Gary Burton – Easy As Pie (1981/2019)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 48:07 minutes | 998 MB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © ECM

Gary Burton’s involvement in any project guarantees smoothness and melodic robustness, and Easy As Pie is no less promising than one would expect from the mallet master. As the title may imply, the results are generally laid back, but ever virtuosic. From the first licks of “Reactionary Tango” (Carla Bley) we get a taste of the banquet about to be laid before us. Jim Odgren shines on reeds the pages of this developing story, snipping from them a string of paper dolls. As one is swept away by the strains of “Summer Band Camp” (Mick Goodrick)—a fantastic piece that first appeared on the composer’s In Pas(s)ing—one notices just how integral Odgren is to the overall sound. “Blame It On My Youth” (Oscar Levant) is emblematic of what Burton does so well, capturing moments and memories as if in snapshots of living sound. In this solo piece, he sews that feeling of nostalgia into every motivic cell of activity. And further in “Isfahan” (Strayhorn/Ellington), a smoky ballad with plenty of shadow in which to luxuriate unseen, Burton turns that shadow into liquid gold in the throes of his soloing. Just so this joint doesn’t weigh us down with too much dark energy, two Chick Corea tunes, “Tweek” and “Stardancer,” give us plenty of beat to chew on and highlight Steve Swallow’s unstoppable groove. Between the kaleidoscopic drum solo from Mike Hyman and Odgren’s storybook endings, there is more than enough color to go around.

(more…)

Gary Burton – Take Another Look: a Career Retrospective (2018)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/192 kHz | Time – 03:25:36 minutes | 5,04 GB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Mack Avenue Records

Mack Avenue was honored to be Burton’s final home, releasing two critically acclaimed albums by his remarkable New Quartet featuring guitarist and protégé Julian Lage, bassist Scott Colley, and drummer Antonio Sánchez. But Take Another Look encompasses the entirety of Burton’s 50+-year career, from his attention-grabbing early releases for industry powerhouse RCA Victor, through his wide-ranging sessions for Atlantic and his iconic ECM recordings, on to his fusion-era reinvention on GRP and his eclectic and generation-spanning efforts for Concord and Mack Avenue.

(more…)

Gary Burton – Seven Songs For Quartet And Chamber Orchestra (1974/2014)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 37:23 minutes | 692 MB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © ECM

Sounding as fresh today as it did in 1973, Seven Songs places the Gary Burton Quartet in an orchestral context, with compositions of Michael Gibbs inspired by Messiaen and Charles Ives as well as Miles and Gil Evans and exceptional soloing by Mick Goodrick, Steve Swallow and Burton himself. The production is exemplary: Seven Songs set a new standard for recordings of orchestral jazz.

(more…)

Gary Burton – Picture This (1982/2019)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 44:57 minutes | 871 MB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © ECM

“This set of duets by vibraphonist Gary Burton and guitarist Ralph Towner features a logical matchup, since both musicians are open to folk melodies and are generally quiet improvisers. In addition to six Towner originals and Burton’s “Brotherhood,” the set has thoughtful versions of “Some Other Time” and “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat.” More tempo and mood variation would have uplifted the otherwise fine music” (Scott Yanow, AMG).

(more…)