Tuesday, October 30, 2007

JOHN ABERCROMBIE: The Third Quartet


A Cool Night At Home/ECM

John Abercrombie, electric & acoustic guitar; Mark Feldman, violin; Marc Johnson, bass; Joey Baron, drums ECM 1993 (CD). 2007. Manfred Eicher, prod.; James Farber, eng. DDD. TT: 59:45 Performance ****½ Sonics ****½ John Abercrombie has never become a star like the other major jazz guitarists of his generation, Pat Metheny and John Scofield and Bill Frisell. He gives up nothing to them in chops or artistic depth, but Abercrombie lacks the instincts of a crowd-pleaser. There are guitar hooks that are guaranteed to bring the masses to their feet, and Abercrombie may never have twanged one in his life. He plays subtle, sophisticated, adventurous, lyrically off-center music. In the 33 years of his distinguished discography, he may never have made a more poetic, more fully realized recording than The Third Quartet.