John Abercrombie Quartet at Birdland

I made it to the 11 PM show on Friday October 2, 2009 to hear John Abercrombie's long lived quartet. Working groups like this one are relatively rare in Jazz, mostly, I suppose, due to the economics of this art form. The quartet of Abercrombie on guitar, Mark Feldman on violin, Thomas Morgan on bass - bassist Mark Johnson having moved on - and Joey Baron on drums, was in the middle of an engagement at Birdland, and promoting the release of their new CD, "Wait Till You See Her". I've only heard "Class Trip," the second of their four CDs, all on ECM, and had been really impressed by this group. Abercrombie has a long discography - I've been listening to him since his first album, "Timeless", came out in the mid-Seventies - and it was clear that with this group he was still putting himself in challenging musical situations. Feldman is a fine improvising violinists and Baron, a killer drummer, and both musicians have a good deal of downtown creditability, having played in various John Zorn-associated groups - for whatever that's worth. Mark Johnson, who played on the first three recordings, made his name playing with Bill Evans, and is a fine, melodic and tasteful player. Thomas Morgan is new to me, but he obviously fits in well with these veterans.

They played "Banshee" from an earlier CD, a couple of pieces from the new one, the title cut from "Class Trip", and ended with a great take on Ornette Coleman's "Round Trip." I liked this a lot. They eased into a statement of the tune's head and then Baron went in to a solo that lead into the group playing a bluesy groove that had some hints of "Dance of the Maya" by The Mahavishnu Orchestra. Ornette's theme came back in a few more times, with Feldman perfectly capturing the playful melody. Other quotes - "How High the Moon?", "Break Tune" - crept in here and there before they brought it all to an end.

Abercrombie isn't a flashy player. He has at times a light, airy tone with the signature hint of echo that the ECM label is famous for. At other times he has an quiet intensity to his playing. Like all great players, his sound is unique and immediately recognizable, and this comes across very well in a live setting. I think that this group may be the best of his career. Baron is a solid jazz player and his drumming really lights a fire under this group. Feldman, with his mostly vibrato-less tone, and flawless technique is a joy to listen to. I can't think of too many jazz violinists that can play at this level.

A great show. Check these guys out if you have a chance.