Chick Corea & Gary Burton - Lyric Suite For Sextet (1983) {ECM 1260}

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Chick Corea & Gary Burton - Lyric Suite For Sextet (1983) {ECM 1260}

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The Lyric Suite for Sextet joins the unparalleled duo of Chick Corea and Gary Burton with string quartet for a combination soon to be repeated with the release of Hot House. Through an erratic and sometimes disjointed hall of mirrors, it explores a series of never quite fully formed ideas. The opening notes of this then unique collaboration create a thriving and exuberant sound that permeates every moment that follows. Burton’s liquid runs, especially in “Waltz” and in “Dreams,” bring forth all the music’s chambered revelry as Corea weaves nimbly through every sprung carnation left in his footfall. From the brief yet enthralling “Rollercoaster” to the ebullient “Finale,” feelings sweep us away, and are swept away by, their own intensity. But the album’s true colors come out in “Brasilia,” which opens with the gorgeous unfolding of Corea’s piano, slowly introducing water droplets of vibes and the firmer grounding of strings, which at last become a vital presence, interacting with the piano lines in a deeply internal conversation for the album’s tenderest moments. Corea’s delicacy is a wonder here.
Lyric Suite for Sextet reunites the Grammy-winning duo of vibraharpist Gary Burton and pianist Chick Corea, augmented this time by a string quartet. There's no denying the pair's technical proficiency creates some sparks, but the suite's abstruse melodies and discursive arrangements are daunting to follow. Like trying to catch a butterfly without a net, the opening "Overture" alights before listeners can pin it down, and what remains is a sensation of something sophisticated but ultimately elusive. The remaining sections are more spectres than songs, unwilling or unable to take a concrete form. A notable exception is "Brasilia," not coincidentally the one piece that favors melody over mathematics. Here and on "Dream" the strings are often out of the mix, allowing Burton and Corea to continue the relationship begun on albums like Duet. Similar to Frank Zappa's Jazz From Hell (which won a Grammy of its own in 1987, albeit in the rock category), Lyric Suite for Sextet may be too smart for its own good. No doubt Corea's work looked great on paper, but in performance it suggests the soundtrack to a PBS murder mystery (the apprehensive melodies and bittersweet subject matter are the main culprits here). If you enjoy jazz/classical hybrids, which are by their nature intellectual pursuits, than this music should pique your interest. However, better to think of this as a duet with some string support than a sextet of equal partners.

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Chick Corea & Gary Burton - Lyric Suite For Sextet (1983) {ECM 1260}

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Chick Corea & Gary Burton - Lyric Suite For Sextet (1983) {ECM 1260}

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