Personnel includes: John Abercrombie (guitar); Mark Feldman (violin); Marc Johnson (upright bass); Joey Baron (drums). Recorded at Avatar Studios, New York, New York in December 2000. Aided by an all-star band, John Abercombie makes it clear on CAT 'N' MOUSE exactly why he continues to be regarded as one of jazz's most creative and progressive guitarists. He's possessed not only of fearsome chops, but a finely honed textural sensibility that enables him to move from the slinky lines and feathery tones of the opening cut "A Nice Idea" to the forward-looking experimentalism of "Convolution" and post-bop firestorm of "Stop and Go" without missing a beat. Yoemanlike work is done as well by violinist Mark Feldman, whose purity of tone is matched only by his ceaseless originality and succinct phrasing. On the album's numerous contemplative tunes, it's a pleasure to hear Abercombie and Feldman's lines cris-crossing, creating spontaneous tone poems that bear beauty and invention in equal measure.

EDITORIAL REVIEWS This new recording line-up forms a bridge between new "soundscape" areas that John explored on 1999' s highly successful Open Land and the improvisatio nal jazz flexibility that distinguished the old Abercrombie/Johnson/Erskine trio. The addition of Joey Baron brings a new energy into the ensemble. .COM Folks fond of pointing out the chamber-jazz tendencies of ECM recordings could have a field day with this disc. The sympathetic blend of legato guitar, violin, and acoustic bass (with drums) sometimes lends the delicacy of a string ensemble to the proceedings, and the group interaction is as telepathic as any long-standing classical quartet. But those aforementioned folks would be ignoring the relentless swing of Abercrombie's playing, the subtle playfulness of Joey Baron's drumming, and the edginess of the largely free improvisation ("Third Stream Samba" and "Show of Hands" were originally titled "Free Improvisation I and II"). For those put by thoughts of free jazz, be assured that Abercrombie & Co. (including bassist Marc Johnson) come out of a school that allows free playing to be dynamic, rooted, interactive, and often even beautiful. The "anything goes" '70s that spawned this style gave us guitarists like Abercrombie and his contemporaries Frisell, Scofield, and Metheny. Like them, he imbues his structured tunes with freedom and his free tunes with structure, and we are all the beneficiaries. --Michael Ross

Personnel includes: John Abercrombie (guitar); Mark Feldman (violin); Marc Johnson (upright bass); Joey Baron (drums). Recorded at Avatar Studios, New York, New York in December 2000. Aided by an all-star band, John Abercombie makes it clear on CAT 'N' MOUSE exactly why he continues to be regarded as one of jazz's most creative and progressive guitarists. He's possessed not only of fearsome chops, but a finely honed textural sensibility that enables him to move from the slinky lines and feathery tones of the opening cut "A Nice Idea" to the forward-looking experimentalism of "Convolution" and post-bop firestorm of "Stop and Go" without missing a beat. Yoemanlike work is done as well by violinist Mark Feldman, whose purity of tone is matched only by his ceaseless originality and succinct phrasing. On the album's numerous contemplative tunes, it's a pleasure to hear Abercombie and Feldman's lines cris-crossing, creating spontaneous tone poems that bear beauty and invention in equal measure.