R.I.P. John Abercrombie

[EKE BBB]

http://ottawacitizen.com/entertainment/jazzblog/rip-john-abercrombie

[sidewinder]

I knew he hadn't been well but this news comes as a big shock. RIP and so sorry to hear this.

Always enjoyed his thoughtful, empathic playing. I think the last time I caught him must have been with Mark Feldman, some years ago now. 

[RogerF]

I didn't even know he'd been ill. A true guitar master and a master of understatement as evidenced by his last album Up And Coming. RIP.

 

Edited August 23, 2017 by RogerF

[Cyril]

R.I.P. Mr. Abercrombie.

[GA Russell]

RIP.  This comes as a great surprise to me.  If ECM issues a press release, I'll post it here.

[RogerF]

From the ECM website:-

23.08.2017

John Abercrombie (1944-2017)

John Abercrombie, one of the great improvisers, died on August 22, after a long illness. He will be much missed, for his sensitive musicality, his good companionship, and his dry humour which enhanced many a session. He leaves behind an extensive discography which will be studied as long as people continue to play jazz guitar.
John made his first recording for ECM, the appropriately-titled “Timeless”, in the summer of 1974, with his lifelong friend Jack DeJohnette on the drums, and Jan Hammer on organ. Over the next four decades, he was active as leader, co-leader and sideman on dozens of ECM projects. A creative writer of jazz tunes, John also loved to play freely as much as he loved to play standards. Many of his albums combine all of these resources, unified by his fluid, silvery tone and improvisational eloquence. In conversation he would speak of his enduring fondness for Jim Hall and Wes Montgomery, primary influences, and also of the liberating examples of Ornette Coleman and Jimi Hendrix; Bill Evans’s sense of lyricism was also of crucial importance to him.
John Abercrombie led a number of very fine bands, and he was particularly proud of his last quartet with Marc Copland on piano, Drew Gress on double bass, and Joey Baron on drums. This quartet released two albums, “39 Steps” and “Up and Coming”, the latter released in January 2017.
Highlights in his recording career were many and include the Gateway trio albums with Dave Holland and Jack DeJohnette, the duo albums with Ralph Towner, the Special Editions albums (with DeJohnette, Lester Bowie and Eddie Gomez), Jan Garbarek’s “Eventyr”, Charles Lloyd’s “The Water Is Wide”, Collin Walcott’s “Grazing Dreams” (where John and Don Cherry play together), Enrico Rava’s “The Pilgrim and the Stars”, Kenny Wheeler’s “Deer Wan” … the list goes on.

Edited August 23, 2017 by RogerF

[Ken Dryden]

Sorry to hear this sad news. I always enjoyed his playing.

 

[Kevin Bresnahan]

Although I expected this, it is still terrible news. I am lucky to have seen him several times over the years and I will cherish those memories.

[JSngry]

Wow. Didn't see this one coming. RIP, he cut a broad swath.

[skeith]

Sad news....I still play Timeless a lot.

[Hardbopjazz]

Didn't expect this. RIP John. Thanks for the music.

[clifford_thornton]

Heard last night but didn't want to post w/o confirmation. Very sad news -- he was one of the greats.

[mikeweil]

R.I.P. 

Yes, this comes as a shock, although I remember reading about the stroke he suffered last year. I saw him live at last twice, and always enjoyed his playing. He seemed less lick-oriented in comparison to other guitarists, more open-minded and experimental, not stuck in a single stream of music, like a natural extension of Jim Hall. He was very influential in Europe, I think. I will miss him.

[mjzee]

Very sad news.  I was thinking about him this morning.  I sent a letter to him a few weeks ago at his address in intensive care, and hearing a track from his Cat & Mouse album, was wondering how he was doing.  His was a great voice, both in playing and recording.  RIP.

[Guy Berger]

RIP.  "Backwoods Song", "Timeless" and "East Virginia West Memphis" are among my favorite jazz, period, and his playing is a core part of why.

[rostasi]

Even with all of those early albums when you could hear him with
Gato and Johnny Hammond Smith and that Friends album
and Lookout Farm and so on, it was still the Timeless album
that really hit home in a beautiful way. I remember a few people
coming up to me in high school - students and faculty - asking
about *that* tune I played on the radio the night before.
This was in a town that had a population of less that 5000.
He had this beautiful lilting tone that was so completely - 
distinctively - alluring that even those who had no
experience with jazz could come away feeling his
sound footprint. Sonic impressions left by the best
artists that make you want to seek out more are the
real aural gifts that they can leave after they're gone.

Edited August 23, 2017 by rostasi

[Jason Bivins]

RIP, Mr. Abercrombie. And thank you for your music.

[HutchFan]

So sad to hear this news.  He was a fantastic musician.

[LWayne]

Now I am confused. Postings on Social Media attributed this to being a hoax. Quoted his representatives as stating that he is alive and well.

But if ECM posted this news then that provides credibility.

LWayne

[mjzee]

Just do a web search for him.  Site after site comes up with his passing.  Also see his Facebook page.

[clifford_thornton]

4 hours ago, LWayne said:

Now I am confused. Postings on Social Media attributed this to being a hoax. Quoted his representatives as stating that he is alive and well.

But if ECM posted this news then that provides credibility.

LWayne

yeah that death hoax dot com bullshit is really annoying. It's a fake news aggregator to be avoided as a source at all costs.

[JSngry]

 

[mjzee]

Check out Abercrombie's contributions to side 2.

 

 

[BFrank]

RIP, John!

Another interesting project that he played with.

[Milestones]

Sad news...something I did not expect, though I had heard he was not well. Just sad.

He leaves behind an amazingly diverse and large body of work on ECM, most of which is in my collection.  Great work as  a sideman with Tyner, Lloyd, DeJohnette, Palmer, Copland, Dr. Lonnie Smith.

 

 

Edited August 24, 2017 by Milestones