GATEWAY: GATEWAY

While all were loosing their heads during fusion fever time of the mid to late seventies, here are three well honed and extremely talented musicians putting on an album of dedicated jazz. John Abercrombie, Dave Holland and Jack DeJohnette are as stripped down as a jazz act gets and they produce the goods here on this album right through to the end, and in fact the album comes across as a little short even, but then again all good albums are like that I suppose, though the trio would get together and put out Gateway 2 a couple of years later. I'm slowly discovering the delights of the ECM label, and so far have not been disappointed with what I have heard, much of what I have heard is certainly top drawer quality. Gateway pushes and throbs through six cuts with some intricate interplay coming to the front. Holland's use of an upright bass here is inspired, and definitely refreshing for the mid seventies, the rolling rhythms of "Back-Woods Song" are as good as that which will open any decent jazz album if not better, it's impossible to get the lulling riff out of the mind and when Abercrombie's smooth, yet driving guitar glides in you know it is going to be good, and the albums lead by example. Basically what you get here is three competent musicians giving up some fantastic music