John Abercrombie

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 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, New York. 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 Berklee College of Music. At Berklee, he was drawn to the music of Jim Hall, the 1962 album The Bridge by Sonny Rollins, and Wes Montgomery on his albums The Wes Montgomery Trio (1959) and Boss Guitar (1963). He cites George Benson and Pat Martino as inspirations.

Discography As leader/co-leader Timeless (ECM, 1975) Sargasso Sea (ECM, 1976) Characters (ECM, 1978) Arcade (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 (ECM, 1984) Drum Strum (1750 Arch, 1984) Solar (Palo Alto, 1984) Current Events (ECM, 1986) All Strings Attached (Verve, 1987) Emerald City (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 (ECM, 1989) Abracadabra (Soul Note, 1990) Double Variations (Justin Time, 1990) Secret Obsession (Nabel, 1991) Witchcraft (Justin Time, 1991) Yesterday's Tomorrow (European Music Productions, 1991) The Toronto Concert (Maracatu, 1992) Ease On (AudioQuest Music, 1993) Farewell (Musidisc, 1993) November (ECM, 1993) While We're Young (ECM, 1993) Speak of the Devil (ECM, 1994) Tactics (ECM, 1997) Standard Transmission (GOWI Records, 1997) Open Land (ECM, 1999) Speak Easy (Starling, 1999) The Hudson Project (Stretch, 2000) Burn'in The Blues (Consolidated Artists Productions, 2001) That's for Sure (Challenge, 2002) Cat 'n' Mouse (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 (Chesky, 2006) The Third Quartet (ECM, 2007) In an interview with Jason Crane, Abercrombie described The Third Quartet as having more of "a chamber atmosphere" than previous projects. JazzTimes described the guitarists' band as one that provides "uncommon support," with reviewer Brent Burton writing, "There are no weak points in this band’s discography, but The Third Quartet might be the best of all three." Topics (Challenge, 2007) Coincidence (Whaling City Sound, 2007) Tales (Sony BMG, 2008) Wait Till You See Her (ECM, 2009) Cradle of Light (EFCM, 2009) Speak to Me (Pirouet, 2011) Within a Song (ECM, 2012) 39 Steps (ECM, 2013) The Angle Below (SteepleChase, 2013) Inspired (ArtistShare, 2016) Up and Coming (ECM, 2017)

With Andy LaVerne Natural Living (Musidisc, 1990) Nosmo King (SteepleChase, 1994) Now It Can Be Played (SteepleChase, 1995) Where We Were (Double-Time, 1996) A Nice Idea (Steeplechase, 2005) Live from New York (Steeplechase, 2010)

As a member Gateway With Dave Holland and Jack DeJohnette Gateway (ECM, 1976) Gateway 2 (ECM, 1978) Homecoming (ECM, 1995) In the Moment (ECM, 1996)

As sideman

With Gato Barbieri Under Fire (Flying Dutchman, 1971 ) Bolivia (Flying Dutchman, 1973)

With Billy Cobham Crosswinds (Atlantic, 1974) Total Eclipse (Atlantic, 1974) Shabazz (Atlantic, 1975)

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

With Jack DeJohnette Sorcery (Prestige, 1974) Cosmic Chicken (Prestige, 1975) Untitled (ECM, 1976) Pictures (ECM, 1977) New Rags (ECM, 1977) New Directions (ECM, 1978) New Directions in Europe (ECM, Live 1979, rel. 1980)

With Peter Erskine Transition (Denon, 1987) Motion Poet (Denon, 1988)

With Danny Gottlieb Aquamarine (Atlantic Jazz, 1987) Whirlwind (Atlantic, 1989) Brooklyn Blues (Big World, 1991)

With Dave Liebman Lookout Farm (ECM, 1973) Drum Ode (ECM, 1974) Sweet Hands (Horizon, 1975)

With Rudy Linka 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 Barry Miles White Heat (Mainstream, 1971) Scatbird (Mainstream, 1972)

With Terry Plumeri He Who Lives In Many Places (Airborne, 1971) Ongoing (Airborne, 1978)

With Enrico Rava Katcharpari (MPS/BASF, 1973) The Pilgrim and the Stars (ECM, 1975) Pupa o Crisalide (RCA, 1975) "Quotation Marks" (Japo, 1976) The Plot (ECM, 1977)

With Johnny "Hammond" Smith Nasty! (Prestige, 1968) Forever Taurus (Milestone, 1976) Storm Warning (Milestone, 1977)

With Lonnie Smith Afro Blue (Venus, 1993) Purple Haze: Tribute to Jimi Hendrix (Venus, 1995) Foxy Lady: Tribute to Jimi Hendrix (Venus, 1996)

With Collin Walcott Cloud Dance (ECM, 1975) Grazing Dreams (ECM, 1977)

With Kenny Wheeler Deer Wan (ECM, 1977) Music for Large & Small Ensembles (ECM, 1990) The Widow in the Window (ECM, 1990) It Takes Two! (2006)

With others Franco Ambrosetti, Light Breeze (Enja, 1998) Horacee Arnold – Tales of the Exonerated Flea (Columbia, 1974) Jerry Bergonzi – Tenorist (Savant, 2007) Paul Bley – Live at Sweet Basil (Soul Note, 1988) Salvatore Bonafede, Journey to Donnafugata (CamJazz, 2004) Bob Brookmeyer and the WDR Big Band – Electricity (1994) Royce Campbell – Six by Six: A Jazz Guitar Celebration (rec. 1994, rel. 2004) Stanley Clarke & Bill Shields – Shieldstone (Optimism, 1987) Dreams – Dreams (Columbia, 1970) Urszula Dudziak – Future Talk (Inner City, 1979) Mark Egan - As We Speak (Wavetone, 2006) Gil Evans – The Gil Evans Orchestra Plays the Music of Jimi Hendrix (RCA, 1974) Jan Garbarek – Eventyr (ECM, 1981) Jim Hall – Jim Hall And Friends Live At Town Hall Vol.2 (Musicmasters, 1991) Tom Harrell – Sail Away (Contemporary, 1989) Clint Houston – Watership Down (Trio, 1978) Bobby Hutcherson – Un Poco Loco (Columbia, 1980) Jeff Johnston – Nuage (Justin Time, 2001) Lee Konitz – Sound of Surprise (RCA Victor, 1999) Andy LaVerne – Liquid Silver (DMP, 1984) Andy LaVerne – Plays the Music of Chick Corea (Jazzline 2008) Joe Lovano – Landmarks (Blue Note, 1991) Bob Mintzer – Hymn (Owl, 1990) Czesław Niemen – Mourner's Rhapsody (1974) Mike Nock – Climbing (Tomato, 1979) Makoto Ozone – Now You Know (Columbia, 1987) Jeff Palmer – Laser Wizzard (Statiras, 1987) Michel Petrucciani – Michel plays Petrucciani (Blue Note, 1988) Barre Phillips – Mountainscapes (ECM, 1976) Stark Reality – The Stark Reality Discovers Hoagy Carmichael's Music Shop (1970) John Surman – Brewster's Rooster (ECM, 2009) Harvie Swartz – Arrival (RCA 1992) Joseph Tawadros – The Hour of Separation (2010) Henri Texier – Colonel Skopje (Label Bleu, 1988) The Don Thompson Quartet – A Beautiful Friendship (Concord Jazz, 1984) McCoy Tyner – Quartets 4 X 4 (Milestone, 1980) Michał Urbaniak – Fusion III (Columbia, 1975) Jim Vivian - Sometime Ago (Cornerstone, 2018) Jack Walrath – Neohippus (Blue Note, 1989) Denny Zeitlin – Tidal Wave (Palo Alto, 1984)