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John Abercrombie: 39 Steps

 A l b u m   D e t a i l s


Label: ECM Records
Released: 2013.09.30
Time:
 59:36
Category: Jazz
Producer(s): Manfred Eicher
Rating: *******... (7/10)
Media type: CD
Web address: www.johnabercrombie.com
Appears with:
Purchase date: 2014
Price in €: 1,00





 S o n g s ,   T r a c k s


[1] Vertigo (J.Abercrombie) - 6:21
[2] LST (M.Copland) - 6:51
[3] Bacharach (J.Abercrombie) - 7:21
[4] Greenstreet (J.Abercrombie) - 6:15
[5] As It Stands (J.Abercrombie) - 4:08
[6] Spellbound (M.Copland) - 6:53
[7] Another Ralph's (J.Abercrombie) - 5:22
[8] Shadow of a Doubt (D.Gress/J.Baron/J.Abercrombie/M.Copland) - 3:12
[9] 39 Steps (J.Abercrombie) - 8:36
[10] Melancholy Baby (E.Burnett/G.A.Norton) - 4:37

 A r t i s t s ,   P e r s o n n e l


John Abercrombie - guitar
Marc Copland - piano
Drew Gress - bass
Joey Baron - drums

James A. Farber - Engineer
Bob Mallory - Assistant
Sascha Kleis - Cover Design
John Rogers - Liner Notes

 C o m m e n t s ,   N o t e s


CD 2013 ECM 2334



39 Steps is an album by guitarist John Abercrombie with pianist Marc Copland, bassist Drew Gress, and drummer Joey Baron recorded in 2013 and released on the ECM label. The AllMusic review by Thom Jurek states, "Abercrombie's 39 Steps offers the sound of a veteran quartet playing at the height of its individual members' intuitive and collective abilities". On All About Jazz Andrew Luhn said "Fans of Abercrombie's playing won't be disappointed by this album and neither will fans of the ECM record label. It's a great addition to his growing body of work and Marc Copland proves to be a good choice with whom Abercrombie to collaborate" and John Kelman noted "As good as their previous recordings together have been, 39 Steps represents a major leap forward for Abercrombie and Copland's relationship, even as the guitarist returns to the piano-based configuration that was his first touring context, back in the late '70s".



John Abercrombies umformiertes Quartett verschafft Marc Copland seinen ersten Auftritt auf einer ECM-Veröffentlichung. Dabei sind der Gitarrist und der Pianist alte Weggefährten, deren Zusammenarbeit schon vierzig Jahre zurückreicht. In den frühen 1970er Jahren waren sie Mitglieder in Chico Hamilton’s Quartett und während der Fusion-Ära spielten beide in der bahnbrechenden Jazzrock-Band Dreams. Seit den späten 1990er Jahren belebten sie ihre musikalische Partnerschaft in diversen Kontexten immer wieder neu und tourten in unterschiedlichen Formationen - vom Piano-Gitarre-Duo über ein Trio mit Kenny Wheeler bis zur Musikkooperative Contact mit Dave Liebman und Billy Hart. Einen Großteil der letzten Dekade hatten Abercrombie und Copland den Bassisten Drew Gress als festes Mitglied in ihren jeweiligen Bands – insofern stützt sich „39 Steps“ auf ein Netzwerk aus bewährten Beziehungen. Jazzballaden und lyrische Stimmungen herrschen auf diesem Album vor, von dessen Stücken sechs aus Abercrombies Feder stammen, zwei von Copland, eines ist eine Kollektivimprovisation, dazu kommt noch eine Dekonstruktion des Standards „Melancholy Baby“. Das Album – von Manfred Eicher im April 2013 im Avatar Studio in New York produziert – erscheint rechtzeitig zu einer Europatournee, die das Quartett nach Frankreich, Deutschland, Österreich, Italien, Polen, Ungarn und Mazedonien führt.



,,Der Leader fand in Copland einen Partner, der seine exzellenten Gitarren-Beiträge mit filigranen Motivketten ergänzt." (Fono Forum, November 2013)

,,Es ist ein eher unscheinbares Album - leise, klangästhetisch fein gewichtet und mit Freude am Filigranen. (...) Zurückgenommene Kunst mit der Fülle des Dezenten." (stereoplay, November 2013)

,,"39 Steps" ist (...) ein kleines Resümee von Abercrombies Künstlerschaft auf dem Weg zum runden Geburtstag, bei dem das Quartett sich dem Flow der Musik überlässt und damit inspirierende Gelassenheit erschafft." (Jazzthing, November 2013 - Januar 2014)



There is an easy familiarity among the participants on the John Abercrombie Quartet's 39 Steps. Each of its members - guitarist, pianist Marc Copland, bassist Drew Gress, and drummer Joey Baron - have played together in various situations for decades. In the case of Abercrombie and Copland, their association goes back some 40 years to Chico Hamilton's touring group and the fusion band Dreams. Both Baron and Gress have played with the guitarist and pianist on and off since the '90s. The predominate mood here is linear post-bop and lyric balladry, though there is an overarching group meditation on at least the titles of Alfred Hitchock's films: Abercrombie composed six pieces here (including "Vertigo" and the title track); Copland two (including "Spellbound"), and there's a group improvisation called "Shadow of a Doubt." It is interesting to note the inclusion of Copland - Abercrombie hasn't featured a pianist on his recordings since the early '80s - who creates a wider tonal palette. The pianist's "LST" is a midtempo number with an elaborate melody and a gorgeous solo by Copland showcasing motivic invention in the upper register accompanied by gorgeous chord voicings from Abercrombie. The lush, melodic invention in the guitarist's "Bacharach" offers the pianist a platform to build a multi-hued timbral spectrum, while Abercrombie slips along its underside in an understated yet intricate solo; Gress punctuates his lines with rich wooden tones and Baron whispers along on snare and cymbals. Copland's "Spellbound" is as mysterious as its title implies. Abercrombie's dual string intro is followed by Gress' solo, which is darkly illumined by the pianist's middle-register chordal inventions and Baron's slippery shuffle. The guitarist's solo follows a scalar line, purposely syncopating his movements and creating a gentle swing. The title track is one of the loveliest ballads Abercrombie has ever composed. It makes full use of both the piano's and guitar's possibilities as chord instruments, but its solos all move fluidly along subtle yet intensely lyrical lines. The set closes on the most unusual version of "Melancholy Baby" ever committed to tape, though even in its angular rhythmic thrust and contrapuntal individual statements, exhibits a keen sense of listening and melodic counterpoint. Abercrombie's 39 Steps offers the sound of a veteran quartet playing at the height of its individual members' intuitive and collective abilities.


Thom Jurek - AllMusic.com
 
 

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