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Jazz Articles about John Abercrombie
John Abercrombie: Wait Till You See Her
by Francis Lo Kee
John Abercrombie = 3242, whose history with ECM stretches back to the early '70s, now releases his fourth CD with the same quartet of violinist Mark Feldman and drummer Joey Baron, newcomer Thomas Morgan replacing previous bassist Marc Johnson. Though there are rambunctious moments, Abercrombie chooses to open with “Sad Song," a somewhat misleading title. The playing is tender, thoughtful and melodically floating, speaking to an artist's confidence that one doesn't have to start a journey by proving how fast ...
Continue ReadingJohn Surman: Brewster's Rooster
by Jeff Stockton
Over 150 years experience! That's how the band saxophonist John Surman assembled for Brewster's Rooster could be advertised. Surman first played with drummer Jack DeJohnette in the late '70s and DeJohnette and guitarist John Abercrombie first worked together earlier that decade. Rounded out by bassist Drew Gress, Surman revisits straight-ahead jazz after essaying an eclectic range of recordings. On “Hilltop Dancer," Surman's tone on baritoneis solid and assured, never tempted by the extremes available on the big horn and Abercrombie's ...
Continue ReadingJohn Abercrombie Quartet: Wait Till You See Her
by John Kelman
The beauty of working with the same people long-term is it's possible to evolve a cohesive ensemble sound, while still retaining its singular group voice. Guitarist John Abercrombie has been working with violinist Mark Feldman since Open Land (ECM, 1999), but it was when he recruited bassist Marc Johnson and drummer Joey Baron for Cat 'n' Mouse (ECM, 2002), that his idea of a string-centric, chamber jazz quartet came into being. On subsequent releases, most recently The Third Quartet (ECM, ...
Continue ReadingJohn Surman: Brewster's Rooster
by John Kelman
After a string of more jazz-centric ECM releases--1992's relatively free Adventure Playground, the large ensemble of 1993's The Brass Project, and the only document of his ongoing quartet with pianist John Taylor, bassist Chris Laurence and drummer John Marshall, 1994's Stranger Than Fiction--saxophonist John Surman's subsequent output for the label has consisted of unorthodox but no less intriguing projects. From solo recordings (1995's A Biography of The Rev. Absalom Dawe) and works for saxophone/bass clarinet and string ensemble (2007's The ...
Continue ReadingThe John Abercrombie Quartet at Birdland, NYC
by Budd Kopman
The John Abercrombie QuartetBirdlandNew York City, New YorkThursday, September 4, 2008 This gig was in the second night of a four-night stand for the quartet consisting of guitarist John Abercrombie, violinist Mark Feldman, bassist Marc Johnson and drummer Joey Baron. The group absolutely cooked during the early set before a three-quarter full house. Their last appearance at Birdland was in April of 2007, supporting the recent release of their third album ...
Continue ReadingRobert Balzar Trio with John Abercrombie: Tales
by John Kelman
Releases teaming unknown musicians with high profile players can be inherently suspect. Everyone has to pay the rent, so it's always possible that such sessions are taken on for strictly financial reasons, with the playing as impeccable as ever but lacking in the commitment that turns a good date into a great one. Still, that's not always the case, and however John Abercrombie ended up on this date, from the first notes of Czech bassist Robert Balzar's Tales, it's clear ...
Continue ReadingMarc Copland: Another Place
by AAJ Italy Staff
Da qualche anno il pianista Marc Copland registra in esclusiva per la Pirouet Records, cambiando sideman ad ogni nuovo disco e dimostrando come sia possibile interagire con musicisti di classe internazionale e presentare uno stile singolare come il suo in contesti diversi. Per il nuovo lavoro ha scelto la strada del quartetto, chiamando vecchi compagni di avventura con cui era già entrato in studio nel 1996 incidendo Second Look per la Savoy. John Abercrombie lo ha già incontrato quando era ...
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