 2016

On ''All About Jazz'' John Kelman noted "''Playground'' is, like its predecessor, first and foremost an outstandingly honest record and proves, yet again, that accessible music needn't be lightweight or predictable."Kelman, J.
All About Jazz Review
accessed October 24, 2016

Track listing

Personnel

Musicians

* Manu Katché – drums
* Mathias Eick – trumpet
* Trygve Seim – tenor and soprano saxophones
* Marcin Wasilewski – piano
* Slawomir Kurkiewicz – bass
* David Torn – guitar (tracks 1 & 12)

Technical personnel

*Manfred Eicher – producer
*James A. Farber – recording engineer
*Sascha Kleis – design
*Darius Khondji – photography

References

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ECM Records albums
Manu Katché albums
2007 albums
Albums produced by Manfred Eicher
Albums recorded at Power Station