The Czech connection

John Abercrombie is considered a modern-day master on electric jazz guitar. His concert next week with his new organ trio is certain to be a highlight of the spring season.

Abercrombie, born in 1944, studied guitar at Berklee College of Music in Boston. While he was there, he developed some strong ties to the Czech jazz scene. Recalling those times from his home one hour north of New York City, Abercrombie tells The Prague Post, "I met Jan Hammer and George Mraz when I was living in Boston in the late '60s. They came on scholarships, and the three of us shared an apartment - it was a terrible place!"

But the living arrangement quickly turned into something special. "I actually didn't realize they played so well," Abercrombie says. "But then we started to play, and I found out how amazing they are ? especially when I first played with Jan. When I heard him play, I just flipped out."

Superstar bass player Miroslav Vitous was also at Berklee. "He came before Jan and George," recalls Abercrombie, though none of them stayed for long. "There was nothing they could teach them at school. They all left right away to become professional musicians. A lot of it had to do with their classical training. They are technically so proficient, especially George and Miroslav."

After Berklee, Abercrombie carved out an impressive career for himself. In the late 1960s, he began playing in Harlem with the funky Hammond B3 organist Johnny "Hammond" Smith. With the advent of the jazz-rock fusion era, he met and recorded with Michael and Randy Brecker and Billy Cobham.

In 1974, he recorded his first album, Timeless as a leader, joined by Hammer on organ, piano and synthesizer, and Jack DeJohnette on drums. This recording was done for ECM (based in Munich), the esteemed German label for which Abercrombie records to this day.

Then he started playing with bassist Mraz, "just playing little club gigs, and not always jazz," Abercrombie recalls. Eventually, however, "We developed a quartet that lasted about five years."

In more recent times, Abercrombie has played with a local and much younger Czech jazz group, the Robert Balzar Trio. In 2008, he was in Prague to help them record their CD Tales, and last year he toured with the group.

"Miroslav introduced me to them," Abercrombie says. "Robert is also a tremendous musician. Great technical ability - a solid player. We hit it off right away."

At next week's performance, Abercrombie will be playing with one of his longtime collaborators on drums, Adam Nussbaum, and Jared Gold, a new and younger player on the Hammond B3 organ. "I originally heard Jared on a radio broadcast," Abercrombie explains. "I heard this sound that was incredible, so I called him up. He's a real organ player, not a piano player who also plays organ. He uses bass pedals, and he really swings."

The organ trio is one of Abercrombie's favorite combos, notably on the discs he recorded with organist Dan Wall and Nussbaum, including While We Were Young and Speak of the Devil (both in 1993) and Tactics (1997).

"I like the blend of those instruments together," he says. "Whoever came up with that arrangement originally was a genius - the guitar and organ sound. I also like to hear someone else playing chords; otherwise, I have to be the main player. With the organ, it frees me up, makes me like a horn or sax player. I don't have to play harmonic chords. It's just an amazing blend."

As for what to expect, he says, "We'll be playing new songs from my quartet, and probably a few jazz standards. The organ is very suitable for that, whereas, with the quartet, we just wouldn't do that."

Abercrombie says he's looking forward to being back in Prague. "It's a beautiful city, and I'm definitely looking forward to playing there again. It's incredible just to walk around." Then he adds, in all sincerity, "Besides, I like Czech food. I'm a big duck fan!"

Tony Ozuna can be reached at
features@praguepost.com