GATEWAY: GATEWAY

As mentioned, this is not solely a John Abercrombie solo album. This is a collective trio known as GATEWAY since they've had several reunion releases in the '80s and '90s. This is the debut on ECM Records. What we have here is the incredible Jack DeJohnette on drums, Dave Holland on bass and John Abercrombie on electric guitar. The sound on this recording is not unlike what Terje Rypdal and the Jean-Luc Ponty-era of the Mahavishnu Orchestra were doing around 1975. The opener "Backwoods Song" has some of the slinkiest acoustic bass you'll ever hear....and catchy interplay between Abercrombie and DeJohnette? WOW! Another highlight is the closer "Sorcery no.1". Definitely influenced by Red-era King Crimson, this one (to my ears, at least). It has a "Providence"-like feel to it (for those familiar with KC's "Red" LP). The build up from improv. trio to scorching guitar and riffing bass/drum interplay is probably the best thing I've heard in the fusion genre. Highly recommended. I would consider this a masterpiece.