Jazz Articles about John Abercrombie

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John Abercrombie: The Third Quartet

by John Kelman
March 28, 2007

John Abercrombie's group recordings on ECM have often come in threes. The Third Quartet, his latest featuring violinist Mark Feldman, bassist Marc Johnson and drummer Joey Baron, is an apt (and obvious) title, but hopefully not a sign that this is the end of this group's winning streak. Since forming in 2000 it's evolved into one of the best--if not the best--groups of the guitarist's long career. Abercrombie spoke, in an interview at the time of the ...

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Olivier Le Goas Quartet: Gravitations

by AAJ Italy Staff
February 6, 2007

Ventinove anni, francese, Olivier Le Goas è qui al suo album d'esordio. Un esordio forse tardivo rispetto agli standard d'età dei 'giovani musicisti emergenti' cui siamo abituati, ma indubbiamente un esordio sontuoso. Per gli illustri compagni di ventura, che lungi dall'essere uno specchio per le allodole per ascoltatori poco avveduti, sono piuttosto una conseguenza (oltre che, naturalmente, uno dei fattori causali) dell'elevatissima qualità della musica questo album. E, appunto, per la musica in esso contenuta. E' sufficiente scorrere l'elenco dei ...

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Olivier Le Goas Quartet: Gravitations

by Matt Cibula
January 12, 2007

Who the heck is Olivier Le Goas, and why do you need to know about him, like, tout de suite?

The 39-year-old drummer, who's much better known in Europe than he is here, has studied classical music, has led trios and other groups in his native France, and has even played in New York with some of the hippest guys around.

Gravitations should serve as his coming-out party. It's full of ambitious and spiky hard bop compositions, played with what ...

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The Marvin Stamm/Ed Soph Project: Live at Birdland

by Rick Bruner
June 28, 2005

There's often a vibe in live performance that isn't easily captured in the studio, especially when the musicians are highly accomplished jazz veterans performing before an appreciative audience. Trumpeter Marvin Stamm and drummer Ed Soph co-lead this wonderful band, recorded live at Birdland in New York City. Bassist Rufus Reid and pianist Bill Mays complete the quartet, which is augmented on four tunes by guitarist John Abercrombie. Stamm's warm, burnished tone on trumpet and flugelhorn melds wonderfully with the tight ...

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Various artists: A Jazz Portrait Of Brian Wilson - Wouldn't It Be Nice

by Mark Sabbatini
March 26, 2005

This is definitely no day at the beach. Whether that's good or bad is highly subjective for A Jazz Portrait Of Brian Wilson, a 17-song tribute by contemporary artists such as Don Grusin, the Clark Burroughs Group and The Yellowjackets. Originally a 1997 Blue Note release, it was remastered and rereleased by IN2N Entertainment in 2004. Those not expecting instrumentals close in form to the Beach Boys leader will hear interesting ideas at work. But there's no question ...

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John Abercrombie: Class Trip

by A. Henkin
October 6, 2004

When guitarist John Abercrombie connected with violinist Mark Feldman for Open Land (ECM, '99), he continued a tradition, albeit in an updated fashion, that stretched back to Reinhardt and Grappelli. Introducing drummer Joey Baron in to the fold for the followup, Cat n' Mouse (ECM, '02), continued the lineage down to the triumvirate of John McLaughlin, Jerry Goodman and Billy Cobham of the first incarnation of the Mahavishnu Orchestra. The new album by the quartet, rounded out once more by ...

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John Abercrombie: Timeless

by AAJ Staff
July 17, 2004

By Bill Milkowski Over the past 30 years, since the 1974 recording of Timeless , his groundbreaking debut for the ECM label, John Abercrombie has remained one of the most genuinely original guitar voices of his generation (which would include such heavyweight colleagues as John Scofield, Bill Frisell, Mike Stern and Pat Metheny). A fearless improvisor who is as comfortable in purely free settings as he is blowing over changes, Abercrombie has consistently surrounded himself with creative ...