John Laird Abercrombie (December 16, 1944 – August 22, 2017) was an American jazz guitarist. His work explored jazz fusion, free jazz, and avant-garde jazz. Abercrombie studied at

Berklee College of Music Berklee College of Music is a private music college in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern American music, it also offers college-level cours ...

in Boston, Massachusetts. He was known for his understated style and his work with organ trios.

Career

Early life and education

John Abercrombie was born on December 16, 1944, in

Port Chester Port Chester is a village in the U.S. state of New York and the largest part of the town of Rye in Westchester County by population. At the 2010 U.S. census, the village of Port Chester had a population of 28,967 and was the fifth-most populou ...

, New York. Growing up in the 1950s in

Greenwich Greenwich ( , ,) is a town in south-east London, England, within the ceremonial county of Greater London. It is situated east-southeast of Charing Cross. Greenwich is notable for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich ...

, Connecticut he was attracted to the rock and roll of

Chuck Berry Charles Edward Anderson Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist who pioneered rock and roll. Nicknamed the " Father of Rock and Roll", he refined and developed rhythm and blues into th ...

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

Fats Domino Antoine Dominique Domino Jr. (February 26, 1928 – October 24, 2017), known as Fats Domino, was an American pianist, singer and songwriter. One of the pioneers of rock and roll music, Domino sold more than 65 million records. Born in New O ...

, and

Bill Haley and the Comets Bill Haley & His Comets were an American rock and roll band founded in 1947 that continued until Haley's death in 1981. The band was also known as Bill Haley and the Comets and Bill Haley's Comets. From late 1954 to late 1956, the group record ...

. He also liked the sound of jazz guitarist

Mickey Baker MacHouston "Mickey" Baker (October 15, 1925 – November 27, 2012) was an American guitarist, best known for his work as a studio musician and as part of the recording duo Mickey & Sylvia. Early life Baker was born in Louisville, Kentucky. His ...

of the vocal duo Mickey and Silvia. He had two friends who were musicians with a large jazz collection. They played him albums by Dave Brubeck and

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of musi ...

. The first jazz guitar album he heard was by Barney Kessel. He took guitar lessons at the age of ten, asking his teacher to show him what Barney Kessel was playing. After high school, he attended

. At Berklee, he was drawn to the music of Jim Hall, the 1962 album '' The Bridge'' by Sonny Rollins, and

Wes Montgomery John Leslie "Wes" Montgomery (March 6, 1923 – June 15, 1968) was an American jazz guitarist. Montgomery was known for an unusual technique of plucking the strings with the side of his thumb and his extensive use of octaves, which gave him a dist ...

on his albums ''

The Wes Montgomery Trio ''The Wes Montgomery Trio'' (a.k.a. ''A Dynamic New Sound'') is an album by the American jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery, released in 1959. The track "Missile Blues" is named after the club in Indianapolis where Montgomery played before moving to Ne ...

'' (1959) and ''

Boss Guitar ''Boss Guitar'' is an album by American jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery, released in 1963 by Riverside. It was reissued on the Original Jazz Classics label with alternate takes. All the tracks are available on '' Wes Montgomery: The Complete River ...

'' (1963). He cites

George Benson George Washington Benson (born March 22, 1943) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He began his professional career at the age of 19 as a jazz guitarist. A former child prodigy, Benson first came to prominence in the 1960s, play ...

and

Pat Martino Pat Martino (born Patrick Carmen Azzara; August 25, 1944 – November 1, 2021) was an American jazz guitarist and composer. Biography Martino was born Patrick Carmen Azzara in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, to father Carmen "Mickey" ...

as inspirations. He often played with other students at Paul's Mall, a jazz club in Boston connected to a larger club, Jazz Workshop. Appearing at Paul's Mall led to meetings with

Michael Brecker Michael Leonard Brecker (March 29, 1949 – January 13, 2007) was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. He was awarded 15 Grammy Awards as both performer and composer. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Berklee College of M ...

Randy Brecker Randal Edward Brecker (born November 27, 1945) is an American trumpeter, flugelhornist, and composer. His versatility has made him a popular studio musician who has recorded with acts in jazz, rock, and R&B. Early life Brecker was born on No ...

, and organist Johnny Hammond Smith, who invited him to go on tour.

Stark Reality, Dreams, and Gateway

Abercrombie graduated from Berklee in 1967 and attended

North Texas State University The University of North Texas (UNT) is a Public university, public research university in Denton, Texas. It was founded as a nonsectarian, coeducational, private Normal school, teachers college in 1890 and was formally adopted by the state 11 y ...

before moving to New York City in 1969. Before becoming a popular session musician, he joined Monty Stark's band,

Stark Reality The Stark Reality was an American jazz-rock band which recorded the two-disc 1970 album ''The Stark Reality Discovers Hoagy Carmichael's Music Shop'', a heavily improvised reinvention of a 1958 children's album by songwriter Hoagy Carmichael to be ...

, in 1969 and recorded several sides including Stark Reality Discovers Hoagy Carmichael's Music Shop. Abercrombie went on to record with

Gato Barbieri Leandro "Gato" Barbieri (November 28, 1932 – April 2, 2016) was an Argentine jazz tenor saxophonist who rose to fame during the free jazz movement in the 1960s and is known for his Latin jazz recordings of the 1970s. His nickname, Gato, is Spa ...

in 1971,

Barry Miles Barry Miles (born 21 February 1943) is an English author known for his participation in and writing on the subjects of the 1960s London underground and counterculture. He is the author of numerous books and his work has also regularly appeare ...

in 1972, and

Gil Evans Ian Ernest Gilmore Evans (né Green; May 13, 1912 – March 20, 1988) was a Canadian–American jazz pianist, arranger, composer and bandleader. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest orchestrators in jazz, playing an important role i ...

in 1974. In 1969 he joined the Brecker Brothers in the jazz-rock fusion band

Dreams A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5 to 20 minutes, althou ...

. He continued to play fusion in

Billy Cobham William Emanuel Cobham Jr. (born May 16, 1944) is a Panamanian–American jazz drummer who came to prominence in the late 1960s and early 1970s with trumpeter Miles Davis and then with the Mahavishnu Orchestra. He was inducted into the ''Mode ...

's band, but found that he disliked its focus on rock over jazz. Nonetheless his reputation grew with the popularity of both Cobham and Dreams. The band shared billing with such acts as the

Doobie Brothers The Doobie Brothers are an American rock band formed in 1970 in San Jose, California, known for their flexibility in performing across numerous genres and their vocal harmonies. Active for five decades, with their greatest success in the 1970s, ...

, but Abercrombie found his career taking an unwanted direction. "One night we appeared at the Spectrum in Philadelphia and I thought, 'What am I doing here?' It just didn't compute." An invitation from drummer Jack DeJohnette led to the fulfillment of Abercrombie's desire to play in a jazz-oriented ensemble. Around the same time, record producer

Manfred Eicher Manfred Eicher (born 9 July 1943) is a German record producer and the founder of ECM Records. Life and career Eicher was born in Lindau, Germany. He studied music at the Academy of Music in Berlin. He started as a double-bass player of classi ...

, founder and president of ECM Records, invited him to record an album. He recorded his first solo album, '' Timeless'', with DeJohnette and keyboardist Jan Hammer, who had been his roommate in the 1960s. In 1975 he formed the band Gateway with DeJohnette and bassist

Dave Holland David “Dave” Holland (born 1 October 1946) is an English jazz double bassist, composer and bandleader who has been performing and recording for five decades. He has lived in the United States for over 40 years. His extensive discography r ...

, recording the albums '' Gateway'' (1976) and ''

Gateway 2 ''Gateway 2'' is the second album by Gateway, a trio composed of John Abercrombie, Dave Holland and Jack DeJohnette. It was recorded in 1977 and released on the ECM label in 1978. Reception ''The Penguin Guide to Jazz'' called it "less eff ...

'' (1978). Though Abercrombie would record for other labels going forward, ECM became his mainstay, and his association with that label continued for the rest of his career.

Working as a leader

The Gateway band played songs written by all three members, in a

free jazz Free jazz is an experimental approach to jazz improvisation that developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s when musicians attempted to change or break down jazz conventions, such as regular tempos, tones, and chord changes. Musicians duri ...

style. Following his albums as a member of the Gateway trio, Abercrombie moved to playing in a more traditional style, recording for ECM three albums, ''

Arcade Arcade most often refers to: * Arcade game, a coin-operated game machine ** Arcade cabinet, housing which holds an arcade game's hardware ** Arcade system board, a standardized printed circuit board * Amusement arcade, a place with arcade games * ...

'' (1979), '' Abercrombie Quartet'' (1979), and '' M'' (1981) with a quartet that included pianist

Richie Beirach Richard Alan Beirach (born 23 May 1947) is an American jazz pianist and composer. Early life Beirach was born in New York City. He initially studied both classical music and jazz. While still attending high school, he took lessons from pianist L ...

, bassist

George Mraz George Mraz (born Jiří Mráz; 9 September 1944 – 16 September 2021) was a Czech-born American jazz bassist and alto saxophonist. He was a member of Oscar Peterson's group, and worked with Pepper Adams, Stan Getz, Michel Petrucciani, Stephan ...

, and drummer Peter Donald. Abercrombie said, "it was extremely important to have that group ... it was my first opportunity to really be a leader and write consistently for the same group of musicians." During the mid-1970s and into the 1980s, he contributed to ensembles led by DeJohnette and participated in other sessions for ECM, occasionally doubling on electric mandolin. He toured with guitarist

Ralph Towner Ralph Towner (born March 1, 1940) is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger and bandleader. He plays the twelve-string guitar, classical guitar, piano, synthesizer, percussion, trumpet and French horn. Biography Towner was born i ...

with whom he recorded two albums, '' Sargasso Sea'' (1976) and '' Five Years Later'' (1981). During the mid-1980s, he continued to play standards with bassist George Mraz, and he played in a bop duo with guitarist

John Scofield John Scofield (born December 26, 1951), sometimes referred to as "Sco", is an American guitarist and composer whose music over a long career has blended jazz, jazz fusion, funk, blues, soul and rock. He first came to mainstream attention in th ...

. He also appeared on a number of ECM releases in various ensembles with other artists on the label. Between 1984 and 1990, Abercrombie experimented with a

guitar synthesizer A guitar synthesizer is any one of a number of musical instrument systems that allow a guitarist to access synthesizer capabilities. Overview Today's guitar synths are direct descendants of 1970s devices from manufacturers (often in partner ...

. He first used the instrument, though not exclusively, in 1984 in a trio with Marc Johnson on bass and

Peter Erskine Peter Erskine (born June 5, 1954) is an American jazz drummer who was a member of the jazz fusion groups Weather Report and Steps Ahead. Early life and education Erskine was born in Somers Point, New Jersey, U.S. He began playing the dru ...

on drums, as well as with pianist

Paul Bley Paul Bley, CM (November 10, 1932 – January 3, 2016) was a jazz pianist known for his contributions to the free jazz movement of the 1960s as well as his innovations and influence on trio playing and his early live performance on the Moog and ...

in a free jazz group. The synthesizer allowed him to play what he called "louder, more open music." Abercrombie's trio with Johnson and Erskine released three albums during this time showcasing the guitar-synth: '' Current Events'' (1986), '' Getting There'' (1988, with Michael Brecker), and a live album, '' John Abercrombie / Marc Johnson / Peter Erskine'' (1989). The 1990s and 2000s marked a time of many new associations. In 1992, Abercrombie, drummer

Adam Nussbaum Adam Nussbaum (born November 29, 1955) is an American jazz drummer. Early life Nussbaum was born in New York City on November 29, 1955. He grew up in Norwalk, Connecticut, and first played the drums at the age of four. After five years of piano ...

, and Hammond organist Jeff Palmer made a free-jazz album. He then started a trio with Nussbaum and organist Dan Wall and released '' While We're Young'' (1992), ''

Speak of the Devil "Speak of the devil" is the short form of the English-language idiom "Speak of the devil and he doth appear" (or its alternative form "speak of the devil and he shall appear"). The form "talk of the devil" is also in use in England. It is used ...

'' (1994), and ''

Tactics Tactic(s) or Tactical may refer to: * Tactic (method), a conceptual action implemented as one or more specific tasks ** Military tactics, the disposition and maneuver of units on a particular sea or battlefield ** Chess tactics ** Political tact ...

'' (1997). He added trumpeter

Kenny Wheeler Kenneth Vincent John Wheeler, OC (14 January 1930 – 18 September 2014) was a Canadian composer and trumpet and flugelhorn player, based in the U.K. from the 1950s onwards. Most of his performances were rooted in jazz, but he was also active i ...

, violinist Mark Feldman and saxophonist

Joe Lovano Joseph Salvatore Lovano (born December 29, 1952)"Joe Lovano." ''Contemporary Musicians''. Vol. 13. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale, 1994. Retrieved via ''Biography in Context'' database, May 5, 2017. is an American jazz saxophonist, alto clarin ...

to the trio to record ''

Open Land ''Open Land'' is an album by the jazz guitarist John Abercrombie, with trumpeter and flugelhornist Kenny Wheeler, saxophonist Joe Lovano, violinist Mark Feldman, organist Dan Wall, and drummer Adam Nussbaum. The album was recorded in 1998 and r ...

'' (1999). The Gateway band reunited for the albums ''

Homecoming Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni or other former members of an organization to celebrate the organization's existence. It is a tradition in many high schools, colleges, and churches in the United States, Canada and Liberia. ...

'' (1995) and ''In the Moment'' (1996). Abercrombie continued to tour and record to the end of his life. He also continued to release albums on the ECM label, an association which lasted for more than 40 years. As he said in an interview, "I'd like people to perceive me as having a direct connection to the history of jazz guitar, while expanding some musical boundaries." In 2017, Abercrombie died of heart failure in

Cortlandt Manor Cortlandt Manor is a hamlet located in the Town of Cortlandt in northern Westchester County, New York, United States. Cortlandt Manor is situated directly east, north and south of Peekskill, and east of three sections of the Town of Cortlandt, ...

, New York, at the age of 72.

Discography

As leader or co-leader

* '' Timeless'' ( ECM, 1975) * '' Sargasso Sea'' (ECM, 1976) * ''

Characters Character or Characters may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk * ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to The ...

'' (ECM, 1978) * ''

'' (ECM, 1979) * '' Abercrombie Quartet'' (ECM, 1980) * '' Straight Flight'' (Jam, 1980) * '' M'' (ECM, 1981) * ''Route Two'' (Landslide, 1981) * '' Five Years Later'' (ECM, 1982) * ''The Midweek Blues'' (Plug, 1983) * ''

Night Night (also described as night time, unconventionally spelled as "nite") is the period of ambient darkness from sunset to sunrise during each 24-hour day, when the Sun is below the horizon. The exact time when night begins and ends depends o ...

'' (ECM, 1984) * ''Drum Strum'' (1750 Arch, 1984) * '' Solar'' (

Palo Alto Palo Alto (; Spanish for "tall stick") is a charter city in the northwestern corner of Santa Clara County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area, named after a coastal redwood tree known as El Palo Alto. The city was es ...

, 1984) * '' Current Events'' (ECM, 1986) * ''All Strings Attached'' (Verve, 1987) * ''

Emerald City The Emerald City (sometimes called the City of Emeralds) is the capital city of the fictional Land of Oz in L. Frank Baum's Oz books, first described in ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' (1900). Fictional description Located in the center of the L ...

'' (Pathfinder, 1987) * '' Getting There'' (ECM, 1988) * ''My Foolish Heart'' (Jazz City, 1988) * '' John Abercrombie / Marc Johnson / Peter Erskine'' (ECM, 1989) * '' Upon a Time'' (New Albion, 1989) * ''

Animato ''Animato'' is a compilation of short films by Mike Jittlov, making extensive use of stop motion, pixilation, kinestasis, animation, and multiple exposures. It features the films ''The Interview'', ''Swing Shift'', ''Rocketman'', ''The Leap'', ' ...

'' (ECM, 1989) * ''Abracadabra'' (Soul Note, 1990) * ''Double Variations'' (Justin Time, 1990) * ''Secret Obsession'' (Nabel, 1991) * ''

Witchcraft Witchcraft traditionally means the use of magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually women who were believed to have ...

'' ( Justin Time, 1991) * ''Yesterday's Tomorrow'' (European Music Productions, 1991) * ''The Toronto Concert'' (Maracatu, 1992) * ''Ease On'' (

AudioQuest Music Sledgehammer Blues is an audiophile record label owned by Valley Entertainment. It was formerly named AudioQuest Music. Audioquest Music was founded in 1990 by Joe Harley of the audio cable company Audioquest to demonstrate the quality of its ca ...

, 1993) * ''Farewell'' (Musidisc, 1993) * '' November'' (ECM, 1993) * '' While We're Young'' (ECM, 1993) * ''

'' (ECM, 1994) * ''

'' (ECM, 1997) * ''Standard Transmission'' (GOWI Records, 1997) * ''

'' (ECM, 1999) * '' The Hudson Project'' ( Stretch, 2000) * ''Burn'in The Blues'' (Consolidated Artists Productions, 2001) * ''That's for Sure'' (Challenge, 2002) * ''

Cat 'n' Mouse ''Cat 'n' Mouse'' is a studio album by guitarist John Abercrombie (guitarist), John Abercrombie with violinist Mark Feldman, bassist Marc Johnson (musician), Marc Johnson, and drummer Joey Baron. The album was released by ECM Records, ECM in 2002. ...

'' (ECM, 2002) * ''Noisy Old Men'' (Jam, 2002) * ''Three Guitars'' ( Chesky, 2003) * ''Animations'' (Underhill Jazz, 2003) * '' Class Trip'' (ECM, 2004) * ''Alone Together'' (Acoustic Music, 2004) * ''Brand New'' (Challenge, 2004) * ''Echoes'' (Alessa, 2005) * ''

Structures A structure is an arrangement and organization of interrelated elements in a material object or system, or the object or system so organized. Material structures include man-made objects such as buildings and machines and natural objects such as ...

'' (Chesky, 2006) * '' The Third Quartet'' (ECM, 2007) * ''Topics'' (Challenge, 2007) * ''Coincidence'' (

Whaling City Sound Whaling City Sound is an independent jazz record label established by Neal Weiss in 1999. History Weiss is president of Fiber Optic Center in New Bedford, Massachusetts. A lifelong fan of jazz, he started Whaling City Sound as a jazz label, thoug ...

, 2007) * ''Tales'' (Sony BMG, 2008) * ''

Wait Till You See Her "Wait till You See Her" (or, sung by a female, "Wait till You See Him") is a popular song. The music was written by Richard Rodgers, the lyrics by Lorenz Hart. The song was published in 1942 and introduced in the musical play, ''By Jupiter'' ...

'' (ECM, 2009) * ''Cradle of Light'' (EFCM, 2009) * ''Speak to Me'' (Pirouet, 2011) * ''

Within a Song ''Within a Song'' is a studio album by guitarist John Abercrombie's Quartet with saxophonist Joe Lovano, bassist Drew Gress, and drummer Joey Baron that was recorded in 2012 and released by ECM.

'' (ECM, 2012) * '' 39 Steps'' (ECM, 2013) * ''The Angle Below'' (SteepleChase, 2013) * ''Inspired'' (

ArtistShare ArtistShare is the internet's first commercial crowdfunding website.Crowd-Funding 101: What Every Musician Needs for a Successful Campaign It also operates as a record label and business model for artists which enables them to fund their projec ...

, 2016) * ''

Up and Coming ''Up and Coming'' is an American television drama series which aired on Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) during the 1980-1981 season. Synopsis The series depicts the Wilsons, a successful African American family from Oakland, California who mo ...

'' (ECM, 2017) With Gateway * '' Gateway'' (ECM, 1976) * ''

'' (ECM, 1978) * ''

'' (ECM, 1995) * '' In the Moment'' (ECM, 1996) With

Andy LaVerne Andy LaVerne (born December 4, 1947) is an American jazz pianist, composer, arranger, and educator. Education and musical career Born in New York City, LaVerne studied at Juilliard School of Music, Berklee College, and the New England Conservat ...

* '' Natural Living'' (Musidisc, 1990) * '' Nosmo King'' (SteepleChase, 1994) * '' Now It Can Be Played'' (SteepleChase, 1995) * ''Where We Were'' (

Double-Time In popular music, half-time is a type of meter and tempo that alters the rhythmic feel by essentially ''doubling the tempo resolution'' or metric division/level in comparison to common-time. Thus, two measures of approximate a single measure o ...

, 1996) * ''A Nice Idea'' (Steeplechase, 2005) * ''Live from New York'' (Steeplechase, 2010)

As sideman

With

Franco Ambrosetti Franco Ambrosetti (born 10 December 1941) is a jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist and composer. He was born in Lugano, Switzerland; his father, Flavio, was a saxophonist who once played opposite Charlie Parker.Light Breeze'' (

Enja Enja Records is a German jazz record company and label based in Munich which was founded by jazz enthusiasts Matthias Winckelmann and Horst Weber in 1971. The label's first release was by Mal Waldron, and early releases included European and Ja ...

, 1998) With

* '' Under Fire'' (

Flying Dutchman The ''Flying Dutchman'' ( nl, De Vliegende Hollander) is a legendary ghost ship, allegedly never able to make port, but doomed to sail the seven seas forever. The myth is likely to have originated from the 17th-century Golden Age of the Du ...

, 1971

973 Year 973 ( CMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Spring – The Byzantine army, led by General Melias (Domestic of the S ...

* '' Bolivia'' (Flying Dutchman, 1973) With

* '' Crosswinds'' (

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

, 1974) * ''

Total Eclipse An eclipse is an astronomical event that occurs when an astronomical object or spacecraft is temporarily obscured, by passing into the shadow of another body or by having another body pass between it and the viewer. This alignment of three ce ...

'' (Atlantic, 1974) * '' Shabazz'' (Atlantic, 1975) With

Marc Copland Marc or MARC may refer to: People * Marc (given name), people with the first name * Marc (surname), people with the family name Acronyms * MARC standards, a data format used for library cataloging, * MARC Train, a regional commuter rail system ...

* ''Second Look'' (Savoy, 1996) * ''That's For Sure'' (2001) * ''...And'' (Hatology, 2003) * ''Another Place'' (Pirouet, 2008) With Jack DeJohnette * ''

Sorcery Sorcery may refer to: * Magic (supernatural), the application of beliefs, rituals or actions employed to subdue or manipulate natural or supernatural beings and forces ** Witchcraft, the practice of magical skills and abilities * Magic in fiction, ...

'' (

Prestige Prestige refers to a good reputation or high esteem; in earlier usage, ''prestige'' meant "showiness". (19th c.) Prestige may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Films * ''Prestige'' (film), a 1932 American film directed by Tay Garnet ...

, 1974) * '' Cosmic Chicken'' (Prestige, 1975) * ''

Untitled Untitled or (Untitled) may refer to: Artworks * '' Untitled (2004)'', by Banksy * ''Untitled'' (1982 painting), by American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat * ''Untitled'' (Devil), a 1982 painting by American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat * ''Untitled ...

'' (ECM, 1976) * ''

Pictures An image is a visual representation of something. It can be two-dimensional, three-dimensional, or somehow otherwise feed into the visual system to convey information. An image can be an artifact, such as a photograph or other two-dimensiona ...

'' (ECM, 1977) * ''

New Rags ''New Rags'' is an album by Jack DeJohnette released on the German ECM label in 1977. Track listing #"Minya's the Mooch" – 11:22 #"Lydia" – 3:43 #"Flys" (Alex Foster) – 6:05 #"New Rags" – 9:08 #"Steppin' thru" (Alex Foster) – 10:30 ...

'' (ECM, 1977) * '' New Directions'' (ECM, 1978) * '' New Directions in Europe'' (ECM, Live 1979, rel. 1980) With

* ''Transition'' ( Denon, 1987) * ''Motion Poet'' (Denon, 1988) With

Danny Gottlieb Daniel Richard Gottlieb (born April 18, 1953) is an American drummer. He was a founding member of the Pat Metheny Group and was co-founder of Elements with Mark Egan. Biography Gottlieb was born in New York City on April 18, 1953. He took less ...

* ''Aquamarine'' ( Atlantic Jazz, 1987) * ''Whirlwind'' (Atlantic, 1989) * ''Brooklyn Blues'' (Big World, 1991) With

Dave Liebman David Liebman (born September 4, 1946) is an American saxophonist, flautist and jazz educator. He is known for his innovative lines and use of atonality. He was a frequent collaborator with pianist Richie Beirach. In June 2010, he received ...

* '' Lookout Farm'' (ECM, 1973) * ''

Drum Ode ''Drum Ode'' is an album by American jazz saxophonist Dave Liebman recorded in 1974 and released on the ECM label.

'' (ECM, 1974) * '' Sweet Hands'' ( Horizon, 1975) With

Rudy Linka Rudy Linka (born 29 May 1960) is a jazz guitarist from the Czech Republic. From 1975–1979, he studied classical guitar as a teenager at the Prague Conservatory and learned jazz through his mentor, Karel Velebný. After travelling to Germany ...

* ''Rudy Linka Quartet'' (Arta, 1991) * ''Mostly Standards'' (Arta, 1993) * ''Lucky Southern'' (Quinton, 2006) * ''Every Moment'' (Acoustic Music, 2011) With Charles Lloyd * '' Voice in the Night'' (ECM, 1999) * '' The Water Is Wide'' (ECM, 2000) * '' Hyperion with Higgins'' (ECM, 2001) * '' Lift Every Voice'' (ECM, 2002) With

* ''White Heat'' (

Mainstream Mainstream may refer to: Film * ''Mainstream'' (film), a 2020 American film Literature * ''Mainstream'' (fanzine), a science fiction fanzine * Mainstream Publishing, a Scottish publisher * ''Mainstream'', a 1943 book by Hamilton Basso Mu ...

, 1971) * ''Scatbird'' (Mainstream, 1972) With

Terry Plumeri Jon Terryl "Terry" Plumeri (November 28, 1944 – March 31, 2016) was an American musician, classical composer, orchestra conductor, double bassist, lecturer, teacher, producer, and film score composer. Early life Plumeri was born in Greensbo ...

* ''He Who Lives In Many Places'' (Airborne, 1971) * ''Ongoing'' (Airborne, 1978) With

Enrico Rava Enrico Rava (born 20 August 1939), is an Italian jazz trumpeter. He started on trombone, then changed to the trumpet after hearing Miles Davis. Career He was born in Trieste, Italy. His first commercial work was as a member of Gato Barbieri' ...

* ''Katcharpari'' ( MPS/

BASF BASF SE () is a German multinational chemical company and the largest chemical producer in the world. Its headquarters is located in Ludwigshafen, Germany. The BASF Group comprises subsidiaries and joint ventures in more than 80 countries ...

, 1973) * '' The Pilgrim and the Stars'' (ECM, 1975) * ''Pupa o Crisalide'' (

RCA The RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded as the Radio Corporation of America in 1919. It was initially a patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse, AT&T Corporation and United Fruit Comp ...

, 1975) * ''"Quotation Marks"'' ( Japo, 1976) * ''

The Plot The Plot is a Patience game which is played with two decks of playing card A playing card is a piece of specially prepared card stock, heavy paper, thin cardboard, plastic-coated paper, cotton-paper blend, or thin plastic that is marked wi ...

'' (ECM, 1977) With

Johnny "Hammond" Smith John Robert "Johnny Hammond" Smith (December 16, 1933 – June 4, 1997) was an American soul jazz and hard bop organist. Born in Louisville, Kentucky, he was a renowned player of the Hammond B-3 organ so earning "Hammond" as a nickname, wh ...

* ''

Nasty! ''Nasty!'' is an album by jazz organist Johnny "Hammond" Smith recorded for the Prestige Records, Prestige label in 1968.

'' (

, 1968) * ''Forever Taurus'' (

Milestone A milestone is a numbered marker placed on a route such as a road, railway line, canal or boundary. They can indicate the distance to towns, cities, and other places or landmarks; or they can give their position on the route relative to so ...

, 1976) * ''Storm Warning'' (Milestone, 1977) With Lonnie Smith * ''Afro Blue'' (1993) * ''Purple Haze: Tribute to Jimi Hendrix'' (1995) * ''Foxy Lady: Tribute to Jimi Hendrix'' (1996) With

Collin Walcott Collin Walcott (April 24, 1945 – November 8, 1984) was an American musician who worked in jazz and world music. Early life Walcott was born in New York City, United States. He studied violin and tympani in his youth, and was a percussion stud ...

* ''

Cloud Dance ''Cloud Dance'' is the debut album by American sitarist and composer Collin Walcott, released in 1975 on the ECM label.Grazing Dreams'' (ECM, 1977) With

* ''

Deer Wan ''Deer Wan'' is an album by Kenny Wheeler featuring performances by Wheeler with Jan Garbarek, John Abercrombie, Dave Holland and Jack DeJohnette with Ralph Towner appearing on one track. The album was recorded in 1977 and released on the ECM ...

'' (ECM, 1977) * '' Music for Large & Small Ensembles'' (ECM, 1990) * '' The Widow in the Window'' (ECM, 1990) * ''It Takes Two!'' (2006) With others * Horacee Arnold – ''Tales of the Exonerated Flea'' (Columbia, 1974) *

Jerry Bergonzi Jerry Bergonzi (born October 21, 1947) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, and educator. Early life and education Bergonzi received a B.A. in Music Education from the University of Massachusetts Lowell in 1971 and is the founde ...

– ''Tenorist'' (

Savant Savant syndrome () is a rare condition in which someone with significant mental disabilities demonstrates certain abilities far in excess of average. The skills that savants excel at are generally related to memory. This may include rapid calcu ...

, 2007) *

– '' Live at Sweet Basil'' (Soul Note, 1988) *

Bob Brookmeyer Robert Edward "Bob" Brookmeyer (December 19, 1929 – December 15, 2011) was an American jazz valve trombonist, pianist, arranger, and composer. Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Brookmeyer first gained widespread public attention as a member of G ...

and the WDR Big Band – ''Electricity'' (1994) *

Royce Campbell Royce Campbell (born June 7, 1952) is a jazz guitarist from Indiana who was a member of the Henry Mancini orchestra for twenty years. Musical career He was born in North Vernon, Indiana. When he was five, his mother married a career Navy man, ...

– ''Six by Six: A Jazz Guitar Celebration'' (rec. 1994, rel. 2004) *

Stanley Clarke Stanley Clarke (born June 30, 1951) is an American bassist, film composer and founding member of Return to Forever, one of the first jazz fusion bands. Clarke gave the bass guitar a prominence it lacked in jazz-related music. He is the first ja ...

& Bill Shields – ''Shieldstone'' (Optimism, 1987) *

– ''Dreams'' (Columbia, 1970) *

Urszula Dudziak Urszula Bogumiła Dudziak-Urbaniak (born 22 October 1943) is a Polish jazz vocalist. She has worked with Krzysztof Komeda, Michał Urbaniak (her ex-husband), Gil Evans, Archie Shepp, and Lester Bowie. In 2007, her 1970s song "Papaya" gained wid ...

– ''Future Talk'' (

Inner City The term ''inner city'' has been used, especially in the United States, as a euphemism for majority-minority lower-income residential districts that often refer to rundown neighborhoods, in a downtown or city centre area. Sociologists some ...

, 1979) *

Mark Egan Mark Egan (born January 14, 1951 in Brockton, Massachusetts, United States) is an American jazz bassist and trumpeter known for his membership in the Pat Metheny Group and the Gil Evans Orchestra. He is co-founder of the jazz fusion band, Elem ...

- ''As We Speak'' (Wavetone, 2006) *

– ''

The Gil Evans Orchestra Plays the Music of Jimi Hendrix ''The Gil Evans Orchestra Plays the Music of Jimi Hendrix'' is an album of Jimi Hendrix's compositions by jazz composer, conductor and pianist Gil Evans. The music was arranged by Evans and members of his orchestra. The album was recorded in 1974 ...

'' (

, 1974) *

Jan Garbarek Jan Garbarek () (born 4 March 1947) is a Norwegian jazz saxophonist, who is also active in classical music and world music. Garbarek was born in Mysen, Østfold, southeastern Norway, the only child of a former Polish prisoner of war, Czesław ...

– '' Eventyr'' (ECM, 1981) * Jim Hall – ''Jim Hall And Friends Live At Town Hall Vol.2'' (Musicmasters, 1991) *

Tom Harrell Tom Harrell (born June 16, 1946) is an American jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist, composer, and arranger. Voted Trumpeter of the Year of 2018 by ''Jazz Journalists Association'', Harrell has won awards and grants throughout his career, including mul ...

– ''Sail Away'' (

Contemporary Contemporary history, in English-language historiography, is a subset of modern history that describes the historical period from approximately 1945 to the present. Contemporary history is either a subset of the late modern period, or it is o ...

, 1989) *

Clint Houston Clinton Joseph Houston (June 24, 1946 – June 7, 2000) was an American jazz double-bassist. Houston played with George Cables and Lenny White in the house band at Slug's, a club in New York City, then played with Nina Simone (1969), Roy Hayne ...

– ''Watership Down'' (Trio, 1978) * Bobby Hutcherson – ''

Un Poco Loco "Un Poco Loco" is an Afro-Cuban jazz standard composed by American jazz pianist Bud Powell. It was first recorded for Blue Note Records by Powell, Curly Russell, and Max Roach on May 1, 1951. Musical characteristics "Un Poco Loco" is in thir ...

'' (Columbia, 1980) * Jeff Johnston – ''Nuage'' (Justin Time, 2001) * Lee Konitz – '' Sound of Surprise'' ( RCA Victor, 1999) *

– '' Liquid Silver'' ( DMP, 1984) * Andy LaVerne – '' Plays the Music of Chick Corea'' (Jazzline 2008) *

– ''

Landmarks A landmark is a recognizable natural or artificial feature used for navigation, a feature that stands out from its near environment and is often visible from long distances. In modern use, the term can also be applied to smaller structures or f ...

'' (Blue Note, 1991) * Bob Mintzer – ''Hymn'' (Owl, 1990) *

Czesław Niemen Czesław Niemen (; February 16, 1939 – January 17, 2004), born Czesław Juliusz Wydrzycki, and often credited as just Niemen, was one of the most important and original Polish singer-songwriters and rock balladeers of the 20th century, singing ...

– ''

Mourner's Rhapsody ''Mourner's Rhapsody'' is an English-language album by Czesław Niemen, recorded in 1974 in New York city, New York, United States of America, USA. Michał Urbaniak invited his friends (also some members of the famous Mahavishnu Orchestra) to sup ...

'' (1974) *

Mike Nock Michael Anthony Nock (born 27 September 1940) is a New Zealand jazz pianist, currently based in Australia. Biography He was born in Christchurch, New Zealand. Nock began studying piano at 11. He attended Nelson College for one term in 1955.' ...

– ''Climbing'' (

Tomato The tomato is the edible berry of the plant ''Solanum lycopersicum'', commonly known as the tomato plant. The species originated in western South America, Mexico, and Central America. The Mexican Nahuatl word gave rise to the Spanish word ...

, 1979) *

Makoto Ozone is a Japanese jazz pianist. Career He was born in Kobe, Japan. He began playing organ at two and by seven was an improviser. He appeared on Japanese television with his father from 1968 to 1970. At twelve he switched to piano after being impre ...

– ''Now You Know'' (Columbia, 1987) * Jeff Palmer – ''Laser Wizzard'' (Statiras, 1987) *

Michel Petrucciani Michel Petrucciani (; ; 28 December 1962 – 6 January 1999) was a French jazz pianist. From birth he had osteogenesis imperfecta, a genetic disease that causes brittle bones and, in his case, short stature. He became one of the most accomplish ...

– '' Michel plays Petrucciani'' (

Blue Note In jazz and blues, a blue note is a note that—for expressive purposes—is sung or played at a slightly different pitch from standard. Typically the alteration is between a quartertone and a semitone, but this varies depending on the musical c ...

, 1988) *

Barre Phillips Barre Phillips (born October 27, 1934, in San Francisco, California, United States) is an American jazz bassist. A professional musician since 1960, he moved to New York City in 1962, then to Europe in 1967. Since 1972, he has been based in sout ...

– '' Mountainscapes'' (ECM, 1976) *

– ''The Stark Reality Discovers Hoagy Carmichael's Music Shop'' (1970) *

John Surman John Douglas Surman (born 30 August 1944) is an English jazz saxophone, bass clarinet, and synthesizer player, and composer of free jazz and modal jazz, often using themes from folk music. He has composed and performed music for dance performanc ...

– '' Brewster's Rooster'' (ECM, 2009) *

Harvie Swartz Harvie S (born Harvie Swartz; December 6, 1948) is an American jazz double-bassist. He learned piano as a child and did not begin playing bass until 1967, when he was nineteen years old.Scott Yanow, Harvie Swartzat Allmusic He attended Berklee ...

– ''Arrival'' (RCA 1992) *

Joseph Tawadros Joseph Tawadros (born 6 October 1983) is an Egyptian-born Coptic Australian multi-instrumentalist and oud virtuoso. Tawadros has won the ARIA Award for Best World Music Album five times: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2020. and 2021. Biography His famil ...

– ''The Hour of Separation'' (2010) *

Henri Texier Henri Texier (born 27 January 1945) is a French jazz double bassist. At the age of sixteen, fascinated by the double bass, Texier became a self-taught bassist, crediting Wilbur Ware most as an influence. He formed his first group with Georges ...

– ''Colonel Skopje'' (Label Bleu, 1988) * The Don Thompson Quartet – ''A Beautiful Friendship'' (

Concord Jazz Concord Jazz is a record company and label founded in 1973 by Carl Jefferson, the former owner of Jefferson Motors Lincoln Mercury dealership in Concord, California. The label was named after the city in the East San Francisco Bay area, and the j ...

, 1984) *

McCoy Tyner Alfred McCoy Tyner (December 11, 1938March 6, 2020) was an American jazz pianist and composer known for his work with the John Coltrane Quartet (from 1960 to 1965) and his long solo career afterwards. He was an NEA Jazz Master and five-time Gram ...

– '' Quartets 4 X 4'' (Milestone, 1980) *

Michał Urbaniak Michał Urbaniak (born January 22, 1943) is a Polish jazz musician who plays violin, lyricon, and saxophone. His music includes elements of folk music, rhythm and blues, hip hop, and symphonic music. History He was born in Warsaw, Poland. U ...

– ''Fusion III'' ( Columbia, 1975) * Jim Vivian - ''Sometime Ago'' (Cornerstone, 2018) *

Jack Walrath Jack Arthur Walrath (born May 5, 1946) is an American post-bop jazz trumpeter and musical arranger known for his work with Ray Charles, Gary Peacock, Charles Mingus, and Glenn Ferris, among others. Biography Walrath was born in Stuart, Florida. ...

– ''

Neohippus ''Neohippus'' is an album by trumpeter Jack Walrath which was recorded in 1988 and released on the revamped Blue Note label.

'' (Blue Note, 1989) *

Denny Zeitlin Denny Zeitlin (born April 10, 1938) is an American jazz pianist, composer, and clinical professor of psychiatry at University of California, San Francisco. Since 1963, he has recorded more than 100 compositions and was a first-place winner in the ...

– ''Tidal Wave'' (Palo Alto, 1984)

References

External links

John Abercrombie
on ECM Records
Notes on the Road interview with John Abercrombie

at TimBerens.com * ttps://web.archive.org/web/20070216233845/http://www.furious.com/Perfect/johnabercrombie.html John Abercrombie interview by Mark S. Tucker (June 2005)at '' Perfect Sound Forever'', www.furious.com
John Abercrombie - ''The Third Quartet'' (2007) album review by Brad Walseth
at JazzChicago.net
John Abercrombie biography by Chris Kelsey, discography and album reviews, credits & releases
at

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

John Abercrombie discography, album releases & credits
at

Discogs Discogs (short for discographies) is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. While the site was originally created with a goal of becoming the ...

John Abercrombie biography, discography, album credits & user reviews
at ProgArchives.com
John Abercrombie albums to be listened
as stream on

Spotify Spotify (; ) is a proprietary Swedish audio streaming and media services provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. It is one of the largest music streaming service providers, with over 456 million monthly active us ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Abercrombie, John 1944 births 2017 deaths Jazz musicians from New York (state) People from Port Chester, New York 20th-century American guitarists 21st-century American guitarists American jazz guitarists American male guitarists Berklee College of Music alumni University of North Texas College of Music alumni Jazz fusion guitarists Alessa Records artists Chesky Records artists ECM Records artists 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians Dreams (band) members Gateway (band) members Double-Time Records artists Pirouet Records artists