Customer Reviews

Timeless

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

My criteria for five stars is that every cut has to be memorable. This one nails it. There are six tracks. Each composition is strong and vary stylistically from the hard driving Hammer compositions to the more contemplative piano-guitar duets. Hammer and Abercrombie vary the instrumentation enough from track to track that despite the trio format, the tonality of each piece is quite also distinct. (I still can't figure out how they made some of those sounds.) The playing is superb.

My impression is that the ECM "Works" series, which made for convenient samplers, is out of print, and as much as I love Dave Holland's playing on the Gateway disks, if I were looking for an initiation to Abercrombie's music, I'd start with this one.

this trio must of had ECM execs a little nervous- a little high on the energy for them. this trio does it all from swinging to rocking (in a 70's fusion kind of way).great playing and compositions along with a cool vibe make this a must have.

John Abercrombie emerged in the shadows of McLaughlin and Di Meola. He is subtler and, in some ways, more restrained and accomplished. The result here on his ECM debut is a session that really stands the test of time: TIMELESS indeed! I am particularly fond of the title track and the acoustic pieces (there are two here and they are sophisticated entries in the same vein as Mahavishnu's "Thousand Island Park" and Return to Forever's acoustic material: if only fusion had done MUCH MORE of this it would not have mutated into a parody of itself).
The sound of the record is tight, energetic, yet somehow mellow. Jack DeJohnette is superb throughout, Jan Hamer makes a rare appearance on Hammond B3 and just sizzles! On the up-tempo side is "Lungs" an opening burner that settles into an exploratory groove. On the mystical, searching side is the title track that takes a simple motiff and weaves a long gorgeous story that has much more to do with what we think of as the "ECM sound" than "fusion". This should be your first stop on the way to discovering the rich discography of John Abercrombie. Five Stars (meaning: EVERY track is superb, no clunkers, no filler)

John Abercrombie's first outing as a leader was not something you just put on quietly in the background and forgot about, it alternately grabbed you by the throat or hypnotised you. Joined here by the ever versatile Jack DeJohnette on drums and keyboard whiz Jan Hammer (taking a VERY rare turn on Hammond organ as well as piano and Mini Moog. Such a shame he didn't play organ more, he sounded GREAT on it!), JA blasts off with his own unique take on fusion, emphasizing the jazz end of the equation more than some of his contemporaries at the time.

1. Lungs - Gets off to a fiery start with call-and-response phrases at times reminiscent of the Mahavishnu Orchestra, it then starts to wind down to a mysterious and spooky mid-section (conjuring up images of a fog shrouded night in the woods) before ending on an unexpected funk jam to a fade out.

2. Love Song - Hammer and Abercrombie go for forlorn musical hues in this guitar/piano duet.

3. Ralph's Piano Waltz - Not forgettig his more traditional jazz roots, JA cooks up a piece that seems to evoke Miles Davis in it's memorable melody line, and featuring a SMOKING Hammond solo by Hammer.

4. Red And Orange - Baring the fangs this time with a Jan Hammer tune that rocks out yet retains the looseness of jazz. Great intense melody line too.

5. Remembering - A dissonant, angular piano/guitar duet that builds tension and pulls you along in its spell

6. Timeless - As another reviewer pointed out, it was amazing how JA could take a very simple phrase with chordal drones and turn it into something very mysterious and open, I couldn't agree more, definitely the most hypnotic track on the disc and a great closer.

The album is good, but the single cut "Timeless" is exactly that. It has been recorded by others, but never as well as the orginal. The piece contains sustained low notes with the sprinkle of spontaneous guitar for melody and focus. After an extended intro, the written theme surfaces. This piece is like stars on the desert sky or a drive through the bonneyville salt flats after a night's rain, magical and unique. The piece stands out among the new jazz sounds created in the 70's. Extending Miles' early 60's into a different melodic space.

This organ trio plays what can not be considered regular jazz. It consists of John Abercrombie, Jan Hammer, and Jack DeJohnette, each of whom are ready to experiment to let the music be timeless.

The album starts off with a up-tempo tune, "Lungs", which after some six minutes turns out to be different and more free than first meets the ear. After seven minutes, it changes direction with Hammer playing some space-like bass organ and other spacy sounds while Abercrombie backs him up with spacy riffs too. It's very remiscent of Herbie Hancock and Head Hunters. The second song is "Love Song", a four-minute song acoustic guitar and piano duo that flows like water. "Ralph's Piano Waltz" is more up-tempo. "Red And Orange" is a spacy, almost electronica-like piece that starts off with a wamp. "Remembering" is a melancholic piece with acoustic guitar and piano. And finally the title piece "Timeless" is the best piece on the album, I think. It lives up to its title with its slow beat, universal sound-scape, and lovely guitar playing.

I found out about "Timeless" when hearing the Abercrombie Rarum album, and I looked for the best of his album and found this. It's worth the money in the long run.

this trio must have had ECM execs a little nervous- a little high on the energy for them. they do it all from swinging to rocking (in a 70's fusion kind of way).great playing and compositions along with a cool vibe make this a must have.

Abercrombie & Hammer complement each other most excellently on this atmospheric, organ-driven release. LUNGS and RED & ORANGE are frantic call-and-response exercises that come to Mahavishnu-type climaxes while most of the others are more laid-back. Tastefully done. These two should get together more often.

"Timeless" is a very good album featuring the U.S. Jazz Guitarist. On it, he teams up with Jan Hammer (organ, synthesizer, piano) and Jack De Johnette (drums). There are only six pieces on this album, all instrumental. The best track is undoubtedly the haunting title track which closes the album, which forms a nice set of book-ends for the album with the opening piece "Lungs". Each of them is about 12 minutes long, and together are over half the album. In addition, I think "Red And Orange" is a very good track. The other three pieces are not as strong, but each of them has its moments, and none of them are bad.

One of the best albums ever made. The musicians are at the height of their creative powers and it shows. The pieces are all fantastic and played with passion. I purchased this on vinyl in 1976, and it has never ceased to amaze and involve me with every playing. Stop reading these reviews and just buy it. You will never be sorry you did.