"Carrying the tradition of jazz guitar from Charlie Christian and Django Reinhardt to the present day is a very important aspect of my music," guitarist John Abercrombie told Jazziz magazine. "I'd like people to perceive me as having a direct connection to the history of jazz guitar, while expanding some musical boundaries which may not always involve the guitar itself."

Abercrombie took up the guitar at age 14, and by the time he graduated high school he was ready to pursue music full-time. He studied at Boston's Berklee School of Music, and began playing clubs and bars. Soon he was touring with organist Johnny Hammond Smith, and it was during this time that he met the Brecker Brothers, who invited him to join their group, Dreams. After graduation, Abercrombie moved to New York and became a highly demanded session musician, performing with Gil Evans, Gato Barbieri, Barry Miles, Chico Hamilton, and Billy Cobham, with whom Abercrombie began to attract widespread attention.

He recorded several albums with Cobham, and a short time later recorded four critically-acclaimed albums with Jack DeJohnette and Jan Hammer under the name Gateway. Abercrombie formed his own quartet in 1979 with pianist Richie Beirach, bassist George Mraz, and drummer Peter Donald, with whom he recorded three albums. He has played on all of DeJohnette's Directions and New Directions albums, and has also collaborated with Ralph Towner and Kenny Wheeler. His own trio, which, over the years, has included Marc Johnson, Peter Erskine, Dan Wall, and Adam Nussbaum, has released a number of albums, including Tactics, While We're Young and Speak of the Devil. In 1997, Abercrombie was featured in Guitar Player magazine as one of "30 tones that changed the world."