TIMELESS

Hard to believe that we're going on six years following Mr. Abercrombie's death (Aug. 22, 2017). John Abercrombie was one of those figures in Jazz Fusion specifically that I found myself latching onto easily. His approach is fantastic and he played with many fellow greats. Here on his first album he is joined by keyboardist Jan Hammer (Mahavishnu Orchestra) and drummer Jack DeJohnette. For John's solo work, Timeless and Sargasso Sea (1976) proved favorable in the least, and I wanted to be sure I also recommended the '76 debut Gateway album (exchange Hammer from this lineup with bassist Dave Holland for that band). Other recommendations I'd give from just before Timeless include Lookout Farm (1974) and Drum Ode (1975) by Dave Liebman, and Abercrombie also featured on Billy Cobham's Crosswinds and Total Eclipse (both from 1974).

No time is wasted whatsoever with the blazing fast start of "Lungs", the album opener and first of our two 12-minute bookends. All while DeJohnette lays down hasty Post-Bop on the drums, Abercrombie and Hammer (on Hammond and synth) change hands, exchanging every few bars for soloing, ramping up approaching minute 2. Abercrombie definitely proved to me to be of a similar caliber to John McLaughlin or Larry Coryell. While the others create wonderful atmosphere, Jack does things [although also consistently] that you will be hard-pressed to find anywhere; a unique and expressive player, to me unmatched. Get your noggin' scratched in this middle section, why don't'cha? Right at the 7 minute mark, Jan leads us off with a cool, alien-Funk bassline, followed by a smooth, smoky soloing from him and John. Abercombie and DeJohnette together but separately occasionally unravel as the soloing continues and intensifies. I just realized, in my excitement to be seriously listening through this once more, that this whole paragraph is about just that opener haha.

Unsurprisingly similar to the start of the perfect Mahavishnu song, "Open Country Joy"--or, also from Birds Of Fire, the bright acoustic track "Thousand Island Park"--"Love Song" features acoustic piano for the first time married with John's full-chorded strums and solo. Really gorgeous track, it's simultaneously crushingly sad and longing, by my estimation. Regardless, goes to show their knack and ability to conjure up any number of complex emotions. Up next is a track one might expect from contemporary Pat Metheny, "Ralph's Piano Waltz", with a smooth groove and beautiful, ever-flowing lead-play from John. Full steam ahead, regardless of the mood. And in this, once more, we get a few different feelings, from what I would consider joyous fun to pressing tension, the latter brought on most, to me, by Jan Hammer's Hammond return. This song has it; another near-essential.

We keep the speed at a 10 for "Red And Orange", a volcanic number with an apt title. I'm not sure what else to say here; just trying to keep up. This was the first time on the album where I truly felt that Abercrombie sounded like McLaughlin in tone. Wild stuff. Fiery Fusion Phenom. Up next, with a beginning to really hook you, we have the truly nostalgic "Remembering". This is, unsurprising to me, another acoustic number, though slower paced than "Love Song". The interplay of keys and guitar is really wonderful, with staccato and call-and-response and plenty of purty. Despite its quietness, "Remembering" certainly has its strengths abundant.

Finally, our title track, "Timeless". It begins out of nothingness, with a deep, sci-fi-perfect drone. John Abercrombie joins in, much like a singular Raga. Is it Rush's "La Villa Strangiato" that's coming to mind for me? Something off of Exit Stage Left. [Probably "Jacob's Ladder".] The drone continues, and the guitar slips and slides, now matched by light, distant organ and the softest cymbal strikes you've ever heard. To great effect, all this up till this point lasts for over 4 minutes. This track, in its quietness, is perfectly understated, so to speak. Nearing minute 8, the drums build and shift into a sort of trot. Really very lovely. All in all, a great closer to a great album.

True Rate: 4.25/5.00