FunkFreak75 A guitarist that has been known to me since the 1970s due to his long association with ECM Records, it has only been recently that I've really come to know and appreciate his skill and genius as a technical wizard of both acoustic and electric guitar formats, as well as his high intelligence and creativity in conditions requiring structure, support, and improvisation. I am now unafraid to include John in the highest circle of jazz-rock fusion guitarists (with the likes of John McLaughlin, Jan Akkerman, Volker Kriegel, and Al Di Meola).

1. "Lungs" (12:08) organ and electric guitar trading incandescent flares for solos over some equally-stunning drum play. In the fourth minute, just as the two melody-makers start to really duel, the music slows down, spreads out, leaving a lot of space for some spacey organ and volume-controlled and echoed electric guitar note play while Jack gives a virtual clinic in cymbal and bass drum play which turns into a tom-tom and snare clinic as well. This is easily as powerful and virtuosic as anything the Mahavishnu Orchestra ever produced. At the beginning of the eighth minute the band resets and restarts with some kind of low-bass note play (from Jan Hammer, of course) providing a kind of funky rhythmic propulsion for Jan, John, and Jack to slowly, very deliberately, start contributing notes, riffs, and other idiosyncratic flourishes and musical catchphrases from here to the song's end. What this has to do with lungs, I'm not sure. (22.5/25)

2. "Love Song" (4:34) Jan Hammer's piano and John Abercrombie's acoustic guitar are here recorded performing a beautiful duet. These guys really hear each other--which is why this lovely conversation sounds so respectful and co- ordinated--like a dance--and not unlike something Chick Corea and Al Di Meola might have done together. (9.75/10)

3. "Ralph's Piano Waltz" (5:21) a more typical jazz swing with a great melody "hook" This is a John Abercrombie composition that became one of his signature songs--one that he re-recorded on several other studio albums and, of course, performed live with many of his bands--and I wouldn't understand anyone who wouldn't be able to "see" why. Great performance by John with awesome support from Jan's organ play and Jack's stunning drum play. Though I have great trouble thinking of Jack DeJohnette as a "fusion" drummer, he is definitely on the short list of the best jazz drummers I've ever heard (probably #1): his creativity is a marvel to behold. (9.375/10)

4. "Red In Orange" (5:21) a furious syncopated opening sounds like it could come from both EMERSON, LAKE AND PALMER or the MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA though the jazz guitar play ends up sounding more like JOHN TROPEA or ERIC GALE during the early section, the Larry Coryell in the fiery second section, and then like John McLaughlin in the photon-speed final minute. Jan Hammer's dynamic organ play sounds like LARRY YOUNG (Khalid Yasin)--especially when in support mode--but then he fires up some amazing Keith Emerson-like stuff in his duels with John--and Jack is right there with them the whole way! (9.625/10)

5. "Remembering" (4:32) back to piano and acoustic guitar dueting, this one meandering a little more like something from the Americana or Chick Corea school of austere acoustic or atmospheric duet music. Despite the flourishes of virtuosity, the key and tempo changes are met with ease with both musicians delivering gorgeous melodies and variations on those melodies throughout. Both musicians are showing their masterful ability to bring the listener back to the security of "home" by positing the occasional, perfectly-timed, dominant "comfort" chord. (Thank you!) There is, however, something very warm and humane about this song--this style of duet music--that feels more inviting and engaging--more personable--than the "competitive" duets that Al Di Meola became known for. (9.25/10)

6. "Timeless" (11:57) ominous low-end synth chord provides the steady foundation for John to noodle around improvisationally using a very gentle, soft tone on his electric guitar. I love this kind of electric guitar performance where volume and dynamic take a backseat to heart-felt feeling and sensitivity. In the fifth minute there is a transition into a section in which Jan sets forth a patterned bass line over which John plays off of with equally-interesting, beautiful fluidity and melodic sense. Jack joins the puff parade with his brushes, rarely beating anything dynamic, instead keeping to the same delicate sensibilities as his band mates. Jan is allowed to jump in a couple of times with his MiniMoog and the song never really changes or shifts or deepens again, just plays out with this same bass-line-led motif to the end. A nice exhibition of a certain kind of solo improvisational music but not a really engaging or deeply interesting song from a listener's standpoint. (22/25)

Total Time: 43:53

Jan Hammer has always come across as a much weaker keyboard player in my mind due to the fact that I've seen and heard mostly his performances where he is playing on either his stage "keytars" or dueling with guitarists and/or violins by using the right-hand upper registers of his computers, thus, I never thought the guy had a left hand. On several albums from the 1970s that I've stumbled across over the past couple of years I've been impressed to hear Jan Hammer as a more "complete" keyboard player: playing piano, organs, Fender Rhodes, Moogs, and, as here, lots of bass as a substitute for the more typical upright or electric bass player.

A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of fringy jazz-rock fusion from three of Jazz-Rock Fusion's all-stars (two of which are lesser known). An album that I highly recommend to any prog lover who love it when virtuosic musicians can meld together really well.

FunkFreak75 Two guitar virtuosos blending their sensitive-yet-fluid styles for an album of duets. It's hard to imagine anything better.

1. "Fable" (8:41) like a stripped down "Blue in Green." Absolutely beautiful in every aspect imaginable. (19.5/20)

2. "Avenue" (5:19) veering into the Spanish/Flamenco traditions. (And these guys aren't even Spanish! That's what I'm talking about when I use the word "virtuoso": an artist's ability to easily morph into a variety of styles while convincing the listener that that style is the one and only/best style that he/she plays.) (9.5/10)

3. "Sargasso Sea" (4:01) opening with discordant chords doesn't faze me: the sounds are too good. (It's kind of hard to make a 12-string sound discordant--unless it's out of tune.) Ralph's piano tinkers away beneath both 12-string and volume-pedal-controlled electric guitar. The construct is what I imagine a song made in which the musicians only play half of what is on the song charts: skipping half of everything in each measure. The sounds being produced the electric guitar in the second half, coupled with the discordant chords being played on the 13-string, are a bit weird and, to me, nonsensical. (8.75/10)

4. "Over and Gone" (2:51) four tracks, four guitars, starting with a classical guitar soloing over the gentle support of a second strummed classical guitar, but then the duo are joined by two steel-stringed acoustic guitars playing with and within the melody lines that make up the weave of this brief but beautiful song. (9/10)

5. "Elbow Room" (5:11) strummed steel-string acoustic guitar supports a soloing twangy, echo-effected electric guitar. Not my favorite though I love listening to creative, reactive rhythm guitar play like this. (8.66667/10)

6. "Staircase" (6:25) the same instrumental sound palette as the previous song with much gentler playing styles to both the acoustic guitar support and the twangy-electric guitar soloing. The song definitely gets better in the second half when only acoustic guitars are being played (again deploying more of a Spanish chord and melody structure and style as in "Avenue"). (8.875/10)

7. "Romantic Descension" (3:17) as suggested by the title, this is a duet of stunning beauty, supple interaction; two musicians expressing while on the absolute same wavelength. Even prettier than anything on John McLaughlin's tribute to Bill Evans, Time Remembered. (10/10)

8. "Parasol" (5:24) a song that sounds like something that might come from Pat Metheny: brilliant, erudite chord phrasing from Ralph's gentle and respectful acoustic guitar while John solos up top with his slightly twangy electric guitar. Piano joins in around the half-way point while the support guitar continues, eventually moving to the front for some Chick Corea-like soloing while the two guitars support with uncommon elegance. I'm not as much a fan of the melodies in this one, but the structure and respectful interplay is gorgeous. (9.333/10)

Total Time 41:09

What I appreciate the most about this album is the way the artists seem to prize beauty over flash and flair: the egos never became more important than the emotional inputs and elegant results of every song. I feel as if this is such a rare achievement in the world of music. Perhaps this is one of the gifts that Manfred Eicher and his ECM label were able to bestow upon the world: a label that seemed to value the way their published product soared and resonated above money, time, and egos; where timeless beauty was prized over commerce and fame. The only negative of taking the time to get to know this album (and write its review) is the fact that I'm looking for Jazz-Rock Fusion, not so much straight folk-jazz like this.

A/five stars; an album displaying the stunning connection between two guitar masters. It DEFINITELY doesn't get any better than this!

FunkFreak75 An ECM production of the collaborative music of three of the greatest jazz musicians to have graced the vinyl and plastic grooves of last 40 years of the 20th Century.

1. "Back-Woods Song" (7:54) starts out sounding a bit like an ALLMAN BROTHERS song before the three start exerting their jazzy virtuosity. John Abercrombie, whom I've come to recognize as one of the greatest jazz guitarists ever, really puts on a display of CHET ATKINS-like virtuosic subtlety, also like Chet, often covering the low and middle ranges as well as rhythm--despite the fact that he's got one of the best rhythm sections ever assembled beneath him. The ECM sound is, as one comes to expect, incredibly well recorded, engineered, and rendered unto tape: it seems that every tiny little nuance of each players' performance is captured with pristine accuracy. Dave Holland is such a lyrical bass player that I don't for a minute lament the absence of vocals or words, and when he's soloing, we get to observe the creative/inventive rhythm strokes of Mr. Abercrombie--one of the areas that he excels in a way similar to that of John McLaughlin and Jan Akkerman. While I don't really like this style of music, I find myself sitting back while bathing in the enjoyment of hearing these fine musicians captured for all time, just for me. (13.75/15)

2. "Waiting" (2:13) interesting little loose piece with Dave's bass providing the focal material. Innocuous and forgettable. (Even as I just heard it two minutes ago.) (4.25/5)

3. "May Dance" (11:04) a piece that sounds a lot like the old jazz of the 1960s when the free-jazz artists were really starting to take off. Jack sounds like he's doing the best job playing off of John's lead guitar work, but then Dave Holland is so adept, so attuned that he may be not only in perfect synchrony but also perhaps the lead instrument. Heck! I understand free-jazz so poorly that maybe Jack's the lead--or all three could be racing off in their own direction. What let's me know that the artists aren't too far out there is the fact that there is some cohesion in the form of the pacing. John's guitar play in the sixth minute is so bizarre it reminds me of the free-form guitar playing of Sonny Sharrock or Robert Fripp. We get a nice extended bass solo in the seventh and eighth minutes as Dave and Jack back off to provide only minimal assistance. When double bass players solo like this I feel that they're really just practicing scales and inventing inversions and chords, never really thinking in terms of melody. In the meantime Jack and John's subtleties are equally, if not more, mesmerizing. Oh, to be in their heads in order to gain some inkling of comprehension for what they are doing! Though this is not my favorite form of music, at least with this song I am able to stay with the guys: I'm not driven away by the dissonance or anarchic chaos. (17.75/20)

4. "Unshielded Desire" (4:52) this song starts out as a Jack DeJohnette drum solo (with emphasis on the cymbal play). John enters about 30-seconds in with some wah-wah-ed staccato machine gun note play, but I find myself still glued to Jack's performance. I'm astonished to find that over two minutes into the song it's still a duet: nary a sign of Dave Holland! And yet, it's brilliant! It's breath-taking! The edge of Jazz-Rock Fusion but fascinating! At the end of the fourth minute the boys turn on the rock afterburners and really charge it up! Wow! Terry Kath and Danny Seraphine: eat your hearts out! (9.5/10)

5. "Jamala" (7:47) delicate cymbal play with sparse- and subtle-ly played volume controlled electric guitar note play and quiet, mostly accenting bass far beneath. John hits some stunningly beautiful riffs and runs, providing just enough space in between to allow the simple listener, such as myself, time to digest the offerings. Such pristine clarity in the guitar notes (and cymbals)! Though the music of this song falls more into the realm of pure jazz, it is still quite accessible and totally enjoyable. On the version I have access to, this song is over seven minutes long--with the final three minutes spaciously evolving into some aggressive, distorted, more-rock-oriented guitar and band play for the final minute. Wow! Now that was unexpected! (13.875/15)

6. "Sorcery 1" (10:56) Jack, followed by a very melodic Dave Holland, establishing a song with some blues-rock attitude. I like it! John enters with the same aggressive, distorted guitar tone that snuck into the end of the previous song. Now this is cutting edge Jazz-Rock Fusion of the highest order! These three musicians are so gifted! To be able to deliver this kind of cohesive music while playing at such high levels of virtuosity--and making it all feel as if it's so EFFORTLESS! Incredible! John sounds as if Jimi Hendrix were gifted, and Dave as if Noel Redding had a clue, and Mitch Mitchell had some skill and restraint! The musicians' performances are so mesmerizing that the song's eleven minutes pass by in the blink of an eye! Dave's intuition for holding back! Jack's intuition for providing such brilliant accent to John's guitar! And John! The dude that makes it all feel so Power Trio rock 'n' roll! Not a note wasted and yet not a note that isn't jaw-droppingly shocking! One of the best trio songs I've ever heard! Total perfection! (20/20)

Total Time: 44:46

Gateway's variety surprises me. The level of virtuosity coming from all three musicians even comes as a surprise. (I mean: I knew, but I never KNEW!) And then put that immaculate ECM production value from Manfred Eicher into the mix and you have an indisputable masterpiece of Jazz-heavy Jazz-Rock Fusion.

A/five stars; a total masterpiece of Jazz-Rock Fusion. If everyone heard that last song, "Sorcery I", alone, there would be a reshuffling of the greatest power trio songs of all-time. Step down Jimi, Eric, Larry, Stevie Ray, and Johnny Mac! There was a trio that was way better than you! And please: let's start adjusting our pantheon of guitar greats to include Mr. John Abercrombie at or near the very top!

Steve Wyzard WINTERY

Despite being 12 minutes shorter, if you liked John Abercrombie's 2013 album 39 Steps, you should also enjoy 2017's Up and Coming. It features the same supporting cast (Marc Copland, piano, Drew Gress, double bass, Joey Baron, drums) and occupies a similar subtle, measured sound world. Which is not to say the two albums are carbon copies of each other. The end-of-summer wistfulness of 39 Steps has been replaced by a duskier, even chillier atmosphere on Up and Coming that fits in well with the ECM Records "winter afternoon jazz" mystique.

All the players are in fine form, and everyone receives plenty of solo space. This is definitely a band album, with not any one performer (least of all Abercrombie) dominating the material. Whimsically, Up and Coming opens with its two shortest compositions: a dirge entitled "Joy", and the up-tempo "Flipside" that is over before it starts. Copland's searching, thoughtful playing on "Sunday School" and the stately-yet-sobering "Tears" are true highlights. Gress's rumbling double-bass work and the brushes and cymbals of Baron contribute extensively to the album's hushed, sunset-glow textures. Still, it's Abercrombie's poignant, understated tones that make this album unique, with his soloing on "Silver Circle" and "Jumbles" letting everyone know that he hasn't been relegated to a "supporting player".

Since its release, Up and Coming has taken on an added pathos after proving to be Abercrombie's final album with his passing in August 2017. There are no foreboding glimpses into the abyss, nor is this a "grand summation"/"career retrospective" album. Comparisons to recordings from decades past are rather pointless, as Up and Coming looks neither backward nor forward. It's simply four marvelously talented players doing what they do best, saying everything they have to say in 47:16. In spite of its ironic title, this is a worthy addition to the discographies of all the performers, and like 95% of everything Abercrombie ever released, will stand the test of time and repeated listening. Special mention must be made of Sheilah Rechtschaffer's remarkable cover pastel, which (like many ECM covers) visually captures and encapsulates the music contained within.

Steve Wyzard SUBTLE, CALM, MEASURED

In a world of perpetual change, it's nice to know there are some things you can continue to count on. Take, for instance, the much-discussed "ECM Records sound": the haunted, melancholy, "wide open spaces" atmosphere that can be heard as far back as its early-1970s releases. If it's beautiful, autumnal, heartland, Sunday-afternoon chamber jazz you're looking for, you've come to the right place with longtime ECM guitarist John Abercrombie's 39 Steps.

Recorded in April 2013 with Marc Copland on piano, Drew Gress on double bass, and Joey Baron on drums, 39 Steps is much more, well, "down to earth" than his last few releases. Albums such as Class Trip, The Third Quartet, Wait Till You See Her, and Within a Song were more on the noir-ish, late-night side of Abercrombie's guitar-playing spectrum, while 39 Steps will prove to be much more compatible with those who enjoy the classic ECM sound. It should be stated from the outset that those looking for more of his fiery 1970s soloing or his 1980s experimental freak-outs may find this album somewhat pale in comparison. Tracks such as "Vertigo", "Bacharach", "Greenstreet", and "As It Stands" are best described as subdued, peaceful, or even relaxing. The compositions are strong, the solos are solid, and interest is always sustained, but this is not music that will disturb your neighbors. Copland's two compositions, "LST" and "Spellbound", are both much busier and simultaneously more mysterious. Long-time Abercrombie listeners are sure to enjoy "Another Ralph's". Quoting directly from "Ralph's Piano Waltz" (which appeared on both 1975's Timeless and 1986's Current Events), this song has Abercrombie out in front rather than just another player in the quartet. While the soloing spotlight is consistently shared amongst all the players, 39 Steps remains unequivocally a John Abercrombie album. "Shadow of a Doubt" is a group improv (another ECM trademark), and "39 Steps" is a mini-epic, appropriately summing up all that's come before. An offbeat, jesting cover of "Melancholy Baby" closes the album, leaving a smile on the face of all but the most determined listeners. And after a not-too-long (59:42) meandering journey, we're right back where we started.

With all the references to past glories, there's no doubt many will consider this a "long-past-his-prime, career-achievement" album. As a 30+ year listener to Abercrombie's fluid fretwork, I can only urge others to give the introspective and atmospheric textures of 39 Steps a real chance. Newbies may not be impressed, but they are gladly referred to the earlier albums (such as the two mentioned above) of one of the greatest jazz guitarists of our time. While 39 Steps may be lacking in intensity, it more than compensates in true artistry, and not just on cloudy Sunday afternoons.