This is the kind of material that made ECM records famous in the first place. Get some first rate artists together, in this case it’s guitarist John Abercrombie with Joe Lovano/ts, Drew Gress/b and Joey Baron, and just set them loose on some standards and originals. The crystalline sound of the ECM engineering is a perfect 5th member here, as it helps you pay attention to each guy in the band, as well as making the coalescence of sounds that much more palatable.
The selection of material is unsurpassable. Besides some well crafted originals like “Nick of Time” and “Easy Rider,” Abercrombie leads the vet pack through a cooking take of Sonny Rollins’ “Where Are You,” and a thoughtful and razor sharp reading of Miles Davis’ “Flamenco Sketches.” Lovano’s gristly tenor sounds perfect as a foil for Abercrombie’s willowy strings, particularly on Coltrane’s “Wise One” and Ornette Coleman’s complex “Blues Connection.” The music flows remarkably well with the simple accompaniment, and there is a complete absence of clutter when everyone’s jelling together, as on “Sometime Ago.” Kudos!
ECM Records