ECM Week - Ralph Towner, solo / John Abercrombie Quartet
This night brings a double bill of innovative guitarists who have each helped define the ECM Records signature sound and famously collaborated on the classic 1976 ECM duo release Sargasso Sea and its 1981 follow-up, Five Years Later. Founder of the great world-jazz ensemble Oregon, which remains a vital and innovative improvising unit after 45 years and 30 albums, Ralph Towner is the figure primarily responsible for contemporizing the acoustic guitar in jazz. In addition to nearly two-dozen releases on ECM as a leader and co-leader with vibraphonist Gary Burton and bassist Gary Peacock, Towner has made indelible contributions to the work of Paul Winter and Weather Report. For this night he performs a solo set. A guitarist who helped pioneer the fusion movement of the early 1970s, John Abercrombie has had a four-decade career with ECM, including his inspired 1975 debut Timeless and the hugely influential Gateway Trio recordings with keyboardist Jan Hammer and drummer Jack DeJohnette. Abercrombie’s output has been lengthy and diverse, recording consistently as a leader in various configurations and as a sideman with groups led by Charles Lloyd, Kenny Wheeler, Gil Evans, and Bobby Hutcherson. He performs on this night with his current quartet including pianist Marc Copland, bassist Drew Gress and drummer Joey Baron – the band featured on his brand new ECM album Up and Coming.
Cost: $30-$65