JOHN ABERCROMBIE / RALPH TOWNER - Sargasso Sea (1976-2008) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

John Abercrombie and Ralph Towner have forever been tied to the ECM roster as leaders and individualists, and initially it was hard to imagine their styles being compatible. As an amplified electric guitarist, Abercrombie's steely, sometime unearthly sound was an uneven puzzle piece alongside the graphic, stoic, classically oriented style of Towner. Yet on Sargasso Sea, there are several instances where they merge together as one, feeling their way through pure improvisations, angular and colorful motifs, or thematic nuances and a certain strata of consciousness that makes a world of common sense. There are selections where they both play acoustic guitars, but it is mostly Abercrombie's hopped up sound through an amp over Towner's bold and beautiful unplugged instrument, tossing in a piano overdubbed on two tracks. Where selections such as "Fable" are folksy and far from overwrought, "Avenue" lopes gracefully and the exceptional "Parasol" is semi-lyrical. Abercrombie's guitar stands in stark contrast on the near macabre title track, and more so during "Elbow Room" with heavier moans, cries, vibrato, echoplex slide incursions, and Towner as an afterthought. The best track "Staircase," with twin acoustic guitars, sports tricky intricate lines and changes only virtuosi can achieve. In laid-back surrender for "Romantic Descension," and in passive voicings on "Over & Gone," Towner need not strain to make his brilliant voice heard clearly. An uneven recording for many listeners and critics, Sargasso Sea deserves a second chance, not as an absolutely flawed, imperfect, or unbalanced effort. Like a tale of two cities, it stands as a unique project, perhaps deserving a more refined approach. Though there was a follow-up album released, a third-time's-the-charm contemporary revisit from these masterful guitar geniuses would be welcome. by Michael G. Nastos  
Tracklist :
1     Fable 8:41
John Abercrombie
2     Avenue 5:19
John Abercrombie
3     Sargasso Sea 4:01
John Abercrombie / Ralph Towner
4     Over and Gone 2:51
John Abercrombie
5     Elbow Room 5:11
John Abercrombie / John Towner / Ralph Towner
6     Staircase 6:25
Ralph Towner
7     Romantic Descension 3:17
John Abercrombie
8     Parasol 5:24
Ralph Towner
Credits :
Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar – John Abercrombie
Producer [Produced By] – Manfred Eicher
Twelve-String Guitar [12-String], Classical Guitar, Piano – Ralph Towner

JOHN SCOFIELD / JOHN ABERCROMBIE - Solar (1984-1996) APE (image+.cue), lossless

Guitarists John Abercrombie and John Scofield join forces for these early-'80s sessions, mostly duets while occasionally adding bassist George Mraz and drummer Peter Donald. They delve into the jazz canon with an intricate duet of "Solar," a driving, Latin-fused take of "Four on Six" (in which Abercrombie overdubs an electric mandolin), and a dreamy duo interpretation of "If You Could See Me Now." The sole standard, "I Should Care," fares just as well in their hands, which settles into a relaxed exchange between the two players as if they are playing for themselves alone. Scofield's "Small Wonder" is scored for the quartet, a bristling post-bop vehicle with a feature for Mraz as well. Abercrombie's introspective "Sing Song" best contrasts the styles of the two leaders, with the composer a bit more melodic and Scofield with a more brittle attack. This is an enjoyable CD that has stood the test of time very well. by Ken Dryden
Tracklist  
1 Solar 4:03
Written By – Miles Davis
2 Even Steven 6:52
Written By – John Abercrombie
3 Four On Six 6:22
Written By – Wes Montgomery
4 Sing Song 6:19
Written By – John Abercrombie
5 Small Wonder 6:23
Written By – John Scofield
6 I Should Care 6:37
Written By – Axel Stordahl, Paul Weston, Sammy Cahn
7 If You Could See Me Now 5:59
Written By – Tadd Dameron
Credits
Bass – George Mraz
Drums – Peter Donald
Guitar – John Abercrombie, John Scofield
Mandolin [Electric] – John Abercrombie

JOHN ABERCROMBIE QUARTET - Arcade (1979-2001) APE (image+.cue), lossless

Tracklist :
1 Arcade  9:37
Composed By – John Abercrombie
2 Nightlake  5:30
Composed By – Richie Beirach 
3 Paramour  5:05
Composed By – John Abercrombie
4 Neptune  7:28
Composed By – Richie Beirach 
5 Alchemy  11:30
Composed By – Richie Beirach
Credits :
Bass – George Mraz
Drums – Peter Donald
Guitar, Mandolin [Electric Mandolin] – John Abercrombie
Piano – Richie Beirach
Producer – Manfred Eicher

JOHN ABERCROMBIE - Animato (1990) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Animato is not so much John Abercrombie's date simply because his name is listed first alphabetically. It is much more the music of Vince Mendoza, who composed six of the eight selections, and whose work on synthesizer is the dominant voice on this set of ethereal progressive instrumental music. Drummer Jon Christensen takes no backseat in urging the music forward with a subtle presence that represents a distinct primal and tribal jazz element. What electric guitarist Abercrombie does is link with Mendoza, merging his own synthesized blends of earth, sky and space to create beautiful textures and soundscapes in tandem with Mendoza's conceptual arrangements and expanded color palates. In "First Light" and "Last Light," the trio has touched on a theoretical circadian cycle, beginning in darkness, peace, serenity, and quietude, merging to darting guitar lines, bright steel drum samples, complex and dense activity, with Christensen's drum work a steadying and balanced influence. There's a hymnal quality in the airy "Single Moon" and the thin, dim "For Hope of Hope" with Mendoza's organ assimilations. "Right Now" is a space spiritual sped into animated bop mode with just Abercrombie's spare guitar and Christensen's fleet Euro swing, while "Ollie Mention" is a little waltz with tiny notes, the most tuneful of these pieces, with Mendoza's keyboards traipsing in dark, sacred, enchanted woodlands. Whooshing, vortex sounds akin to the Fairlight synthesizer identify the core of Abercrombie's lone composition in a somewhat playful fashion, while "Agitato" is clearly nestled in the new age style, a minimalist piece with hard drum accents buoying Abercrombie's individualist hypothesis. An unusual but beautiful item in John Abercrombie's discography, and a coming out for Mendoza, Animato signals a different direction for the ECM label, enabling electronic sounds in a way they had never fully embraced prior. by Michael G. Nastos  
Tracklist :
1     Right Now 7:32
John Abercrombie / Jon Christensen
2     Single Moon 4:20
Vince Mendoza
3     Agitato 5:06
Vince Mendoza
4     First Light 1:35
Vince Mendoza
5     Last Light 4:06
Vince Mendoza
6     For Hope of Hope 8:52
Vince Mendoza
7     Bright Reign 5:11
John Abercrombie
8     Ollie Mention 7:34
Vince Mendoza
Credits :
Synthesizer [Synthesizers] – Vince Mendoza
Drums, Percussion – Jon Christensen
Guitar, Guitar Synthesizer – John Abercrombie
Producer – Manfred Eicher
Programmed By [Synthesizer Programming], Electronic Valve Instrument [EVI] – Judd Miller

JOHN ABERCROMBIE TRIO - Speak of the Devil (1993) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

The follow-up to While We're Young has a less melodic, more loosely structured feel, as if it were all kinetically inspired and freely improvised within various structures. The intuition or trust level of electric guitarist John Abercrombie, organist Dan Wall, and drummer Adam Nussbaum is clearly evident: They are listening, reacting, and responding to each other from measure to measure, and that is the basis for their music making. It's a fusion of feelings, and those moods -- many times dark -- lie beneath the surface only to rise at their behest. The snarly, stealth, and swirling sound is evident on the introductory cut "Angel Food," courtesy of Abercrombie, Wall, and Nussbaum, respectively, going to a tick-tock beat that is positively blackened on the closer "Hell's Gate." In between you get two free, seemingly unstructured pieces: the unhurried "Now & Again" and the more reverent but interactive "Farewell." "Dreamland" is like "Angel Food" in attitude, while the collective improvisation "Mahat" has hopping 2/4 tom tom beats from Nussbaum moving into full drum kit swing. The melodies are either nonexistent or harder to grasp; Abercrombie's searing or lilting guitar sound requires close attention. Skating around a melody for "Chorale," you actually get the impression the leader is building disparate, multiple, chameleonic changes within a more definite swing. A true melodic motif, albeit slight, informs "BT-U" in a more rock/R&B beat, while the waltz "Early to Bed" suggests a lovely, extrapolated Bill Evans line, perhaps from "Very Early." Though "While We're Young" was a definitive recording for Abercrombie's vaunted trio, this CD simply offers a different slant. It's the sign of a group either in transition of evolution, and whatever the case, it's an intriguing step for these three uncanny sonic explorers. by Michael G. Nastos  
Tracklist :
1     Angel Food 7:52
Dan Wall
2     Now And Again 6:13
John Abercrombie / Adam Nussbaum / Dan Wall
3     Mahat 8:24
John Abercrombie / Adam Nussbaum / Dan Wall
4     Chorale 8:19
John Abercrombie
5     Farewell 6:15
John Abercrombie
6     BT-U 6:20
Adam Nussbaum
7     Early To Bed 8:17
John Abercrombie
8     Dreamland 9:08
Dan Wall
9     Hell's Gate 7:07
Dan Wall
Credits :
Design [Cover Design] – Barbara Wojirsch
Drums – Adam Nussbaum
Guitar [Guitars] – John Abercrombie
Organ [Hammond B3 Organ] – Dan Wall
Producer – Manfred Eicher