John Abercrombie’s revised quartet provides Marc Copland with his first appearance on ECM. Yet guitarist and pianist are old allies, with an association stretching back forty years. In the early 1970s both were members of Chico Hamilton’s quartet, and at the dawn of fusion both played with pioneering jazz-rock band Dreams. Since the late 1990s they’ve revived their partnership in diverse context and have toured in formations ranging from piano-guitar duo to trio with Kenny Wheeler to the cooperative group Contact with Dave Liebman and Billy Hart. For much of the last decade Abercrombie and Copland have also each had bassist Drew Gress as a regular member of their respective bands so “39 Steps” draws on a network of trusted relationships. Jazz ballads and lyricism predominate on this disc with six tunes from Abercrombie’s pen, two Copland tunes, one collective improvisation, and a creative deconstruction of the old standard “Melancholy Baby”. The album – produced by Manfred Eicher at New York’s Avatar Studio in April 2013 – is issued in time for a European tour by the quartet with concerts in France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Poland, Hungary and Macedonia.
39 Steps
John Abercrombie Quartet
John Abercrombies umformiertes Quartett verschafft Marc Copland seinen ersten Auftritt auf einer ECM-Veröffentlichung. Dabei sind der Gitarrist und der Pianist alte Weggefährten, deren Zusammenarbeit schon vierzig Jahre zurückreicht. In den frühen 1970er Jahren waren sie Mitglieder in Chico Hamiltons Quartett und während der Fusion-Ära spielten beide in der bahnbrechenden Jazzrock-Band Dreams. Seit den späten 1990er Jahren belebten sie ihre musikalische Partnerschaft in diversen Kontexten immer wieder neu und tourten in unterschiedlichen Formationen – vom Piano-Gitarre-Duo über ein Trio mit Kenny Wheeler bis zur Musikkooperative Contact mit Dave Liebman und Billy Hart. Einen Großteil der letzten Dekade hatten Abercrombie und Copland den Bassisten Drew Gress als festes Mitglied in ihren jeweiligen Bands – insofern stützt sich „39 Steps“ auf ein Netzwerk aus bewährten Beziehungen. Jazzballaden und lyrische Stimmungen herrschen auf diesem Album vor, von dessen Stücken sechs aus Abercrombies Feder stammen, zwei von Copland, eines ist eine Kollektivimprovisation, dazu kommt noch eine Dekonstruktion des Standards „Melancholy Baby“. Das Album – von Manfred Eicher im April 2013 im Avatar Studio in New York produziert – erscheint rechtzeitig zu einer Europatournee, die das Quartett nach Frankreich, Deutschland, Österreich, Italien, Polen, Ungarn und Mazedonien führt.
- 1Vertigo
06:23 - 2LST
06:51 - 3Bacharach
07:21 - 4Greenstreet
06:15 - 5As It Stands
04:08 - 6Spellbound
06:53 - 7Another Ralph's
05:22 - 8Shadow Of A Doubt
03:12 - 939 Steps
08:36 - 10Melancholy Baby
04:37
39 Steps has a lilt and a bittersweet quality that draws you in but never too close. [...] A master of jazz guitar in his prime,39 Steps’ is a beauty.
Stephen Graham, Marlbank
The subtle interplay between all four musicians is a constant joy, and the music simply glows with life. Highly recommended.
John Watson, Jazzcamera
The emphasis is on subtle intrigue, flowing lyricism and the interplay between the leader’s warm, cleanly articulated guitar and Marc Copland’s piano [...] With bassist Drew Gress and drummer Joey Baron equally supple and sinewy copanions, each track is an understated delight.
Mike Hobart, Financial Times
Although US guitarist John Abercrombie has appeared on over 50 ECM albums, both as leader and sideman for the likes of Charles Lloyd, Jan Garbarek, Enrico Rava and Kenny Wheeler, his pianist here, Marc Copland, has not recorded for the label before. Their musical approaches, however, are supremely compatible, Copland remarking: ‘If I played guitar I would want to sound like him. We’re both into listening, approaching harmonies in a certain way, playing lyrically as well as swinging ...’
This last phrase perfectly describes the music on ‘39 Steps’, seven Abercrombie compositions, two by Copland, a collective improvisation (which continues the Hitchcock theme by being entitled ‘Shadow of a Doubt’) and an intriguing closer, a caught-in-a-strobe-light deconstruction of the Burnett/Norton classic ‘Melancholy Baby’.
Underpinning, embellishing and occasionally driving the thoughtful yet always powerful playing of Copland and Abercrombie is one of the subtlest, most musicianly rhythm sections in the music: bassist Drew Gress and drummer Joey Baron. [...] Both Abercrombie and Copland are unhurried, thoughtful players, their solos impeccably tasteful but surprisingly robust, and the entire album simply exudes class, elegance and assurance – a flawless recording from four masters of the craft at the top of their game.
Chris Parker, London Jazz
The lion's share of the compositions belong to Abercrombie, who rightfully assumes leader credit here, with Copland contributing only two of the set's ten pieces, along with one group-credited free improv and an indirect closing nod to tradition with a reading of ‘Melancholy Baby’ that still fits within the quartet's overall sphere of approach; freely interpreted, in this case with no time and no discernible changes, its melody remains recognizable amidst the freewheeling yet carefully controlled freedom and interaction within which this group operates.
The other important change is, for the first time, having an external producer—in this case, ECM label head Manfred Eicher. As good as Copland's two previous recordings sound, there's a notable and tremendous difference in how this date sounds: more delicate, more rarefied, with every note discernible right down to its final decay and even the most delicate touch of a cymbal occupying its rightful place in the overall soundscape. [...] As good as their previous recordings together have been, 39 Steps represents a major leap forward for Abercrombie and Copland's relationship, even as the guitarist returns to the piano-based configuration that was his first touring context, back in the late '70s.
John Kelman, All About Jazz
Dieses klangmalerisch-subtile und entspannt swingende Quartett scheint von einer höheren Macht gelenkt zu werden: So schwerelos entwickelt sich die Musik.
Tom Gsteiger, St. Galler Tagblatt
The four musicians, all being familiar with each other’s playing, bring an assurance and serenity to the set that quietly speaks volumes. The quality of the compositions, penned mostly by the guitarist and pianist, shine through and permits a graceful flow and interaction between the quartet with the material utterly contemporary yet steeped in the tradition. [...] The emphasis on the music is very much placed on harmony and melody, and Abercrombie relishes the space and delicacy of mood that prevails within this context, and his lines have a suppleness and lyricism that can be mesmerising. The relationship with Copland is quite remarkable in the mastery of harmonies between the two, and the fact that they never seem to get in each other’s way. A besetting sin that occurs all too often when two chordal instruments are in the same line up. Even on the freely improvised ’39 Steps’, and an abstract deconstruction of ‘Melancholy Baby’, the quartet retain the feeling of light and shade, and the sense of space that prevails throughout this absorbing set. [...] All in all this is a most satisfying release, and Abercrombie has been wholly successful in producing an album that is fresh and contemporary, yet allowes him to play more freely yet more traditionally.
Nick Lea, Jazz Views
Zwei Harmonieinstrumente in einer Band geraten sich normalerweise leicht ins Gehege, aber bei zwei absoluten Meistern ihres Fachs wie Abercrombie und Copland ist das natürlich kein Problem. Sie umgarnen sich in wunderbarer Weise und passen so gut zueinander, weil beide einen charakteristisch zurückhaltenden Ton bevorzugen. ‚Wenn ich Gitarre spielen würde, würde ich wie er klingen wollen’, sagt Copland sogar über den Bandleader und steuert gleich zwei Songs – das verwunschene ‚LSD’ und das schleppend groovende ‚Spellbound’ – zu dessen neuem Album bei. Alle vier Musiker kennen sich seit Jahrzehnten und haben unzählige Aufnahmen in unterschiedlichen Konstellationen miteinander auf dem Buckel. So gehört Drew Gress zu Coplands Trio, und John Abercrombie war schon auf Coplands erster eigener Platte vor fünfundzwanzig Jahren dabei. Das kommt dieser Aufnahme zugute. Das Interplay ist traumhaft, und die vier werfen sich in magischer Weise die Bälle zu.
Rolf Thomas, Jazzthetik
John Abercrombie’s revised quartet introduces Marc Copland to ECM. Yet guitarist and pianist are old allies, with an association stretching back forty years. Both were members of Chico Hamilton’s quartet, and at the dawn of fusion both played with pioneering jazz-rock band Dreams. In the earliest days of their affiliation, Marc was still playing alto saxophone, the instrument on which he first built a reputation. Around 1970 he switched to piano, gradually distilling diverse influences into a personal jazz style. In interviews Copland has noted that Abercrombie was amongst the musicians who encouraged him in this transitional period and says that he has always felt close to John’s sound-world. “If I played guitar I would want to sound like him. We're both into listening, approaching harmonies in a certain way, playing lyrically as well as swinging – we have a lot of that in common.“
Since the late 1990s they’ve revived their partnership in diverse contexts and have toured in formations ranging from piano-guitar duo to trio with Kenny Wheeler to the cooperative group Contact with Dave Liebman and Billy Hart. For much of the last decade Abercrombie and Copland have also each had bassist Drew Gress as a regular member of their respective bands. Joey Baron, who has propelled most of Abercrombie’s bands in the 21st century, also plays in trio with Copland and Gary Peacock. 39 Steps draws on a network of trusted relationships.
Abercrombie hasn’t featured a piano in his ECM recording groups since his late 70s/early 80s quartet with Richie Beirach. The two chordal instruments, guitar and piano, are not always compatibles, especially in the fast-moving context of jazz improvising, but Copland and Abercrombie surmount the challenges: “By listening carefully and working together, it's possible to get stunning effects, textures, colours, sounds”, Copland told All About Jazz.
Jazz ballads and lyricism predominate on this new disc with six tunes from Abercrombie’s pen, two Copland tunes, one collective improvisation, and a creative deconstruction of the old standard “Melancholy Baby”. Cinematic references crop up amongst the titles, with four tracks alluding to Hitchcock: “Vertigo”, “Spellbound”, “Shadow of a Doubt” and “39 Steps” itself. The album – produced by Manfred Eicher at New York’s Avatar Studio in April 2013 – is issued in time for a European tour by the quartet with concerts in France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Poland, Hungary and Macedonia.
John Abercrombie made his ECM leader debut in 1974 with the aptly named Timeless. He has been one of the label’s core artists ever since. He has played on more than fifty ECM sessions, both as a leader and as a highly creative contributor to recordings with Charles Lloyd, Kenny Wheeler, Jan Garbarek, Collin Walcott, Jack DeJohnette, Enrico Rava, Barre Phillips, Dave Liebman and more. Along the way his playing has evolved, becoming as he says, both more ‘free’ and more ‘traditional’. His 2011 recording Without A Song, with Joe Lovano, Drew Gress and Joey Baron, reflected upon the music that first inspired him in the 1960s, taking stock of the freedoms implied in the music of Coltrane, Coleman and Rollins, and emphasizing his musical connections to Bill Evans and to guitarist Jim Hall.
Marc Copland’s first album as a leader, 1988’s My Foolish Heart, recorded for the Jazz City label, featured Abercrombie as guitarist. Copland’s discography, documented on labels including Savoy, Steeplechase, Sunnyside, Soul Note, Hatology and Pirouet has emphasised his poetic musical sensibilities, qualities much praised in the jazz press. "What magnificent touch,” enthused France’s Jazzman magazine, “what mysterious beauty in his harmonic choices, what fresh surprises from this subtle master of the modern piano."
Drew Gress is one of the most in-demand bassists currently operating out of New York City, and he’s been featured on more than 150 albums. In addition to playing in the bands of John Abercrombie and Marc Copland, he has toured and recorded with John Surman (see the album Brewster’s Rooster, its line-up again including Abercrombie), Ravi Coltrane, Uri Caine, Fred Hersch, Steve Coleman, Dave Douglas and many others. He can also be heard on the new ECM album Baida by Ralph Alessi.
Drummer Joey Baron has appeared frequently on ECM since 1987 when he debuted as a member of Bill Frisell’s quartet on Lookout for Hope. He plays on the John Abercrombie albums Cat’n’Mouse (2000), Class Trip (2003), The Third Quartet (2006), Wait Till You See Her (2008) and Without A Song (2011). He can also be heard with Steve Kuhn on Remembering Tomorrow, Mostly Coltrane and Wisteria, and with Marc Johnson on Shades of Jade and Swept Away. He has also toured and recorded very extensively with John Zorn and played with numerous jazz greats including Dizzy Gillespie, Carmen McRae, Lee Konitz and many more. With Tim Berne and Hank Roberts he co-led the group Miniature, and he has also directed his own groups Killer Joey and Baron Down.
Since the late 1990s they’ve revived their partnership in diverse contexts and have toured in formations ranging from piano-guitar duo to trio with Kenny Wheeler to the cooperative group Contact with Dave Liebman and Billy Hart. For much of the last decade Abercrombie and Copland have also each had bassist Drew Gress as a regular member of their respective bands. Joey Baron, who has propelled most of Abercrombie’s bands in the 21st century, also plays in trio with Copland and Gary Peacock. 39 Steps draws on a network of trusted relationships.
Abercrombie hasn’t featured a piano in his ECM recording groups since his late 70s/early 80s quartet with Richie Beirach. The two chordal instruments, guitar and piano, are not always compatibles, especially in the fast-moving context of jazz improvising, but Copland and Abercrombie surmount the challenges: “By listening carefully and working together, it's possible to get stunning effects, textures, colours, sounds”, Copland told All About Jazz.
Jazz ballads and lyricism predominate on this new disc with six tunes from Abercrombie’s pen, two Copland tunes, one collective improvisation, and a creative deconstruction of the old standard “Melancholy Baby”. Cinematic references crop up amongst the titles, with four tracks alluding to Hitchcock: “Vertigo”, “Spellbound”, “Shadow of a Doubt” and “39 Steps” itself. The album – produced by Manfred Eicher at New York’s Avatar Studio in April 2013 – is issued in time for a European tour by the quartet with concerts in France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Poland, Hungary and Macedonia.
John Abercrombie made his ECM leader debut in 1974 with the aptly named Timeless. He has been one of the label’s core artists ever since. He has played on more than fifty ECM sessions, both as a leader and as a highly creative contributor to recordings with Charles Lloyd, Kenny Wheeler, Jan Garbarek, Collin Walcott, Jack DeJohnette, Enrico Rava, Barre Phillips, Dave Liebman and more. Along the way his playing has evolved, becoming as he says, both more ‘free’ and more ‘traditional’. His 2011 recording Without A Song, with Joe Lovano, Drew Gress and Joey Baron, reflected upon the music that first inspired him in the 1960s, taking stock of the freedoms implied in the music of Coltrane, Coleman and Rollins, and emphasizing his musical connections to Bill Evans and to guitarist Jim Hall.
Marc Copland’s first album as a leader, 1988’s My Foolish Heart, recorded for the Jazz City label, featured Abercrombie as guitarist. Copland’s discography, documented on labels including Savoy, Steeplechase, Sunnyside, Soul Note, Hatology and Pirouet has emphasised his poetic musical sensibilities, qualities much praised in the jazz press. "What magnificent touch,” enthused France’s Jazzman magazine, “what mysterious beauty in his harmonic choices, what fresh surprises from this subtle master of the modern piano."
Drew Gress is one of the most in-demand bassists currently operating out of New York City, and he’s been featured on more than 150 albums. In addition to playing in the bands of John Abercrombie and Marc Copland, he has toured and recorded with John Surman (see the album Brewster’s Rooster, its line-up again including Abercrombie), Ravi Coltrane, Uri Caine, Fred Hersch, Steve Coleman, Dave Douglas and many others. He can also be heard on the new ECM album Baida by Ralph Alessi.
Drummer Joey Baron has appeared frequently on ECM since 1987 when he debuted as a member of Bill Frisell’s quartet on Lookout for Hope. He plays on the John Abercrombie albums Cat’n’Mouse (2000), Class Trip (2003), The Third Quartet (2006), Wait Till You See Her (2008) and Without A Song (2011). He can also be heard with Steve Kuhn on Remembering Tomorrow, Mostly Coltrane and Wisteria, and with Marc Johnson on Shades of Jade and Swept Away. He has also toured and recorded very extensively with John Zorn and played with numerous jazz greats including Dizzy Gillespie, Carmen McRae, Lee Konitz and many more. With Tim Berne and Hank Roberts he co-led the group Miniature, and he has also directed his own groups Killer Joey and Baron Down.
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