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I'm not 100% sure but David Torn is pretty convinced it's true. Im sorry if this has been posted elsewhere.
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08-22-2017 11:03 PM
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Yes. Confirmed. I met him on a couple of occasions. He was in SF playing with DeJohnette, Holland in Gateway. Double bill with Pat Martino. I was listening to Martino with him and Terry Haggerty at the bar, Keystone Korner. Great guy. Funny. Personable and a great music. That night was the best I ever heard him. It might not have been Gateway because Richie Beirach was on piano.
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Oh nooo... I thought he was recovering?? Damn, really really sad.
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very sad news!
He wisited Poland few times.
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One of the most beautiful gigs - a life changer for me , was JA with Marc Johnson and Peter Erskine in about 1988
words fail....they played a version of "My Foolish Heart" which made time seem to stand still....
RIP
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I ve been listening to his music for over 30 years. Beautiful musician, R.I.P.
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Timeless. Beyond words. Yes.
Had a dream that he had passed. It's true.
David
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Very sad.
RIP, John Abercrombie | Ottawa Citizen
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I thought I would share my facebook note this morning after the news was confirmed.
RIP John Abercrombie
I think that we living Jazz Musicians all have come to terms with the truth that the masters are all moving on. As the Hancocks and Shorters and Rollins etc, all march through their 70’s and older we know that they’re time on this world is limited, we brace for the impact of their passing. A few months ago I heard the news that John was not well, canceling performances, he had a stroke in the Spring other rumors all of which really didn’t matter. The Texts started to come in from all directions, face book posts that he had passed away yesterday. It has left a big hole this morning. Sleep was difficult. I was just hoping it was one of those stupid hoax posts that happened earlier this year but the first post I saw on Facebook when I got up was his family posting he had passed.
For me, there was no one more important as a Jazz artist than John with the only person rivaling him being Jim Hall, whom John said was his chief influence. Ironically we both fell for Jim Hall through the same recordings. John’s sense of rhythm, melody, and harmony shaped mine more than any one single musician. His sound, his approach to improvisation I borrowed heavily from. Some of these albums, or albums he contributed to as a sideman were the most critical albums I listened to and still listen to. Sargasso Sea, November, Gateway: Homecoming, Current Events, his Organ trios and his trio with Marc Johnson and Peter Erskine, and especially his two major quartets (with Richie Beirach and his quartet with Marc Feldman) his work with Kenny Wheeler in the late 80s I could go on and on. Researching his albums introduced me in debt to so many great musicians whom I had heard of, but not ever got into until John appeared on their albums or vice versa.
His influence on me was so profound that after he came to North Texas, my friend said to me after John had left “You’re playing is so much clearer to me now after hearing Abercrombie” I took it as a huge compliment.
I wouldn’t say that I knew John. However, in the interactions we had over the last 15 years, limited as they were I was shocked to realize that, he remembered me… that was mind blowing and not only that he remembered my name, where he originally met me but details about the week he spent at UNT where I followed him around like a puppy dog asking him a million obscure questions about his music, all of which he answered gracefully and with a sharp wit and those one liners, he could have been a comedian. John told me that I should move to NYC on one of those Canadian Grants, he would gladly take me as a student, I would have if I didn’t have other plans, I think I was more terrified of NYC.
To share a story about John which was one of the happiest moments of my life, back in 2010 perhaps 2011 John came to St FX as a visiting artist. I was so excited; it took a lot to contain it all. The evening where they were to rehearse I took John to the rehearsal room with the Faculty performing the concert and they got set up and ‘rehearsed’. Basically, they just played the songs John sent along and ran the whole show, solos and all, stopping perhaps twice to fix a coda or something. It was just me, sitting in the room while John Abercrombie and 3 of my good friends basically gave me a private concert. Up until that point in my life, it was the greatest moment and one of my absolute fondest memories… my hero and friends just playing… for each other and one guy sitting probably with a smile a mile wide.
The Jazz community has lost one of its most innovative improvisers who was universally loved and respected. Luckily we have hundreds of recordings to remember him by, we have some outstanding life footage and interviews on YouTube to watch. The thought that there won’t be anything new saddens me. I know that there are a few recordings out there yet to be released with John on them, we should cherish every note from one of the master Musicians of our time.
Rest in Peace John Abercrombie (1944-2017)
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Here's the obituary from the Ottawa Citizen.
RIP, John Abercrombie | Ottawa Citizen
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RIP, gentle giant John Abercrombie.
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RIP John Abercrombie, one of the all time great voices from the Jazz Guitar world
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There are several things I admire in this clip (eg Tal's tone and Larry's ardour), but what impresses me most - and what I found most memorable when I first saw it - is John Abercrombie's demeanour. Solo @4:30.
Last edited by destinytot; 08-23-2017 at 09:52 AM. Reason: spelling (Tal)
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Beautiful piece. RIP.
Originally Posted by PunkKitty
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His death is a great loss for jazz ... I feel very sad.
As a student I saw him, about 30 years ago ; I was overwhelmed by his concert -he was then playing with Marc Johnson and Peter Erskine.
This record dates from that period :
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lifelong fan
rest in peace maestro john abercrombie
your great playing lives on!!
cheers
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I love his playing at the beginning of this instructional video:
RIP.Last edited by jbernstein91; 08-23-2017 at 11:28 AM.
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Very sad to hear - I remember the teenage me being knocked sideways by some ECM records of his I found in the local record library - that would have been in the early 80s. I've always loved that distinctive style of his, with his use of space, and those lines that snake obliquely through the changes. A wonderful, individual, musician, and surely a major one in terms of influence.
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David O' Rourke posted it on FB. Guess it's true.
Sigh...
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RIP, John.
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Even my wife knew who he was, after hearing his music for the past 40 years. What a musical hero and influence he was for me. It wouldn't surprise me if I owned more music with him as a sideman than any other guitarist. What a body of work.
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I am deeply affected by the passing of John Abercrombie.
He was such an immense musician and guitarist. I see him as the most innovative jazz guitarist amongst the generation born post-war (and I will not argue on this). If you dig Jim Hall and Bill Evans then John was their best spiritual son around.
I like to remember him with his old Ibanez Artstar model (AM 200) he was using in the 80's and 90's. He has cut so many great records with this guitar.
I have passed the last 30 years waiting for his records he used to release each year and now this time has ended. I don't know a single JA album that is not great. Just an example: listen to "the pilgrim and the star" that he has cut in the 70's with Italian trumpet player Enrico Rava plus John Christensen and Palle Danielsson.
I miss you John. Thanks for having enlighten my life.
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a masterpiece album for sure Originally Posted by Fred Archtop
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NOOO!!!!!!!!
I read he was sick but was making his way back.
R.I.P.
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