The Third Quartet

On The Third Quartet, guitarist John Abercrombie leads a superb band comprised of violinist Marc Feldman, drummer Joey Barron, and bassist Marc Johnson. (The same group released two earlier albums, Cat ‘n’ Mouse and Class Trip.) Feldman’s sound has a yearning quality that betrays a classical background, and Abercrombie’s playing draws from several genres outside of jazz, and the interactions between these distinctively lyrical voices produce gorgeous timbral couplings. The Third Quartet brings to mind the polished elegance of Astor Piazzolla’s nuevo tango, and hints of the blues occasionally poke through the surface, nicely ruffling this refined chamber music. Like much of Abercrombie’s work, the overall sound is pristine and subtle, full of delicate hesitations and shifts, fluttering cymbals and just-so notes. But the group can swing when it wants to, as evidenced on a version of Ornette Coleman’s “Round Trip.” On the following cut — a cover of Bill Evan’s “Epilogue” — the group returns to the meditative vibe that defines the album. The other eight tracks are Abercrombie originals, including a super mellow closer, a moody piece for overdubbed acoustic guitars.