John Abercrombie Quartet: 39 Steps

Rating: ★★★★

Record and Artist Details

Musicians:

Joey Baron (d)
John Abercrombie (g, g syn)
Marc Copland (p)
Drew Gress (b)

Label:

ECM

Dec/Jan/2013/2014

Catalogue Number:

2334 3742710

RecordDate:

April 2013

Abercrombie's blithe, gossamer textured guitar work may not obviously evoke the movies of cockney master Hitchcock, but the guitar man name-checks no less than four Hitch classics: Vertigo, Shadow Of A Doubt, Spellbound and of course the title track. But don't expect Bernard Hermann, Hitchcock's most famed musical collaborator. Where that composer brought neurotic yearning to Vertigo, Abercrombie offers lyrical yet mysterious riffing around Copland's one note intro; ‘Spellbound’ is a bluesy, enigmatic meditation, all hanging chords and urgent bass. ‘Shadow Of A Doubt’ is even freer: doubts and shadows stalk blind alleys. But if the Hitch/Abercrombie combo is a surprise, less suspenseful is the partnership with Copland. Copland's ECM debut is gorgeous yet understated, his and Abercrombie's chordings supplely entwining, as on the joyous ‘Another Ralph's’ or on the smileful re-imagining of ‘Melancholy Baby’. Another quiet masterpiece from the ever under rated Abercrombie, but Copland's contribution is massive.

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