Record Reviews

GARY BURTON ~ COMMON GROUND MACK AVENUE 1061 (Barcode: 673203106123) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 2011 Released: 2011 This is an album by American vibraphonist / composer / bandleader Gary BurtonFind albums by this artist, recorded with his “New Gary Burton Quartet”, the last quartet he led before his retirement in 2017. It is the first album by this quartet, which was followed by the 2nd album from 2013, called “Guided TourFind albums with this title”, which would be the last studio album Burton recorded. The quartet includes guitarist Julian LageFind albums by this artist, bassist Scott ColleyFind albums by this artist and Mexican drummer Antonio SanchezFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten tracks, with only one being an original composition by Burton, two each by Lage and Sanchez, one by Colley, two by Ukrainian pianist / composer Vadim NeselovskyiFind albums by this artist, a member of Burton previous quartet, one by Keith JarrettFind albums by this artist and finally one is a standard. The album offers wonderful sound quality. The music is all strictly within melodic mainstream Jazz idiom, brilliantly executed by Burton, who is in perfect form and the young excellent musicians, who accompany him. Although not composed by Burton, the music is very much within his usual style, which prefers the European Jazz esthetics, with complex harmonies and subtle lyricism, which were always his trademark. Therefore, although not innovative or surprising, the music is a perfect continuation of Burton’s recorded legacy. The dialogues between the vibraphone and guitar, which are a leading feature in Burtons groups (Larry CoryellFind albums by this artist, Mick GoodrickFind albums by this artist, Pat MethenyFind albums by this artist and others) through the years, proves again to be his favorite harmonic collaboration, which never fails to deliver. Overall, this is a beautiful album in every respect, which for the many Burton’s followers (yours truly included) delivers exactly what they love to hear and serves as an ideal closure of his long career, which enriched our life for so many years.

Updated: 16/06/2025Posted: 16/06/2025

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GARY BURTON ~ DREAMS SO REAL – MUSIC OF CARLA BLEY ECM 1072 (Barcode: 602517758308) ~ USA ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1975 Released: 2008 US vibraphonist / composer Gary BurtonFind albums by this artist is one of the pillars of American modern Jazz and his extraordinary legacy of recorded music includes a monumental body of work, spanning decades, styles and an incredible variety of sounds. On this very unique album, Burton and his quintet - which consists of two guitarists: British Mick GoodrickFind albums by this artist (one of the greatest and sadly little known guitar virtuosi) and US Pat MethenyFind albums by this artist, bassist Steve SwallowFind albums by this artist and drummer Bob MosesFind albums by this artist - play tribute to the great US composer Carla BleyFind albums by this artist. Bley´s compositions have been always a superb example of ingenuity and intelligence as much as deep lyricism and melodic perception. Stylistically in a universe of her own, Bley deserves a very special place on the pedestal of great 20th Century composers and this loving tribute is a proper example of the recognition of her talents. The presence of two electric guitarists on this album gives it a certain slightly Fusion touch, but definitely of the gentle sort, which suits the music perfectly. Brilliant stuff!

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FASOLI / GOODRICK / DANIELSSON / OXLEY ~ BODIES AZZURRA 1327 (Barcode: 8028980739323) ~ ITALY ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 1989 - 1990 Released: 2018 This is a reissue of an album by an international Jazz quartet led by Italian saxophonist / composer Claudio FasoliFind albums by this artist, with American guitarist Mick GoodrickFind albums by this artist, Swedish bassist Palle DanielssonFind albums by this artist and British drummer Tony OxleyFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight tracks, all of which are original compositions by Fasoli. The music is a wonderful example of modern European Jazz, based on wonderful melodic themes and performed with a lot of Freedom and space for individual expression within the quartet setting. All four members of the quartet are true Masters of their instruments and have gained a lot of experience playing with top Jazz musicians for many years. Although Goodrick comes from the US, his approach to Jazz has always been closer to European Jazz that most of his compatriots, and his rapport with the three Europeans is completely natural and open-minded. The presence of Oxley is especially interesting here, both in the role of a “traditional” drummer and as a great innovator, playing avant-garde oriented parts, which by the time this album was recorded was his main area of interest. Any way one approaches his contributions here, those are absolutely stellar of course. Goodrick uses the guitar synthesizer in addition to electric guitar, which adds to the unique sound of the quartet. Danielsson is the absolute anchor for the music here and his brilliant pulsation keep the music afloat. Fasoli is excellent, as always, but his ability to weave the exquisite melodic themes is especially important herein to give the album a coherent direction. Overall, this is a little known gem, which deserves to be discovered, offering brilliant musicianship and highly advanced approach to the Jazz ensemble as a cooperative unit, able to make music that makes sense even when the traditional framework is almost completely abandoned. This is a great addition to any serious European Jazz record collection.

Updated: 24/06/2023Posted: 24/06/2023

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