The New Gary Burton Quartet - Guided Tour (2013) [Official Digital Download 24-bit/96kHz]

On "Guided Tour", jazz's most innovative and accomplished vibraphonist proves that The New Gary Burton Quartet which he premiered last summer on his Mack Avenue debut, "Common Ground" was no one-trick pony. Featuring the prodigal guitar genius Julian Lage as well as two veterans, bassist Scott Colley and drummer Antonio Sanchez, Guided Tour provides a road map to one of the most dynamic bands on the scene today. On "Guided Tour", Burton sought out original material from all the group's members, illuminating their wide range of cross-cultural musical styles. The program includes Legacy a haunting ballad written by Scott Colley to honor his recently deceased father and the two Antonio Sanchez pieces that bookend the disc: the splashy Latin-themed opener, Caminos, featuring solos from only the percussion instruments (drums and vibes); and Monk Fish, a romp on familiar chords infused with the wry humor found in the music of bop-era pianist Thelonious Monk.

On its sophomore offering for Mack Avenue Records, the New Gary Burton Quartet reveals the musical maturity that naturally occurs when a disparate but extremely gifted group of players locks in as a band. Vibraphonist Burton, guitarist Julian Lage, bassist Scott Colley, and drummer Antonio Sanchez made their debut with 2012's Common Ground, a date steeped in fine originals from all the players, as well as a few covers. That blend is no different here, though the emphasis changes a bit. For starters, Burton, who is notoriously reticent as a composer, actually contributes two pieces to this set. The first is a revisit of "Remembering Tano," a tango written for the late Astor Piazzolla (featuring gorgeous arco work from Colley), and the lithe swing that makes up the backbone of "Jane Fonda Called Again." The young, supremely gifted Lage (who debuted with Burton at the age of 12, adding to the vibraphonist's own legacy of showcasing brilliant guitarists in their youth – both Pat Metheny and Larry Coryell began their careers with him) contributes three tunes. They include the strident post-bop blues of "The Lookout," and the rock-tinged, melodically challenging "Sunday's Uncle," which features lively, intensive exchanges between Lage and Burton. The latter tune is especially noticeable, but it poignantly highlights the guitarist's stylistic insistence on playing cleanly with no effects, no matter the tune. Sanchez bookends the record with knotty, post-fusion articulations on "Caminos," and offers a sophisticated, finger-popping swing on "Monkfish" as a closer. Colley's lone contribution is the sparse, elegant ballad "Legacy" – an album highlight for its refinement and restraint. Michel Legrand's "Once Upon a Summertime" is given a lovely flamenco twist via Lage's nylon-string guitar and Colley's bowed bassline, while Fred Hersch's "Jackalope" is given a turbo-charged arrangement, making its harmonically complex head even more dynamic as Lage and Colley push Burton into an intricate, inventive, aggressive solo. While Guided Tour proves that this band has hit its stride and fires exquisitely on all cylinders, it also reveals, that at age 70, Burton's fire for pushing his creative edge as a bandleader, and as a soloist, still burns brightly.

Tracklist:

01 - Caminos
02 - Monk Fish
03 - The Lookout
04 - Jane Fonda Called Again
05 - Jackalope
06 - Once Upon a Summertime
07 - Sunday's Uncle
08 - Remembering Tano
09 - Helena
10 - Legacy


Thanks to the Original customer!