In the Moment
Along withHomecoming, this 1994 recording was part of the second coming of the Gateway trio, guitaristJohn Abercrombie, bassistDave Holland, and drummerJack DeJohnette, reforming the stellar trio that hadn't been in the studios sinceGateway 2in 1977. UnlikeHomecomingand their two albums from the '70s, however,In the Momentis devoted entirely to collective improvisations rather than composed themes. It puts the emphasis even more solidly on modal improvisation than usual, which is especially apparent in the opening track, with its strong evocation of Indian music in the continuous drone and the sitarlike sound of Abercrombie's guitar. That moving sense of geography is evident, too, in the Middle Eastern feel of "Cimucen," with its pulsing rhythm and sustained, keening guitar sound. Each member of the trio is responsible for beginning one of these group explorations, and DeJohnette turns from drums to piano to initiate the mood of limpid beauty that spreads through the Japanese tonalities of "Soft." Holland's deep-toned bowed bass establishes the specific gravity of "The Enchanted Forest." His pizzicato playing similarly initiates "Shrubberies," but it rapidly turns into a dialogue with Abercrombie that eventually becomes a feature for the guitarist's cascading, heavily distorted lines. There are shades of the 1970s in both the geographical wanderings and some of the guitar sounds heard here, but the level of collective interaction, a hallmark of this group, is very high.--Stuart Broomer