John Abercrombie: Selected Recordings.

John Abercrombie: Selected Recordings (ECM :rarum XIV, B0001793-02)

Last November I saw guitarist John Abercrombie on stage as he performed with Charles Lloyd's quintet. With his thin, graying hair, black suit, and slightly hunched-over demeanor, he looked for all the world like some slightly aging but still hip professor. When I received this CD, I got a kick out of his liner notes, which mention how he misses his hair--30 years ago, he had quite a wild mane.

The opening notes of the first cut, "Timeless," from his 1974 album of the same name, recorded with Jan Hammer and Jack DeJohnette, sound as haunting as ever. I can still remember listening to this cut in JAH's basement the first time we ever got together. The speakers were some big transmission-line jobs that were either IMFs or else some American jobs made in the Midwest somewhere (Omaha?) that JAH was high on at the time.

Listening to this compilation gave me a more solid respect for the breadth and depth of Abercrombie's musicianship. I have always enjoyed his work; indeed, he is one of those people that although I have never met, I feel as though he is one of my old friends from way back. Still, it took this compilation to real underscore the significant achievements he has accomplished both as a sideman and as a leader over these past 30 years. How wonderful it is for ECM to allow him to choose his favorite cuts to include on this release.