Cat N Mouse
Folks fond of pointing out the chamber-jazz tendencies of ECM recordings  could have a field day with this disc. The sympathetic blend of legato guitar, violin, and acoustic bass (with drums) sometimes lends the delicacy of a string ensemble to the proceedings, and the group interaction is as telepathic as any long-standing classical quartet. But those aforementioned folks would be ignoring the relentless swing of Abercrombie's playing, the  subtle playfulness ofJoey Baron's drumming, and the edginess of the largely free improvisation ("Third Stream Samba" and "Show of Hands" were originally titled "Free Improvisation I and II"). For those put off by thoughts of free jazz, be assured that Abercrombie & Co. (including bassist Marc Johnson) come out of a school that allows free playing to be dynamic, rooted, interactive, and often even beautiful. The "anything goes" '70s that spawned this style gave us guitarists like Abercrombie and his contemporariesFrisell,Scofield, andMetheny. Like them, he imbues his structured tunes with freedom and his free tunes with structure, and we are all the beneficiaries.--Michael Ross