PETER ERSKINE - Transition (1987) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

The music on Peter Erskine's second recording as a leader (all but two songs are by either the drummer-leader or Vince Mendoza) is disappointingly forgettable, including Erskine's five-part, 22-minute "Suite: Music from Shakespeare's 'King Richard II'." With such fine players as Joe Lovano and Bob Mintzer on tenors, guitarist John Abercrombie, keyboardists Kenny Werner and Don Grolnick, bassist Marc Johnson and Peter Gordon on french horn, the solos are generally quite good, but the lack of any memorable melodies and the dated-sounding synthesizers largely sink the effort. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1    Osaka Castle 6'47
Composed By – Ken Werner
2    The Rabbit In The Moon 1'19
Composed By – Peter Erskine
3    Corazon 5'04
Composed By – Peter Erskine
Synthesizer – Don Grolnick
Suite: Music From Shakespeare's King Richard II    
4    Introduction 1'31
Composed By – Peter Erskine
5    Music Plays 7'16
Composed By – Peter Erskine
6    Sonnet 2'32
Composed By – Peter Erskine
Synthesizer – Don Grolnick
7    Transition 8'02
Composed By – Peter Erskine
8    End Hymn 2'39
Composed By – Peter Erskine
9    Lions And Tigers And Bears 2'58
Composed By – Vince Mendoza
10    The Hand Speaks Hold 8'04
Composed By – Vince Mendoza
Synthesizer – Don Grolnick
11    Smart Shoppers 5'03
Composed By – Vince Mendoza
Synthesizer – Don Grolnick
12    My Foolish Heart 5'14
Composed By – Ned Washington, Victor Young
13    Orson Welles (Intro) 0'52
Composed By – Vince Mendoza
14    Orson Welles 5'53
Composed By – Vince Mendoza
Credits :
Acoustic Bass – Marc Johnson
Drums, Electronic Drums, Gong, Synthesizer, Computer, Producer – Peter Erskine
French Horn – Peter Gordon
Guitar, Guitar Synthesizer – John Abercrombie
Piano, Synthesizer – Kenny Werner
Tenor Saxophone – Bob Mintzer
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Joe Lovano

JOHN ABERCROMBIE - Open Land (1999) APE (image+.cue), lossless

Here, Abercrombie grafts three soloists -- trumpeter Kenny Wheeler, tenor saxman Joe Lovano, and violinist Mark Feldman -- onto his organ trio and comes out with an absorbing set of elegantly textured, poly-styled music laced with his drifting, occasionally jagged yet never overbearing guitar. On the title track and, not unexpectedly, on "Free Piece Suit(e)," the sextet veers onto the outside, but they always do so in a relaxed ECM manner, without jangling any nerves. "Little Booker," a reversal of the names of the short-lived trumpeter, is the nicest track, outfitted with a memorable tune, and "That's for Sure" has an off-kilter, loose-jamming country feeling. Both Lovano and Wheeler play sparely and tastefully, and Feldman occasionally emits a gust of shock fiddling but mostly stays within lyrical bounds. Adam Nussbaum's drumming is loose, unpredictable, and adaptable; Dan Wall's organ discreetly lays in the background or steps forth in the usual Jimmy Smith-derived idiom.  by Richard S. Ginell
Tracklist :
1     Just in Tune    6:36   
John Abercrombie
2     Open Land    10:08   
John Abercrombie
3     Spring Song    8:59
John Abercrombie / Felix Mendelssohn
4     Gimme Five    7:23 
John Abercrombie
5     Speak Easy    6:43   
John Abercrombie
6     Little Booker    6:10 
John Abercrombie
7     Free Piece Suit(e)    6:56   
John Abercrombie / Mark Feldman / Joe Lovano / Adam Nussbaum / Dan Wall / Kenny Wheeler
8     Remember When   7:58  
John Abercrombie
9     That's for Sure    4:08
John Abercrombie
Credits :
Drums – Adam Nussbaum
Guitar – John Abercrombie
Organ – Dan Wall
Tenor Saxophone – Joe Lovano
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Kenny Wheeler
Violin – Mark Feldman

JOHN ABERCROMBIE QUARTET - Within a Song (2012) 24bits-88hz / FLAC (tracks), lossless

Tracklist :
1    Where Are You 5:49
Composed By – Harold Adamson, Jimmy McHugh
2    Easy Reader 6:34
Composed By – John Abercrombie
Within A Song / Without A Song    (7:55)
3a    Within A Song
Composed By – John Abercrombie
3b    Without A Song
Composed By – Billy Rose, Vincent Youmans
4    Flamenco Sketches 6:33
Composed By – Miles Davis
5    Nick Of Time 5:54
Composed By – John Abercrombie
6    Blues Connotation 6:10
Composed By – Ornette Coleman
7    Wise One 9:10
Composed By – John Coltrane
8    Interplay 6:24
Composed By – Bill Evans
9    Sometime Ago 6:25
Composed By – Sergio Mihanovich
Credits :
Double Bass – Drew Gress
Drums – Joey Baron
Guitar – John Abercrombie
Producer – Manfred Eicher
Tenor Saxophone – Joe Lovano