Track Listing

1. Four or Less - Gary Burton
2. Colours of Chlo� - Gary Burton Quintet, Eberhard Weber
3. Dreams So Real - Gary Burton Quintet
4. Medley: Ictus/Syndrome/Wrong Key Donkey - Gary Burton Quintet
5. B & G (Midwestern Night's Dream) - Gary Burton Quartet, Eberhard Weber
6. Duke Ellington's Sound of Love - Gary Burton Quartet
7. Syndrome - Gary Burton Quartet
8. Ladies in Mercedes - Gary Burton
9. Divetta - Gary Burton Quintet

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #297325 in Music
• Released on: 2002-05-20
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Original recording remastered, Import

Amazon.com
Gary Burton's selection for ECM's rarum series anthologizes nine selections he recorded for the company between 1972 and 1987. Burton chose them himself (he also contributes an incisive and stylish essay surveying the music and the bands represented), and the result is an absorbing, wide-ranging portrait of his middle years, by the end of which he was well on the way to being the only vibist to seriously rival Milt Jackson. Amongst others he is joined by bassists Eberhard Weber and Steve Swallow, guitarists Mick Goodrick and Pat Metheny, and pianist Makoto Ozone--that last foreshadowing more recent collaborations--and the performances are in keeping with the musicians' heavyweight reputations. So consistent is the music despite its variety of mood and texture that it is difficult to nominate highlights, but the Charles Mingus composition "Duke Ellington's Sound of Love" is outstanding, as is "La Divetta" with Ozone and the excellent saxophonist Tommy Smith. The playing throughout is of the highest quality, transcending the somewhat dated quality of a few of the arrangements or conceptions, and in all respects that matter this is timeless fare. If you're new to Burton, this is the perfect introduction to a great jazzman, and so satisfying is the compilation that it is hardly less recommended to those who may have one or two of the tracks already. --Richard Palmer

Customer Reviews

Non-composing vibesman
The vibraphone has never really caught on in a big way. Maybe we associate it too readily with hotel muzak. A number of artists (e.g. the Pat Metheny Group on their recent tour) use tuned percussion for background atmospherics, but there are very few bands in my CD collection where a vibraphone, xylophone or glockenspiel is to the forefront. Essentially those bands are Gong and the Gary Burton Quartet/Quintet.

Besides choosing an unpopular instrument, the other problem Gary Butron has faced throughout his ECM career is his inability to pen great tunes. A bandleader who cannot write is a rare beast. Interestingly, three of the nine tunes on this compilation are by bassists (Swallow, Mingus and Weber). Another three are by Carla Bley. But perhaps the strongest composition here is Pat Metheny's 'B&G (Midwestern Nights dream)' from Burton's masterpiece album, PASSENGERS.

It would be sad for two reasons if, in the annals of jazz history, Gary Burton was labelled as the vibesman who discovered Pat Metheny. Firstly because Pat Metheny would have broken through to the big time with or without Burtons midwifery. And secondly because he's led some great bands, as this CD shows.

As per the other :rarum compilations, the remastered sound quality is excellent, and the sleevenotes highly informative. (It made me aware of how minimalist ECM album covers have been in terms of delivering biographical information.)

I hope you like this album. I suspect it won't be incessantly on my turntable, but it's a very pleasant listen. (In spite of that last sentence, it really isn't muzak!) As I previously hinted, the Burton album you should head for next is the brilliant PASSENGERS.

An Essential Release
Surprisingly, vibes master Gary Burton chose not to include any cuts from his famous ECM duet recordings with Chick Corea in his ECM career overview recording; instead, he has focused on recordings with bands. The end result is an anthology with continuity, with Burton's work on vibes being the thread that runs through these various groups.

A special highlight of this recording, at least for me, is "B&G (Midwestern Nights Dream)," a Pat Metheny composition from Burton's Passengers. It is one of those cuts whose melody will haunt your mind forever, and you will want to play it over and over again. Once you hear it, you may want to run right out and look for a copy of Passengers.

It is fascinating to hear how Burton is able to play with so many different musicians. On bass, for example, we hear the three very different styles of Eberhard Weber, Steve Swallow, and Abraham Laboriel on various cuts, but it all works coherently. Burton's liner notes speak about the evolution of his bands and his sound, helping to make this collection an essential acquisition for Gary Burton fans. If you are not a fan, give this recording a listen and you probably will be.

A journey
This is a good collection of Gary Burton's work (so far)and contains some very interesting choices (all made by Burton himself).Burton's chosen instruments(Vibes and later on some Marimba) are difficult to be really expressive on but he suceeds almost effortlessly.While Burton is not a composer himself he takes us on a journey with him to find his music through other writers that is equal parts fascinating ,frustrating and joyous.
As a player he is delicate and linear rather than wild and free and his choice of music and musicians reflects this.His playing at his best is exquisite and will certainly have you returning to this disc.