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Kozmigroov Albums
Timeless [ECM, 1975]
Characters [ECM, 1977] |
Near ubiquitous during the kozmigroov heyday of the early 70s, Abercrombie injected his distinctive electric warble into recordings by Jack DeJohnette's Directions, Dave Liebman's Lookout Farm, Billy Cobham's Spectrum and Clive Stevens' Atmospheres, as well as some crucial releases by Horacee Arnold, Gato Barbieri, and Barre Phillips. Timeless, his debut lp on ECM is a bit varied but is bookended by two stellar 12 minute cuts. The opener, "Lungs" (dedicated to Don Alias?) drops it at manic pace but soon loosens up, falling into a spacey drift then a nasty funk anchored by Jan Hammer's crazy Moog bass. The closing title track is an exquisite slowburning meditation that stubbornly refuses to release its accumulated tension. Worthy material, if not an A-list entry overall. Characters is solo Abercrombie with the occasional studio overdub, foregoing his prior kozmik tendencies for a quieter approach which occasionally predicts (as would/did a lot of the ECM label) the impending newage genre. [DW]
Abercrombie is the man, "Timeless" is so good...Check him out on Jack Dejohnette's "New Directions" (ECM) lp too.
Plus, the Stark Reality was originally release by Ahmad Jamal's record label (AJP), not Yusef Lateef...f'ing amazing though!
Throw it on, light it up, space out.
[all these fingers]
Abercrombies earlist recordings I have unearthed were with unsung vibraphone guru Monty Stark's Starkreality. An incredible band only recently rereleased (originally on Yusef Lateef's label) As "NOW" & "1969"; reveal Abercrombie (pre Jim Hall esque "mature" style) to be a Psychedelic Rocker!! Stellar to say the least.
[anonymous]