Night (John Abercrombie album)

Night
Studio album by John Abercrombie
Released	November 20, 1984
Recorded	April 1984
Studio	Power Station, New York City
Genre	Jazz
Length	41:29
Label	ECM 1272
Producer	Manfred Eicher
John Abercrombie chronology
Solar (1984) Night (1984) Current Events (1986)

Night is an album by guitarist John Abercrombie, recorded in 1984 and released on ECM Records in November of that year. The quartet features saxophonist Michael Brecker, keyboardist Jan Hammer, and drummer Jack DeJohnette. ^[1]

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz	[3]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide	[4]

The AllMusic review by Daniel Gioffre stated: "This record is the kind of album that one would like to hear while enjoying a late-night cigarette on the roof of a Manhattan apartment. Moody, atmospheric, and beautiful." ^[2]

The Penguin Guide to Jazz awarded the album 3 stars, stating, "Night demonstrated two things: first, that Abercrombie had outgrown the association with Hammer in particular, probably because increasingly he could give those evocative keyboard figures his own spin, using pedals and later, guitar synth; and secondly, that he never sounds entirely easy in the company of a horn player whose main strength is rapid fire changes." ^[3]

The ECM website states that the album stands out in the ECM catalogue: "Though something of an blip in the Abercrombie back catalogue, Night is far from benign. Aside from the effusive music, what really distinguishes this album is its sound. Another slam-dunk for engineer Jan Erik Kongshaug." ^[5]

Track listing

All tracks are written by John Abercrombie except where noted.

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Ethereggae"	Jan Hammer	8:28
2.	"Night"		5:02
3.	"3 East"		4:33
4.	"Look Around"		9:02
5.	"Believe You Me"		7:42
6.	"Four On One"		6:42

Personnel

• John Abercrombie – guitar
• Michael Brecker – tenor saxophone
• Jan Hammer – keyboards
• Jack DeJohnette – drums

References

1. ECM discography accessed September 22, 2011
2. Gioffre, D. AllMusic Review accessed September 22, 2011
3. 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.
4. Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide . USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. pp.  3. ISBN   0-394-72643-X.
5. Grillo, Tyran (December 21, 2011). "John Abercrombie: Night (ECM 1272)". Between Sound and Space: ECM Records and Beyond. Retrieved August 15, 2025.