Customer Reviews

Gary Burton & Keith Jarrett

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It is very hard to describe the talents of Keith Jarrett and Gary Burton by one word since each of their play covers from traditional Jazz to folk rock or even classical music. However, as a big fan of both musicians (especially Keith), let me state that this is a great album. You will feel pleasure of listening of their musical collaboration. Listen to "Como En Vietnam". Each time I hear it, I cannot deny that I become excited about their play. Keith, Gary, and the bassist Steve Swallow inspired each other and made a real creation in this tune. If you like either Keith Jarrett or Gary Burton, I personally believe that you should not miss the chance to hear their great collaboration in this album.

This is a nice mix of stuff Burton did a few decades ago. It's two LPs on one CD - Keith Jarrett is on only one of the LPs, so he's on just half the CD. Some of the part with Jarrett is about as close to jazz/rock fusion as I have heard either of them play, but it's not cliche, it's good stuff, bright, fine melodies, creative rhythm changes - it still sounds fresh, hearing it again after all these years. Then there's some more tranquil tracks, it's not all of one rhythm. Moonchild, and In Your Quiet Place, etc., memorable, fine tunes. The other half of the CD is the LP Throb, very different from the part with Jarrett, more moody in parts - the rhythm of the title cut does just what it says, throbbing with yearning - but the LP is also in parts light and whimsical, like bassist Swallow's composition - what's it called, Doing the Chicken? A good double album CD, a nice mix of two very different vintage Burton LPs.

Two of the Vibraphonist Gary Burton's albums reissued on 1 single CD.
On the first album, Burton teams up with pianist Keith Jarrett and guitarist Sam Brown delivering a fantastic Jazz recording.
The second album Burton plays with Steve swallow and guitarist Jerry Hahn.
In these two recordings, Burton was in his most exploring period, delivering music, that although dates from 1969 and 1970, still sounds very tight and fresh today.
Recommended.

Throb was my introduction to jazz back in '69 or '70. I have
listened to it all of these years on LP then CD, and it never
lost its charm. Steve Swallow was just as nutty then as he is now, "Chickens"
is my favorite cut. The play between electric
violinist Richard Greene and guitarist Jerry Hahn is a thing of
beauty. Hahn is still a player who can put just the right note
in just the right place (like that other countrified genius of
jazz Bill Frisell), he can fuzz and wah-wah then tinkle the
strings just right to make his musical point. One interesting
thing is the organ playing by Burton on Throb, besides his vibes.
The Jarrett-Burton album also has Hahn and Swallow, and drummer
Bill Goodwin --It is very much an album that shows all the new
ideas sprouting in music. Fortunately, the ideas of that time
did not die out, but have continued to grow, making room for all
sorts of fusions in Jazz, many of which have been remarkable to
experience. These two-LPs-in-one is like having a Superstar
album before they became superstars. As I said before, I
still play this CD after almost 35 years, and I still get a kick
out of it, and still find things that amaze me.

This record was the one that got me started in the direction of jazz. When I first heard it it was like a revelation, and even if that was 27 years ago (1976) and I was only 15 then, it's still one of my favourites and a record I really wouldn't want to be without.
The record was out of print then, but fortunately Atlantic re-released it in their "That's jazz"-series.
The record is bristling with joy of playing and the whole thing sounds very fresh, including the writing (mostly by Jarrett). Burton and Jarrett interact nicely and soulfully and Sam Brown really smokes on the guitar, very singing lines of his.
There are some very serene moments in "Moonchild/In your quiet place" which is succeeded by "Como en Vietnam" (By Steve Swallow), which is probably the peak of the album, especially with Keiths soprano sax playing on the last vamping part, where he plays furiously, with complete abandon.
All in all: not a single boring moment on the record.
(This goes for the first part, originally released as "Gary Burton & Keith Jarrett", the second part, "Throb" by Burton, I have heard, but id didn't make a very big impression.)

I hadn't heard this album in years, and my first impression was that it sounded a bit dated. The production values and general sound clearly place the piece in the 1970's.

Very quickly though I was struck by the sense that there is something clean and fresh about the album. There's an exuberance of people playing songs they like and having fun doing it. There are times when it borders on pop, and the rock-n-roll sensibilities are never far from the surface. However, the musicianship, harmony and improvisation are clearly the product of highly disciplined and talented jazz musicians.

You'll find it easy on the ear on your first listen, and after a few more you'll discover you can't get the quirky little melodies stuck out of your head. The songs have that pleasant characteristic of being both comfortable and unexpected. Put it on as background music and watch as your friends try to put their fingers on just what they're listening to.

I heartily recommend.

I bought this album expecting something different. I'm not sure this is jazz, or rock, or what it is. As a budding jazz pianist, I thought I couldn't go wrong with something that had Keith Jarrett on it. And don't get me wrong, this is a good album. I just don't consider Gary Burton all that great, so the Throb portion of this CD (9 of the 14 tracks) is basically dead to me. Thankfully, the other five tracks are great. Grow your own is the classic acid-jazz-rock anthem (or whatever you want to call it) and it's fun to mess around with that and Como en Vietnam with the score straight out of The Real Book: Sixth Edition. I think, for me, however, that the music of the late sixties and early seventies that isn't classic rock is not all that interesting to listen to, so I won't get much play out of this CD.

Sorry Keith and Gary, but this has lousey sound quality and I'm not sure where your are going with the music.

The redeeming feature of this music is the writing of Michael Gibbs which does show some originality and the title track is a work worth hearing. Otherwise, the music is very much part of the fashionable funk of its day and just does not stand up to repeated listenings. OK as background music at a party but really pretty boring rhythmically, few interesting solos, and clunky melodies. Try Burton's Duster instead.