What is the best European jazz album of all time?

European jazz developed its own distinct voice — ECM Records' crystalline sound, Scandinavian cool, and a classical sensibility that American jazz rarely touched. Which European album deserves the top spot?

1. 1
   The Köln Concert

   Keith Jarrett's 1975 Cologne improvisation — ECM's defining moment.
2. 2
   Belonging

   Jan Garbarek's 1974 ECM quartet album with Keith Jarrett — Nordic jazz perfection.
3. 3
   Officium

   Jan Garbarek and the Hilliard Ensemble's 1994 saxophone-meets-medieval-chant classic.
4. 4
   Strange Place for Snow

   E.S.T.'s 2002 album — the 21st-century template for European piano trio jazz.
5. 5
   Khmer

   Nils Petter Molvær's 1997 ECM debut — nu-jazz and electronica meet.
6. 6
   Michel Petrucciani - Pianism

   Michel Petrucciani's 1985 Blue Note album — virtuoso French piano jazz.
7. 7
   Soul of Things

   Tomasz Stańko's 2002 ECM masterpiece — Polish jazz poetry at its finest.
8. 8
   The Ground

   Tord Gustavsen Trio's 2004 ECM debut — Norwegian piano trio at its most meditative.
9. 9
   Djangologie

   Django Reinhardt's essential early recordings — European jazz's founding documents.
10. 10
    Gnu High

    Kenny Wheeler's 1976 ECM album with Keith Jarrett — post-bop trumpet jazz perfection.
11. 11
    New Conception of Jazz

    Bugge Wesseltoft's 1996 album — Norwegian jazz meets electronic club music.