John Abercrombie Quotes

Powerful John Abercrombie for Daily Growth

About John Abercrombie

John Abercrombie (1944-2017) was an influential American jazz guitarist and composer, known for his versatile and innovative approach to improvisation and composition. Born in Chicago on March 16, 1944, Abercrombie grew up in a family that valued music, with his mother playing piano and his father singing in a barbershop quartet. This early exposure to music laid the foundation for Abercrombie's passion. Abercrombie began his musical journey on clarinet at age eight, later moving to trumpet and then guitar. He attended DePaul University in Chicago but dropped out before graduation to pursue a career in music. His professional career took off in the 1960s when he joined the jazz-rock fusion group Dreams, which included future Miles Davis bandmates Dave Liebman and Jack DeJohnette. Abercrombie's style was marked by his unique blend of jazz, rock, and classical influences. His innovative use of effects pedals, unconventional chord structures, and expressive improvisations set him apart from other guitarists. He released numerous albums as a leader, including "Timeless" (1975), "Parallelograms" (1976), and "Doorway" (1980). In addition to his solo work, Abercrombie was a sought-after session musician, collaborating with artists such as Joe Henderson, Pat Metheny, Jan Garbarek, and the Brecker Brothers. He also led the Gateway Trio with bassist Dave Holland and drummer Jack DeJohnette for many years, contributing to the development of contemporary jazz through their innovative compositions and improvisations. John Abercrombie passed away on October 22, 2017, leaving behind a rich legacy in jazz music. His unique approach to guitar playing and composition continues to influence a new generation of musicians. Quotes like "I don't believe in right or wrong notes" and "You have to get comfortable with yourself before you can get comfortable with the music" reflect his deep understanding of both music and human nature.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Music is a language that doesn't require speech."

The quote suggests that music transcends linguistic boundaries, allowing people from all cultures and backgrounds to connect and understand each other on a universal level. Music communicates emotions, stories, and ideas without the need for spoken words, thus uniting humanity through its power of expression.


"The great challenge for musicians today is to find their own voice."

The quote by John Abercrombie emphasizes the importance of individuality in music, suggesting that each musician should strive to develop a unique, authentic style or "voice" that sets them apart from others. This is especially relevant in today's music scene, where the abundance of talent and accessibility to various musical influences can make it difficult for artists to stand out. Finding one's own voice involves honing skills, experimenting with different styles, and expressing personal emotions and experiences through their music. It's a journey of self-discovery that ultimately leads to creating meaningful and original art.


"I don't like to talk about what I'm going to do or what I did before, I just want people to listen and react."

This quote by John Abercrombie emphasizes his preference for the immediate and subjective experience of art over discussion and analysis of it. He values the direct engagement of listeners with his music, rather than focusing on what he intends or has previously done. In essence, Abercrombie invites people to experience the present moment of his performance, allowing their individual interpretations to emerge.


"I think the most important thing is to keep your ears open."

This quote emphasizes the importance of listening, learning, and adapting in any situation. By keeping your ears open, one can gather valuable information from their environment, others, and experiences, which leads to personal growth, better decision-making, and deeper understanding. It encourages an attitude of curiosity, humility, and a willingness to learn, ultimately making one more receptive to new ideas and perspectives.


"The process of making music is a very personal one for me."

This quote by John Abercrombie suggests that for him, creating music is a deeply individual experience. It implies that the process of composing or performing involves self-expression, introspection, and perhaps even emotion, which are uniquely his own. This perspective underscores the idea that music, like other forms of art, can serve as a reflection of an artist's personal thoughts, feelings, and experiences.


I don't remember what was going through my mind, but what was going through my body was fear and terror. I had been on the road with Johnny and working gigs and playing a lot of the organ clubs.

- John Abercrombie

Mind, Through, Organ, Johnny

Take '39 Steps'. When I finished writing it, I counted the number of measures in the composition. I always do this because I am interested in the length of a song. So I counted this one a couple of times because 39 is an unusual number of measures for a song.

- John Abercrombie

Song, Always, Couple, Counted

I started out trying to play more straight-ahead jazz. I went to Berklee in the early '60s when it was a brand new school, and so there was no fusion music. There wasn't a lot of mixing together of different kinds of music at that time, so jazz was kind of pure jazz.

- John Abercrombie

Play, Jazz, Mixing, Brand

I grew up listening to Barney Kessel and Wes Montgomery, Kenny Burrell, guys with blues backgrounds.

- John Abercrombie

Listening, Kenny, Grew, Barney

Classical musicians do this all the time. They want perfection. So they piece things together. Eight bars of this and six bars of that. Glenn Gould said that with a recording he wanted to make perfect versions of pieces.

- John Abercrombie

Want, Perfect, Six, Perfection

You're just sort of searching for this 'thing' and sometimes you get it and sometimes you don't. All music is imperfect, but in jazz since you're improvising, at least the way I play, I'm trying to follow my train of thought in a solo.

- John Abercrombie

Thought, Play, Jazz, Train

When we improvise freely - that is, without a structure - it tends to sound more like 20th century classical music, more like a classical ensemble improvising, as opposed to a free-jazz group, where you're more used to hearing saxophones honking.

- John Abercrombie

Sound, Improvise, Classical, Improvising

The music is fun. The big difference performing it live is that we might get a little more heated, not as subdued, we'll stretch things out more. It's how you stay fresh after such a long time in the business.

- John Abercrombie

Long, Big, Out, Fresh

Every time I listen back to solos of mine I'll hear something I like and then another phrase that I can't stand. You have to live with what you play. And the recording medium puts that on us. When I play live gigs I don't think so much like that.

- John Abercrombie

Play, Back, Another, Solos

On record dates like that I never felt too nervous because everything was really overdubbed. When we did that album, we were in the studio for probably a week, so you had a lot of opportunity to fix things.

- John Abercrombie

Week, Studio, Had, Dates

In the studio, if things go wrong, you stop things and fix them. I have never been in a recording studio, really, where the people in the booth were not interested in making a very good album. It's often a light-hearted atmosphere but serious at the same time.

- John Abercrombie

Studio, Atmosphere, Very, Not Interested

If you listen to a lot of music, it gradually seeps into your consciousness or your unconsciousness and comes out in your music.

- John Abercrombie

Listen, Consciousness, Your, Gradually

I think once I started writing my own music and having my own bands, that's when I got more of a focus on what I wanted to do, personally.

- John Abercrombie

Think, I Think, Having, Bands

The way I evolved was playing straight-ahead jazz into playing more fusion-type stuff just because I was young enough to get into it. As I get older, I find myself coming back to where I kind of started.

- John Abercrombie

Young, Jazz, More, Evolved

I don't think anybody really super-consciously tries to develop a style to play.

- John Abercrombie

Play, Think, Anybody, Tries

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