E.E.R.
John Abercrombie, Open Land (65:00); ECM 1683, 1999
ECM Records
Postfach 600 331
81203 München, Germany
Cyberhome: www.ecmrecords.com
John Abercrombie's guitar tone has changed a lot over the years. I am
particularly fond of his late 70s quartet with Richard Beirach,
George Mraz, and Peter Donald. Back then his sound was extremely
dark-nearly underwater in fact, with no treble to speak of. Lately
it's developed a lot more flesh and attack. On this new record,
Open Land, he gravitates toward a nasal tone more along the
lines of John Scofield. "Spring Song," a haunting waltz, and "Gimme
Five," based on a simple 5/4 vamp, feature a guitar sound so metallic
and crisp that I searched in vain for an acoustic guitar credit on
the disc sleeve.
Augmenting his working trio, which consists of himself,
organist Dan Wall, and drummer Adam Nussbaum, Abercrombie recruits
Kenny Wheeler on trumpet and fluegelhorn, Joe Lovano on tenor sax,
and Mark Feldman on violin. The three supporting members don't
necessarily appear together on every track. Feldman's violin, like
most jazz violin, sounds antique and yet curiously progressive; its
legato quality suits Abercrombie's compositions well. There is no
bassist, and Wall's approach to organ bass is less aggressive than,
say, Larry Goldings's. As a result, the music has a rhythmically soft
edge; even the fiery Nussbaum sounds generally calm and reflective.
On "Just in Tune" and "Little Booker," both lyrical swing
numbers, Wheeler sounds especially relaxed and conversational, as
though he were sitting back in a chair while taking his solos. Wall's
playing on these tunes is also packed with a casual sort of
brilliance. The title track, "Open Land," takes a dramatic step
toward abstraction. It begins with an angular melodic line played in
unison by guitar, violin, and tenor. (Wheeler is absent on this cut.)
Nussbaum brings it into tempo with the ride cymbal and the same
melody is played as a fast eighth-note run. Strong solos follow by
Abercrombie, Feldman, Wall, and Lovano.
Wall is again in fine form on the wistful ballad "Speak
Easy." Same goes for Nussbaum and both horn players on "Remember
When," a tune in six that makes judicious use of space between
melodic phrases. All band members are given composer credit on "Free
Piece Suit(e)," a collective improvisation which floats out of tempo
until Feldman begins to stir it up, prompting Nussbaum to imply a
slow, straight-eighth rock groove.
Touches of country and even reggae float by on "That's for
Sure," the final track. Abercrombie and Wall play around with the
feel in simultaneous solos. The folky flavor of the song is
heightened by the absence of horns, the presence of violin, and the
particularly twangy sound of Abercrombie's guitar. Perhaps the
Americana-drenched influence of composers such as Marc Johnson, Bill
Frisell, and John Scofield has rubbed off on Abercrombie. And perhaps
this is the "Open Land" to which the album title refers.
~David R. Adler
READ ABOUT MORE ABERCROMBIE HERE: The Hudson Project
To purchase this recording and get more info, soundclips, etc.
CLICK ON ARTIST'S NAME ABOVE
OR . . .
Please visit my BUY IT E.E.R. NOW INDEX PAGE
OR...
Please try my brand spankin' new EER and AMAZON.com QUIK-LINKs
buyer's guide to recommended music.
OR ...
go to my LINKS page and find the vendors' section.
Happy hunting!