"This is the second disc from Abercrombie's "new" quartet, with Mark Feldman, Marc Johnson, & Joey Baron, following the 2002 release _Cat 'n' Mouse_ (Feldman also featured strongly on _Open Land_, a "transitional" album between the hot organ trio that occupied Abercrombie in the 1990s & the new band). It's very close to the previous album in many ways--down to the inclusion of exactly two collective improvisations among the Abercrombie originals--though on the whole it's a more streamlined disc, without the exploratory edge of its predecessor (the previous album had a lot of open space on it). The drifting, moody vibe, with a tendency to metres like 3/4 & 6/8, is broken open by the odd hard moment, like the big climax on the opening "Dansir" or the Ornettish freebop of "Swirls", and there's a nice arrangement of Bartok's "Soldier's Song", but on the whole this does get a bit sameish.... A nice album, but go to _Cat'n'Mouse_ first."
Stunningly, ravishingly beautiful
Jan P. Dennis | Monument, CO USA | 11/13/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"With the same line-up (Abercrombie, guitar; Mark Feldman, violin; Marc Johnson, double-bass; Joey Baron, drums) as 2002's great Cat 'n' Mouse, Class Trip mines a vein similar to that beautifully recorded chamberlike jazz, with even more spectacular results. This is ECM fully deploying its rapturous, ecstatic sonic palettes. Could this music have been released on any other label? I don't think so. Could this music have been conceived, played, produced, and presented by any other band? Again, I don't think so.
The key to this music is frontliners Abercrombie and Feldman. They mesh, interweave, dance, cavort, frolic, and gambol with consummate artistry, all the while plaiting magical sonorities and sophisticated, mesmeric songlines. Echoes of earlier passages from Cat 'n' Mouse flit in and out of listeners' consciousness, creating an almost anamnetic, sacramental experience. Marc Johnson and Joey Baron, players of consummate taste and imagination, provide the absolute perfect partners to the magical front line
It's not necessary to have heard the earlier disc, but it helps. Together, they mark the high point for Abercrombie, a jazz guitarist of the absolute first rank, who has found his ultimate setting.
Essential."
Abercrombie's "Masterpiece"
Jazz Fan | Miami, FL United States | 07/24/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"With Abercrombies old gear up in smoke( musical and other personal belongings burned up in a fire ), his tone has taken up noticably a much lighter tonality, remarkably close to that of a particular incarnation of John Scofield. With that said, Abercrombie, Mark Feldman,Joey Barron, and Marc Johnson come together for the second time ( first recorded on the 2002 release Cat N Mouse ), this time bringing it all together for what seems to be a recording that is perfectly weighted. While possibly some of the songs off of Cat N Mouse may have seem to be works in progress ( albeit, very enjoyable ones ), after repeated listenings, the music from Class Trip increasingly has a feeling of being self-resolved ( complete ). Excellent sound. Essential Abercrombie and easily one of the best releases of 2004!"
FLUID GRACE AND LOTS OF STYLE
Larry L. Looney | Austin, Texas USA | 07/25/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Well, it seems I have another CD to buy: the previous recording by this group, CAT N MOUSE. I hadn't heard John Abercrombie's work in a few years - I remember enjoying some of his earlier recordings, but for some reason I hadn't kept up with him. I stumbled on this CD in a local store last week, gave it a listen, and was hooked immediately. It's been a long time since I've heard such gentle beauty combined with energy and imagination.
Abercrombie's guitar work has always been impressive - he's never been a player content to stand still, to continually 'reproduce his past to earn his pension' (to paraphrase Chris Cutler's description of musically treading water). I knew full well to enter into this CD with no expectations as to style - so I was overwhelmingly (and pleasantly) blown away by what I heard. The combination of Abercrombie's guitar, the violin on Mark Feldman, and the tasteful support of Marc Johnson (double-bass) and Joey Baron (drums) makes for one of the most pleasant, listenable excursions into jazz - without ever getting dull or predictable - that I've experienced.
The guitar and violin trade lines and intertwine deftly - and the rhythm section lays down a firm foundation interspersed with several bright, thoughtful accents of their own. Being more of a listener than a player, it sounds to me as if the tracks are mostly composed pieces that allow lots of room for improvisation - and the musicians handle the job very aptly. This is truly a case of a quartet working as a unit, without any of the members losing individual identity - a tricky task, but one they pull off nicely. The tracks vary widely in their tempo and length (from 3 minutes to 9½) - and the set is a long one, at over 70 minutes, without a single 'throwaway' track in the lot.
Another great release from the amazing ECM Records - highly recommended!
"
Elegantly boring
IRate | 05/22/2010
(3 out of 5 stars)
"
One of those too-subtle-for-its-own-good, gently-fused musings often taking the high road of atmospheric ambivalence over concrete composition."