Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » John Abercrombie Quartet: The Third Quartet
John Abercrombie Quartet: The Third Quartet
Capable of outright expression as of sheer delicacy, Abercrombie's personality splits alternately, always "making musical sense, to quote guitarist Jim Hall. But on The Third Quartet, it is the gentler more intimate side of his music that garners attention.
"Number 9, a floating rubato ballad, is especially captivating. Atop a succession of dreamy chords and washes of cymbals, the sleepy melody slowly awakes then very gently lays. Another gem, "Vingt Six, also exemplifies Abercrombie's knack for supporting simply-constructed yet telling melodies with ear-pricking chord progressions. Starting out with a guitar/violin duo, Baron's sparse ride cymbal work later enters propelling a subtle swing waltz feel behind Abercrombie's inspired lines.
"Tres, a minimally-developed descending melody and bass line named after the small Latin American guitar, offers an opportunity to stretch over its more energetic tempo and faster harmonic rhythm as does Ornette Coleman's bluesy "Round Trip. The other cover, pianist Bill Evans' "Epilogue, adds an oriental touch reminiscent of Japanese miniatures—here, the violin substituting the kokyû or its Chinese equivalent, the erhu.
Maybe it's just the nostalgia of the leader's greatly missed acoustic playing; one cannot help but ponder, after listening to the superb closing track "Fine, how a focus on Abercrombie's compositions in an acoustic duo setting (or even solo with overdubs like this track) might be received. Until then, many spins are to be enjoyed from this disc.
Track Listing
Banshee; Number 9; Vingt Six; Wishing Bell; Bred; Tres; Round Trip; Epilogue; Elvin; Fine.
Personnel
John Abercrombie
guitarJohn Abercrombie: guitar; Mark Feldman: violin; Joey Baron: drums; Marc Johnson: double-bass.
Album information
Title: The Third Quartet | Year Released: 2007 | Record Label: ECM Records
About John Abercrombie
Tags
PREVIOUS / NEXT
Become a Sustaining Member
Since 1995, All About Jazz has championed jazz as an art form and supported the musicians who create it. Over three decades, it has grown into one of the world's leading jazz resources, serving hundreds of thousands of readers, musicians, presenters and industry professionals each month.
Help Build the Future of All About Jazz
Your support helps us continue building All About Jazz for the next generation—expanding our editorial coverage, preserving jazz history, developing new community features and creating better ways to discover the music and the people behind it.
Become a sustaining member for as little as $20 per year and you'll immediately enjoy an ad-free experience along with access to subscriber features and future articles for a full year.
Together, we're not simply sustaining All About Jazz—we're building its future. Thank you for being part of the journey.
