| Class Trip | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 26, 2004 | |||
| Recorded | February 2003 | |||
| Studio | Avatar, New York City | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 71:56 | |||
| Label | ECM ECM 1846 | |||
| Producer | Manfred Eicher | |||
| John Abercrombie chronology | ||||
| ||||
Class Trip is an album by American jazz guitarist John Abercrombie recorded in February 2003 and released by ECM on April 26th, 2004. The quartet features violinist Mark Feldman and rhythm section Marc Johnson and Joey Baron. [1]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| All About Jazz |   [2] |
| AllMusic | [3] |
| The Guardian |  [4] |
| Penguin Guide to Jazz | [5] |
John Kelman of All About Jazz commented, "His latest quartet release, Class Trip, delivers on that promise with an album that raises the bar even further, and never fails to make the leap." [2]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz awarded the album 4 stars, stating, "Class Trip is quiet, thoughtful and about as remote from the current axis of American jazz guitar." [5]
The AllMusic review by Thom Jurek states:
On Class Trip, the bandmembers come together fully and build on that concept with such beauty and grace that they sound as if they've been playing together all their lives. The sheer subtle intuition that guides these proceedings is breathtaking.... This band is concerned only with the articulation and expression of a musicality that lies not in the obviousness of its contributors' considerable musical gifts as jazz improvisers, but in the sheer nuanced elegance of an ensemble whose blurring of traditions under the rubric of improvisation makes the group not only compelling but brilliant. Abercrombie's compositions for this band are the most adventurous and graceful of his long career; as a unit, the quartet is a band without peers that plays a music whose challenge is only eclipsed by its accessibility and singular language. [3]
All tracks are written by John Abercrombie, except as noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Dansir" | 9:31 | |
| 2. | "Risky Business" | 7:38 | |
| 3. | "Descending Grace" | 8:56 | |
| 4. | "Illinoise" |
| 5:35 |
| 5. | "Cat Walk" | 7:55 | |
| 6. | "Excuse My Shoes" | 8:28 | |
| 7. | "Swirls" | 6:06 | |
| 8. | "Jack and Betty" | 3:39 | |
| 9. | "Class Trip" | 7:29 | |
| 10. | "Soldier's Song" | Béla Bartók | 3:02 |
| 11. | "Epilogue" |
| 3:37 |
Marc Alan Johnson is an American jazz bass player, composer and band leader. Johnson was born in Nebraska and grew up in Texas. He is married to the Brazilian jazz pianist and singer Eliane Elias.
John Laird Abercrombie was an American jazz guitarist. His work explored jazz fusion, free jazz, and avant-garde jazz. Abercrombie studied at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. He was known for his understated style and his work with organ trios.
Mark Feldman is an American jazz violinist.
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