Open Land is an album by American jazz guitarist John Abercrombie recorded in September 1998 and released on ECM June the following year. The sextet features trumpeter Kenny Wheeler, saxophonist Joe Lovano, violinist Mark Feldman, organist Dan Wall, and drummer Adam Nussbaum.[1]

Open Land
Studio album by
ReleasedJune 9, 1999
RecordedSeptember 1998
StudioAvatar, New York City
GenreJazz
Length64:56
LabelECM
ECM 1683
ProducerManfred Eicher
John Abercrombie chronology
Tactics
(1997)
Open Land
(1999)
Cat 'n' Mouse
(2002)

Reception edit

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [2]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz    [3]

The AllMusic review by Richard S. Ginell called the album "an absorbing set of elegantly textured, poly-styled music laced with his drifting, occasionally jagged yet never overbearing guitar."[2]

The Penguin Guide to Jazz stated: "Like most current ECM sets, this feels very much like a collaborative project rather than a leader-plus-group; but Abercrombie does seem firmly, quietly in charge here, steering the performances in his distinctive hard to define way."[3]

Track listing edit

All tracks are written by John Abercrombie except where noted

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Just in Tune" 6:35
2."Open Land" 10:08
3."Spring Song" 8:59
4."Gimme Five" 7:23
5."Speak Easy" 6:43
6."Little Booker" 6:13
7."Free Piece Suit(e)"
  • Abercrombie
  • Nussbaum
  • Wall
  • Lovano
  • Wheeler
  • Feldman
6:53
8."Remember When" 7:57
9."That's for Sure" 4:05

Personnel edit

References edit

  1. ^ ECM discography accessed October 25, 2011
  2. ^ a b Ginell, R. S. AllMusic Review accessed October 25, 2011
  3. ^ a b Cook, Richard; Brian Morton (2006) [1992]. The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings. The Penguin Guide to Jazz (8th ed.). London: Penguin. pp. 3. ISBN 978-0-141-02327-4.