It’s 20 years now since Gateway’s high-power mixture of the visceral and the intellectual, the blues-soaked, the airily impressionistic and the densely chromatic took the main marquee at the Bracknell Festival by storm. The 1994 Homecoming shows that this exceptional trio has lost none of either its hard-swinging power (Homecoming, 7th D) or emotional subtlety (Cut, Oneness). However, like Gateway 2 it remains a touch short – to these ears at least – of the wonderful mixture of compositional strength and blistering improvisational elan which is to be found on the 1975 Gateway.
While all three releases are highly recommended, the original recording remains the most compelling from both the historical point of view (hear Abercrombie cutting his way through and beyond Mahavishnu territory on DeJohnette’s aptly titled Sorcery, a composition which builds to soaring heights of savage, rock-inflected intensity) and the sheer freshness of touch and energy on variegated display – a freshness epitomised by the exhilarating dynamic range of the liquid legato ideas that Abercrombie spills over and across Holland’s deeply grooved, rock-solid bass on the opening, country-like Song. The joy of jazz, indeed!
Discography
Gateway
Back-Woods Song; (*) Waiting; May Dance; (+) Unshielded Desire; Jamala; Sorcery 1 (41.47)
John Abercrombie (elg); Dave Holland (b); Jack DeJohnette (d); (*) Abercrombie out; (+•) Holland out. Ludwigsburg, March 1975.
(ECM 1061)
Gateway 2
Opening; Reminiscence; Sing Song; Nexus; (*) Blue (44.07)
John Abercrombie (g, elg, el mandolin); Dave Holland (b); Jack DeJohnette (d, (*)p). Oslo, July 1977.
(ECM 1105)
Gateway/Homecoming
Homecoming; Waltz New; Modern Times; Calypso Falto; Short Cut; How’s Never; In Your Arms; 7th D; (*) Oneness (73.23)
John Abercrombie (elg, g); Dave Holland (b); Jack DeJohnette (d, (*p). New York, December 1994.
(ECM 1562)
