JOHN ABERCROMBIE

Part of orthodox and acoustic part. And, it is methodological of the performance that has already been established. This John Abercrombie is always paid to attention as one of the guitar players who keep reforming always in Jazz/Fusion continuing the original performance.

The work that informed the world of his name was to have appointed to the recording of "Total Eclipse" that Billy Cobham had announced in 1974 though he had competing with various musicians before this album of the debut. Eminence might have gone up enough for the performance of him with whom an original interpretation and the intellect for music overflowed. And, it competes with Johnny"Hammond" Smith. Performance from Dreams of Rock group with Chico Hamilton. Because Abercrombie formed the base of music, these situations will have been elements enough. And, his involved young power his greeting and at that time is reflected enough in the album in this debut album. And, I will be able to ask the performance by Trio of this irregular organ enough for the zeal of Abercrombie.

"Lungs" is composed of some parts as the entire composition. An overwhelming opening speed and power show a complete technology. Ensemble of Trio is overwhelming. And, the performance of John Abercrombie might construct the music character with the angle besides the performance of the guitar players such as John McLaughlin and Larry Coryell. The tune advances with the development of Improvisation gradually. A good tension for the composition of the tune is given by as many as two people (Jan Hammer and Jack De Johnette) and it is continued. And, the flow that the synthesizer twines round the part of Bass by Jan Hammer might be indeed unique. A heavy part in close relation to a constant rhythm feels the area of the width of this Trio. It is a tune of which the element as Jazz Rock went out strongly very much. Because Jan Hammer composed, this tune might have the element of Mahavishnu Orchestra a little.

As for "Love Song", the melody of the piano and the guitar with the anacatesthesia is impressive. The progress of beautiful Chord might remarkably reflect the title of the tune in the tune. It talks about the piano and the guitar by music.

Playing the guitar with originality in the flow of Waltz exactly twines round "Ralph's Piano Waltz" well. The performance of Abercrombie will have an element original as for the method of settlement of the sound in which it lands when also thinking about progress and Ad-Rib of the tune because originality has gone out strongly. The tune gradually receives the top while making the theme cross each other to Ad-Rib by the organ. The sound of the guitar that uses the method of the volume is also impressive.

As for "Red And Orange", a complex, intermittent melody twines round the line of Bass by Jan Hammer. Because Jan Hammer composed as well as "Lungs" this tune, it is ..very high-quality Jazz Rock.. finished. And, the guitar and the drum answer the idea of Jan Hammer enough. The dash feeling of this tune might be also overwhelming. The tension is always continued.

"Remembering" shifts from the start of the guitar that gives the impression of uneasiness and the piano to a beautiful flow. The technology that Abercrombie cultivated listens to the impression not staying in simple Jazz/Fusion in this tune. Manfred Eicher that collects the tune in such a part, the feature as ECM might be added enough. It listens to the parts of a few avant-gardes.

"Timeless" starts from the flow of the float in the space. The melody of the guitar with the flow and the anacatesthesia of the synthesizer creates one space. A few, ambient flows progress quietly attended with the rhythm. Enough power might be exactly involved to the creation of Abercrombie with the performance.

This debut album might exist as overwhelming Jazz Rock in the work of John Abercrombie.

During the mid-nineteen eighties, ECM was focusing on light, but usually interesting electric jazz. Think Pat Metheny for a reference point for what they were looking for. This album is exactly in that Metheny zone. Light, but mostly unmemorable guitar based fusion.

The opening track, Clint, could actually be a nice prog song if it had a stronger arrangement. Here, Abercrombie's guitar synth remains light (damn, that work keeps coming up) and bouncy throughout. Notable on this track is Erskine's energetic drumming. Alice In Wonderland, and Lisa are all primarily guitar solo pieces, with some acoustic bass soloing as well, so soft that you hardly notice them. Abercrombie is a great player, but some more dynamics would be nice.

Hippityville picks things up, just a bit, with Abercrombie back on the guitar synth, and Erskine's drums pushing the beat up a notch. Killing Time is a nice, free form guitar synth solo piece. Still is moody and atmospheric.

So the main description for the album: you guessed it, light!

2.5 stars, Erskine's drums rounds it up.

Don't expect any Jazz-Rock or other musical fusions here: this is strictly Jazz of the purest kind, from one of its most esteemed players. And if you don't already possess a well-developed palate for the real thing, feel free to skip the rest of this review (or better yet, give the album a fair hearing: it might just surprise and / or enrich you more than expected).

The instrumentation is unusual for an otherwise traditional Jazz combo: drums, upright bass, guitar, and violin, the latter introducing hints of Folk music richness into the ensemble. Abercrombie's guitar is the only electrified instrument in the group, but his amplification is attractively muted to fit snugly alongside his acoustic cohorts (all ace players, it goes without saying).

The music itself is beyond criticism. Each of the ten entirely instrumental tracks is never less than exquisite, refined, subtle, and intuitive. All of them together form a simple yet sophisticated album, following to the letter the ECM label motto: 'the most beautiful sound next to silence'.

My conservative rating is only a reflection of the sometimes limiting Prog Archives guidelines (the album is hardly essential to a strictly Prog Rock music library). Veteran Jazz aficionados (I'm more of a dedicated tourist myself) and other highly evolved aesthetes can add another star at their discretion.

His distinguished services in ECM are known well with a great masterpiece. The style of the guitar of Abercrombie will have an original style in the item of Jazz. Some tone and a transparent tone are offered to us in his style compared with the guitar players such as John Scofield and Pat Metheny. As for the career and the originality of the music of Abercrombie, it is consistent and there might be a lot of fans that like his style in the item of Jazz though the style such as Bill Frisell might enter the item of course, too.

The musician often looks for the partner with good compatibility in the item of Jazz. Of course, work in his ECM also had some the tendencies. Keith Jarrett of the musician who represented ECM also handled work in Trio and it gave birth to a lot of masterpieces. The form of Jarrett-Peacock-DeJohnette was established and made the performance known to the world in the item of Jazz.

The performance that Abercrombie did in the 80's has advanced by one form and established. It is remarkably shown by making the direction of the music that he creates a work. Many of the performance that he had done in the 80's were often expressed occasionally in the forms of Trio as well as Keith Jarrett. It might be known as Trio of Abercrombie-Johnson-Erskine. The support by this Marc Johnson and Peter Erskine has succeeded in the increase of degree of freedom for abercrombie and the construction of the original world. It is guessed that the free form was a flow that pursues his creation at this time further.

"Works" that had been announced as shape of the best album in 1991 It was a work that expressed the history and distinguished services of his of that music indeed remarkably. Of course, the tune to demonstrate results as his Trio satisfactorily was collected. And, the album that works in shape to develop the directionality of the music that had been done further before is this work.

If Trio of a familiar, because of item of Jazz deep guitar, Bass, and drum imagines it, the revolution and the challenge of Abercrombie can be felt in this work. The fact that he selected the form in the organ and the drum might finished in an irregular a little form. However, the selection is guessed to be a natural act enough in the history of his music. He was offering the listener the possibility of the Trio enough in a similar form with organ Trio as for "Timeless" that had been announced in 1974.

The fan to enumerate Lifetime of Tony Williams might be not few if looking for from the item of Jazz/Fusion in Trio of the organ. It is possible to listen to the sound making where a transparent feeling overflows consistently in Trio. The composition of the tune that requires fast and slow and the idea of Abercrombie are splendidly expressed in this work along the image of ECM.

The tune to which a fine nuance and an aggressive element are taken is a creation that only these three people can do and music is expressed from Trio of Johnson-Erskine completely as another angle.

If you don't like the so-called 'ECM sound' associated with modern European jazz then this is probably best avoided, but if, like me, you can't get enough of it, then its definatley worth listening to. It is a lovely melodious set. Abercrombie, as always, has a gentle, wistful guitar sound, but the real star of the album is Marc Feldman's violin. His playing is lyrical and emotive. Feldman may also be known to experimental jazz fans for his playing with John Zorn's Masada quartet and he has also appeared with Michael Brecker. The delicate, but edgy atmosphere of the album is maintained throughout by the restrained, but brilliant drumming of Joey Baron, another veteran of the Massada quartet and Manfred Eicher's production is clean and uncluttered. Its not an album that will grab you by the throat, but give it a chance and it might just take you on a journey. The opening tune, 'Banshee' sets the tone for the rest of the album which peaks for me with the gorgeous 'Tres'. Strangely, the track called 'Epilogue' does not come at the end of the album, although perhaps it was conceptually intended to, as the two tracks that follow it don't really add anything to the mix.

This 1975 release on the ECM label had more ferocity and fangs than your average ECM disc of the time. Having come fresh off a recording session with Oregon's Colin Walcott for his Cloud Dance album, the three musicians decided to stir up some electrified and inspired mayhem of their own.

Bassist Dave Holland leads the charge on Backwoods Song, starting innocently enough with a country-ish groove, then enters DeJohnette to give it further drive, then Abercrombie steers it toward the outer fringes of the woods, so to speak, with a vaguely unsettling, warbling melody, leading to a bluesy turnaround. From there, JA takes you to the darkest most unknown parts of this woods with his relentless guitar musings. Waiting is Dave Hollands' hypnotic bass solo piece that definitely conveys that feeling very well in fact. May Dance is a sunnier, more upbeat bop-inspired romp with Abercrombie leading the way with a clean yet edgy jazz tone from his axe.

Things get more intense with Unshielded Desire a duet of Abercrombie and DeJohnette that recalls the fiery exchanges of Coltrane and Elvin Jones from a decade earlier, both musicians relentlessly search for new melodic ideas as the piece almost blows itself apart. Jamal is a beautifully mysterious and enigmatic interaction between Abercrombie and Holland, To close on a high note, there is Sorcery 1, starting with menacing spook noises from Abercrombie and equally menacing percussion noises weave in and out, building in intensity until Abercrombie roars in with some of the spookiest long sustained notes this side of Hendrix as DeJohnette unleashes violent explosions of drums and cymbals while Holland roars authoritatively underneath them eventually winding down and leaving you spooked.

As is typical with ECM recordings, the overall ambience is spacious as all outdoors, yet the instruments are so crisp (especially drums and bass) while Abercrombie is recorded with just enough reverb and distance to give him, to my ears, one of the most genuinely unsettling, spooky and unique electric guitar sounds of the time, he sounded like NOBODY else.

Fusion with a strong emphasis on the JAZZ part of the equation with that kind of looseness combined with the ferocity of the Mahavishnu Orchestra. A great postcard from when creativity was the norm!

Two years after Gatewa from 76y, the same trio comes back to record the second tome of Gateway, this one being a bit more even affair, but on the whole, it's a quieter album. The only difference line-up-wise is that Jack is also playing some piano on some tracks. Like all Abercrombie albums before, this album is produced by the ECM label owner Manfred Eicher and the typical type of artwork is given, this time a photograph collage od clouds and an exotic door..

Starting out on the stupendous the slow developer 16-mins+ Opening, a joint composition that stands out easily as the album highlight, the album gives many reasons to think that the first Gateway was only training ground for thiis present album; The only slight remark is that I wish that Holland and DeJohnette's respective solos were either a duo or not overstaying its welcome, but this is minute. Rounding up the album's first side is Holland's Reminiscence, which sets the tone for most of the rest of the album, a very quiet affair.

Indeed, the flipside opens on the equally quiet Abercrombie Sing song, where his fluid electric guitar sails smoothly over an almost-windless summer day. Dave Holland's Nexus is probably the album's most exciting track, and certainly the second highlight of Gateway2. The electric guitar and Holland's bass take on a slightly Moorish flavour, letting us dream of the Sahara infinite spaces. The closing Dejohnette Blue is a mainly piano piece, played by Jack himself, even if Holland and Aber do much to enlighten the Jarrett- inspired piano: let's not forget Jack and Dave were present on most of Keith's 70's works.

Amother typical album of Abercrombie's early "solo" career, one that managed to play on ambiances more than on pure musical grounds, but however good are the three musicians, I find that their line-up is somewhat reductive of the trio's overall capacity. Indeed, had they used more keyboards (Hammer anyone?) and formed a quartet, there would've been so much more to listen to. .

Having been part of the scene for some years, playing in various groups, but mostly for the Brecker Bros' first band Dreams, Abercrombie finally attacked his fist studio album after getting a recording contract from ECM, with whom he would remain mostly fidel throughout his career. This debut album, like most of his first few albums are citing his

Abercrombie's choice in DeJohnette (an ex-Bitches Brew drummer, but also very frequent Keith Jarrett sideman) will remain fairly constant in his early career, but it's surprising not seeing Dave Holland (also ex BB and frequent Jarrett sideman) on bass here, but there is no bass at all (whatever might sound is most likely organ-pedalled by Hammer. The opening Hammer-penned Lungs is one of those scary 700 MPH, where ultra-sonic virtuosity is everything. Love Song is one of those boring slow track that are supposed to be the antidote to the demented tracks, but to me these sleeping pills are best skipped. Ralph's Waltz (Towner of Oregon I guess) is at times enthralling, against which Hammer Red & Orange sounds captivating, but let's be careful of Einstein's Relativity theory here. R&O has some delightful moments, but I am saying moments, not minutes or songs. In some ways, this sounds like a Birds Of Fire track (which in itself is quite a feat), but to me it's a little too close for comfort to appreciate this truly. After the relatively new-agey Remembering, the album closes on the 12-mins title track. Starting on a slow drone, the track remain gentle

I've never been really sure why Abercrombie was included in PA, because he seems a bit far from the focus, but his early albums certainly smoked, rivalling in density (the unit is notes/second) with Mahavishnu Orchestra and Return To Forever; but unlike these two groups, Abercrombie's formation lacks the warmth of those cited just before.

When judging altogether John Abercrombie's classic period of music, whether or not albums such as Timeless or Arcade are to be seen as the brightest from this jazz artist and his ensembles, the Gateway two-pack session is, from every angle, regardless of any kind of nuancing, a central work and a crucial reference upon any scan of Abercrombie's legacy. A close detail, which usually is to be noticed from the start, is also the collaboration between Abercrombie, Dave Holland and Jack DeJohnette, nameable overall as the Gateway trio and regardable as likely the best group of excellent minds and musicians - except if you're more of a Jan Hammer fan, in which case it's back to Timeless topping everything - from a long, reaching present times history of "ensembling", in which Abercrombie was rarely truly "solo". By my personal belief, the Gateway classic session aren't just major, central, as mentioned earlier, but Gateway 2 is also my pick of a close-to-ideal creation, in by all means Abercrombie's intense period of high "jazz art", the support from his fellow two collaborators being pretty much the same.

At this high level of standard, richening the Gateway collection (and legacy itself, the one reffered to above) with two more album-size creations, at the anniversary hint of almost 20 years since the first release, coming back to life with the dream trio whilst promising new music, is welcoming to say the least (in a pragmatic, initial way). Even more, the size of the Gateway reunion, as quality and force, isn't dramatically below the original 70s mementos - though classic-modern subjective comparing could, in all fairness, rate the two new Gateway in different ways, both up and lower the scale. Richened and also revitalized therefore, rather than simply celebrated, is the entire Gateway brand, this 1994 entire burn being also refreshing, if not a surprise fit, inside Abercrombie's 90s music, which is otherwise mostly resumed to stuff made together with a new trio, formed with Nussbaum, Dan Wall, till the late years, when things shift to a new dimension yet again. And to say it once more, the join jazz rolled up by the guitar master together with Dave Holland and Jack DeJohnette is a singular moment by its strict relation to the Gateway aura, stunning back in the classic past, surprisingly of the same refinement during this 1994 big event. Jack DeJohnette also starred in Timeless and 1982's Night, while Dave Holland never played on any other main album except the 1975 and 1977 ones; anyway though, if you want a reference for the devoted line-up Abercrombie-Holland-DeJohnette, Gateway is the essential place where to look. And the 2x2 complete experience is recommended as much as possible.

The second of the 1994 reunion releases, next to Gateway:Homecoming, it is on one hand sure that between the two one album will be designated as better (doesn't matter which actually, listeners could pick both, given their taste), while, on the other hand, there are no great reasons for which both of them can't be described as of a beautiful, strongly-shaped quality and value. Concerning Abercrombie's visions of music from that time, rather than simple mystic melodies and tastes of soft nu-jazz, Gateway is a moment of "profusion", together with some recalls of what was done, under the same brand, back 20 years ago; meanwhile, Holland and DeJohnette exploit with regular mastering their instruments, the often impression being however a mix of leisure, play-by-heartbeat and subtlety. While Gateway:Homecoming offers a broad recital, Gateway: In The Moment is a strict but full 5-piece suite, probably closing on to the spirit of the old LPs, in which the combination is set on the pleasure of jazz with the atmosphere of new music that's calmly improvised and, yet also, the peculiar if spontaneous highly-refined moments when the sound that vibrates from the trio's work has its greatness and makes me think I can't associate this, for the fourth time, with anything else from the guitar artist's repertoire. Sounding at times unnatural, it could be realized though, after heavy and repeated listens, that it holds nothing truly special, still has its bright value.

The first part can be considered the one holding the album's best moments, with The Enchanted Moment as a top spin, rich in the force of the trio's interpretations. Cinucen, shortest of all five relatively succulent pieces, has a dark start, with Holland's bass almost achieving a cello-like weep, while, further into the slow & silent kind of improvisation, the piece turns to its more oozing, naturally light colors. The same kind of transition towards simple "ambiances" happens also in the epic Shrubberies, this time taking away a bit of the composition's interestingness. The other two unmentioned tracks, the opening In The Moment and the finalizing Soft, are pleasant moments of music, ideal jazz-ing happening though more in the first. Much of the album indulges both a look into relaxing art being made and into relaxations of an opposite kind, that can't be anything but harmonious, stylish and dreamy. The dialogue inside the trio is very good, but perhaps some artifices are missing indeed, compared to the classic albums.

Gateway: In The Moment is, overall, a fine experience, a comprised yet also long born shape of jazz, a nostalgic but not at all sleepy reunion affair, and a Gateway gem you couldn't possibly push away from the other three. Better, and more beautiful in the same time, than average stuff and a 90s cupcake in Abercrombie's full slide of releases.

Between 1989's Animato (that if it actually sounds to many like a great, marking record - it's anyway above expectations) and the new 1995 Gateway sessions, Abercrombie's jazz career - measured in albums - doesn't value too much and doesn't stand on too ravishing albums. Still, everything he does remains mostly enjoyable, vibrant and of a good quality - which is a sign albums such as this one, While We're Young, can become favourites among certain fans, if they click to them in a special way. It's possible. Talking exclusively about this 1992 album, the recipe isn't a guaranteed success, nothing special sounds out of it, plus it somehow avoids bearing a musical grade out of not caring for a quality which to excel in style and purpose, but only cares for a true and natural sense of music, in certain tempos, by certain adapted tones and so on...

Moreover, one thing that can be discussed is the change of perspective (even if not radical in any way) that happens from the viewpoint of a different collaboration. And here, if in the 70s, Abercrombie roared together with Holland and DeJohnette (and the return for more roaring happened in 1995), to progress afterwards into some collaborations with names like John Scofield and Jan Hammer or to form a new trio with Peter Erskine and Marc Johnson during the 80s, well, the 90s are a time when another new trio, formed with Hammond organ-player Dan Wall and drummer Adam Nussbaum, will pay off considerably, through three major works: While We're Young, Speak Of The Devil and the 1997 live Tactics, exuberant and wonderful. Sure, it matters less what kind of jazz band arrangements Abercrombie had in mind (the 90s weren't an Abercrombie-Wall-Nussbaum exclusive decade anyway, with the Erskine-Johnson affair continuing, through November and Hudson Project, which say a lot in this case), but more the impact that crowned this ensemble's efforts. And so we go back to what was previously said: streams like While We're Young, without amazing or revolutionary elements (on the contrary, straightforward and stylistically-attached ones), comprise nevertheless good jazz. In a good frame of an album.

While We're Young is not exactly the best of the trio's full set, as much as hasn't got either the "debut" flu. With Abercrombie staying as leader and composer, the foundation for a par-"melodisiac" par-virtuous jazz act is pretty much prepared in advance. But Speak Of The Devil, released a year later, just seems to have an extra lick, along a bit more extra ideas, that don't numb the same jazz act and bring instead more colour and tension into everything. Tactics, on the other hand, released much later, is just jazz ecstasy...

Straightforward for me seems to be the way the trio composes and plays a sum of eight pieces, in a total time of 60 minutes (which is very consistent). There's harmony and poise in the group's passion and perseverance, which marks some class texture and quality production in the music itself. Listening to While We're Young, you're almost living the story of a live jazz performance where not much is ingenious, but everything is dictated by the jazz method book: melodies that are transformed and flourish into improvisations, climaxes and interludes, yet maintain their essence (so no exaggerations, no alterations whatsoever), while, overall, the contrast is set to classic as well: most pieces are dynamic, bright, open, while two or three lower to an airily, melancholic or even cold core. Abercrombie and Dan Wall alternate with the main solo, the Hammond organ doing serious competition to the guitar's un-exhausted powerfulness (and perhaps this is really something that makes the album worth listen to). Nussbaum's drumming is surprisingly still and serene, without meaning no dexterity at all when needed, because a keen ear will hear shifting rhythms during an improvisation that lasts long, sounds good but not out of place and needs new improvisational ideas per second.

In other words, there's good jazz to hear in While We're Young, but one accuse (and even I think of this seriously) can be that it's a rather too usual approach of playing jazz - and, moreover, of turning the whole result into a release. To a point of belief, the trio (and Abercrombie, on top) doesn't throw itself into a style that's unable to handle or asks for extravagance. But, also true, regardless of the passion put inside the music and without thinking this as a tedious result, the album's lack of particular tricks and awing moments would translate for good into sorts of inexpressiveness. Again, compared to November's elegiac spirit and to Speak Of The Devil's less compact, but more inspirited virtues, While You're Young is just good.

A work that's recommended though - as much as almost any other album - for the Abercrombie collection. And that's recommended for an hour of jazz that can't displease, no matter what.