John Abercrombie

Veteran American jazz guitarist Abercrombie may not have achieved the crossover commercial success of a John Scofield but he has long been recognized as a genuine master of his instrument throughout a career now spanning more than 40 years and nearly 50 albums. Wait Till You See Her is a worthy addition to his canon. His current quartet features long-time accompanists Mark Feldman (violin) and Joey Baron (drums), plus Thomas Morgan on double bass, and their musical empathy is clearly audible. The title track is a gentle, haunting version of the Rogers and Hart classic. All the other numbers are originals, confirming Abercrombie's compositional prowess. The overall mood is mellow and the production work of ECM head Manfred Eicher is typically clean and sparse. Abercrombie's understated yet always fluent playing is a delight, while Feldman's equally tuneful violin work often adds a classical feel.