JOHN ABERCROMBIE

JOHN ABERCROMBIE
JAN HAMMER, JACK DEJOHNETTE
TIMELESS (1974)
320 KBPS

Guitarist John Abercrombie has often been associated with organists, from his formative years in the 1960s with the deep funk of Johnny "Hammond" Smith to the subtle orchestral underpinnings that Dan Wall provides for Abercrombie's 1990s-era bands. This 1974 recording was Abercrombie's first as a leader, and he's joined by Jan Hammer on organ, piano, and synthesizer and Jack DeJohnette on drums. The high-speed exchanges on Hammer's extended "Lungs" immediately invoke John McLaughlin's Mahavishnu Orchestra, while his "Red and Orange" recalls Tony Williams's Lifetime band. But Abercrombie makes his own voice apparent even in the fusion idiom, with angular solos that find their own paths through the electric storms. His compositions take varied approaches, invoking the more traditional organ trio on "Ralph's Piano Waltz" and emphasizing melody and space on the title tune. The guitarist also engages Hammer's piano on two reflective duets, "Love Song" and "Remembering," that emphasize his roots in the lyrical style of Jim Hall.

1. Lungs
2. Love Song
3. Ralph's Piano Waltz
4. Red And Orange
5. Remembering
6. Timeless