Jazz Reviews

RAY COMISKEYreviews the jazz CDs of the week...

John Abercrombie

Wait Till You See Her

ECM****

Guitarist John Abercrombie's new quartet CD continues the remarkably intimate musical dialogue he has built up in recent years in his quartet with Mark Feldman (violin) and Joey Baron (drums). On bass this time, replacing Marc Johnson, is Thomas Morgan, whose greater physicality has subtly shifted, but not radically altered the group's dynamics. The music's overall tone is more reflective, darker even, than before, but no less lovely. And, in its way, no less adventurous, most obviously in the outreaches of Line Up, with a glorious violin solo and closing guitar-violin-bass improv. Except for the title track, Abercrombie wrote all the repertoire, and his Sad Song, I've Overlooked Beforeand Anniversary Waltzproduce performances of exquisite, limpid beauty and deceptive simplicity. Poised between jazz and classical chamber music, not fully belonging to either, the quartet's music is unique. www.johnabercrombie.com

Dave Liebman

Lieb plays Weill

Daybreak****

Musically, Liebman likes to stay well off the bus routes, so this Kurt Weill venture may surprise some. But he's just as at home and as uniquely imaginative handling Weill's music with a fine Dutch team in Marius Beets (bass), Eric Ineke (drums) and, on six tracks, Jesse van Ruller (guitar). And the familiarity of some of the material adds to the pleasure. Liebman, on tenor, soprano and wooden flute, unfolds long-lined solos of great distinction and originality; even when referencing earlier jazz styles he can take them to the outer limits without destroying their integrity. It's epitomised by his work on Mack The Knife, Speak Lowand Let There Be Life, Love And Laughter, all delivered on tenor with Rollinsesque insouciance, and by his superbly spicy harmonic recasting (on piano) of Liebesliedand My Ship. Accessible enough to gain him new fans, it's also very good. www.daveliebman.com

Vijay Iyer

Historicity

ACT****

It's tempting to react to the intellectual penumbra Iyer creates around his music as "too much oul' talk" and to cry "just get on with it". Except that, despite the verbiage, he actually does get on with it to great effect. His piano owes something to Monk and Andrew Hill and, with Stephen Crump (bass) and Marcus Gilmore (drums), he has an intense, breathe-as-one trio, which, even in the most dramatic, rhythmically complex interaction, can groove with visceral power. But there's also a self-awareness behind their dialogue, which, one suspects, comes from the leader. Even at its most adventurous, nothing is quite random. Whether reconfiguring Bernstein's Somewhere, Stevie Wonder's Big Brother, hip-hopper MIA's Galang, Hill's Smoke Stack, Julius Hemphill's Dogon ADor his own Historicity, there's a point where emotion and intellect intersect and balance. www.vijay-iyer.com