Arcade (John Abercrombie album)
| Arcade | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by the John Abercrombie Quartet | ||||
| Released | 1979 | |||
| Recorded | December 1978 | |||
| Studio | Talent Oslo, Norway | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 39:30 | |||
| Label | ECM 1133 | |||
| Producer | Manfred Eicher | |||
| John Abercrombie chronology | ||||
| ||||
Arcade is an album by the John Abercrombie Quartet, recorded in December 1978 and released on ECM Records the following year. The quartet features pianist Richie Beirach and rhythm section George Mraz and Peter Donald.[1]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | [2] |
| The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide | [3] |
| DownBeat | [4] |
| Tom Hull | B+()[5] |
The Globe and Mail noted that "there's a yearning feeling to [Abercrombie's] playing, a funny decay to his tone and a flitting rhythmic quality to his phrasing."[6]
DownBeat assigned 4.5 stars.[4] Reviewer Douglas Clark wrote, "Some people would call this music arty; I say it is artful. Sure, it’s overly precious sometimes, too poetic maybe, and a little more grit from the barroom floor might not hurt. But there is nothing false here. This, plus the high level of musicianship, makes the album a pleasure to listen to".[4]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Arcade" | Abercrombie | 9:41 |
| 2. | "Nightlake" | Beirach | 5:35 |
| 3. | "Paramour" | Abercrombie | 5:10 |
| 4. | "Neptune" | Beirach | 7:34 |
| 5. | "Alchemy" | Beirach | 11:30 |
Personnel
- John Abercrombie – guitar, electric mandolin
- Richie Beirach – piano
- George Mraz – double bass
- Peter Donald – drums
References
- ^ ECM discography Archived 2012-10-06 at the Wayback Machine accessed September 13, 2011
- ^ AllMusic Review accessed September 13, 2011
- ^ Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. US: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 3. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
- ^ a b c Clark, Douglas (June 21, 1979). "Record Reviews". DownBeat. 46 (12): 30.
- ^ "Tom Hull: Grade List: John Abercrombie". Tom Hull. Retrieved December 9, 2025.
- ^ Miller, Mark (July 21, 1979). "Arcade John Abercrombie Quartet". The Globe and Mail. p. F4.