Customer Reviews

Pictures

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This is really a great album. Here's the rundown-
Of the six tracks, John Abercrombie plays guitar on three. The other three are all Dejohnette. The first track is one of deJohnette's classic groove feels, ala Miles. He also fades in some rather dissonant chord clusters on the organ. Track 2 is a solo drum track, with Jack playing a melodic theme on his toms and embellishing it throughout. Track three finds Jack with Abercrombie playing a swing feel. Track four is a rather ambient piece, with free time and a really washed out sound from Abercrombie. Track 5 is acoustic guitar and drums and is almost like some sort of Spanish March-type affair (could've lived without it; this track took away the 5th star). The sixth track features Jack playing acoustic piano and gongs, with both instruments fading in and out.
This album, to me, is all about the overall shape and sound quality. ECM usually does a great job with the sound production, and it really lets the nuances of all of the instruments played to shine through. Jack is in top form on this record, and Abercrombie's playing is tolerable, if not good.
Definitely a worthwhile record. Buy it! If you like DeJohnette's playing, you won't be dissappointed...

I have just about every album Jack has done as a leader, most as a co-leader, and many as a sideman. This is still my favorite album of his-and this goes all the way back to 1976.
Now i'm partial to the true "solo album"-the ones where a musician overdubs and plays multiple parts by himself. This is 1/2 that and 1/2 duets with guitarist John Abercrombie (another favorite of mine).
I don't know what was in the drinking water at the ECM studios in the mid 1970's, but they created a group of these solo albums-all of which are my very favorites by their respective artists.
Just after this, in 1977, John Abercrombie created HIS solo masterpiece "Characters", Terje Rypdal created my favorite of his as well-another solo outing called "After The Rain" and guitarist/pianist Ralph Towner created "Diary"-all absolute milestones in the recording careers of these artists.
Actually only a few of these pieces have this overdubbing technique. Part One has Jack on drums and overdubbed organ, Part Two is a wonderful melodic live drum solo, Part Three is a live duet for drum kit and Abercrombie's electric guitar. Part Four has Jack on drums and Abercrombie on electric guitar again, but it appears that there are 2 guitar parts on this one, Part Five is a wonderful march-like live duet with Jack again on drum kit and Abercrombie on an acoustic guitar. Part Six is a wonderful, moody piece with Jack overdubbing piano and various cymbals and percussive effects. The last 2 pieces are my personal favorites on the album-no shock then when Dejohnette chose those 2 pieces to be included on his "Rarum" compilation on ECM back a few years ago.
I'm still waiting after all these years for Jack to give us a "Pictures-Volume 2". I know he has it in him!