JOHN ABERCROMBIE, MARC JOHNSON & PETER ERSKINE : NOVEMBER

As fuxi says, John Abercrombie is a great jazz guitarist but with a relatively low profile. His vast dicogrpahy is very varied, much of it being Post-Bop. This album is an unmistakable ECM product, featuring the familiar spacey sound, courtesy of Manfred Eicher, and top musicians from the ECM label. On top of the cover Abercrombie's name is equally followed by "Marc Johnson Peter Erskine w/ John Surman". Erskine is drummer-composer, Johnson plays bass. John Surman is a British modern jazz legend, a unique composer who plays bass clarinet and saxes, and on this album his contribution is very central. Indeed bass clarinet is not too often heard, also I adore its nocturnal sound here. And of course the rhythm section is absolute first rate. All members are credited for compositions, Abercrombie slightly more than others.

John Abercrombie's output is not very familiar to me this far but seems to be worth more exploration. This album is nearly 70 minutes, and for the most part really keeps the listener's attention. There's plenty of strong atmospheres and some raw, proggish edge that suitably is softened by the Eicher production. Warmly recommended to listeners of guitar jazz/ fusion, John Surman or ECM jazz in general.