Steve Wyzard VISCERAL PASTORALISM?!?

While earlier albums would go on to be highly acclaimed and sought after (such as Keith Jarrett's Facing You and the first Terje Rypdal album), Crystal Silence is the album that brought ECM Records to the attention of a much wider audience, especially in the USA. It was Gary Burton's first album for the label, and in 45 years since has never been out of print. Bringing together a wide variety of moods and atmospheres, the performances are masterly and the album is to this day a very high point in both performers' discographies. There are no classic standards, and surprisingly for a duo setting, all 9 songs have never sounded better, even though most have appeared in vastly different contexts and arrangements elsewhere.

If you enjoy jazz piano and vibraphone, what's not to like about Crystal Silence? Detractors are quick to point to this album as "Exhibit A" of the much-discussed mythological "ECM sound", or to dismiss it as the direct ancestor of Wyndham Hill pastoralism. In reality, Corea and Burton are exerting far too much energy keeping the music moving (in every sense of the term), so any claims of "haunted melancholy" can't really be taken seriously. "Senor Mouse", soporific? "Falling Grace", otherworldly? Yes, there are slower, quieter tunes, but again, this album is the complete package.

As ECM's first legitimate masterpiece, it's hard to imagine today how this album was first received upon release in 1973. Both players' very distinctive styles are immaculately served by the recording. I'll close by saying that the title track is one of their greatest performances EVER, and that the album cover remains one of ECM's best in a very crowded field.

darkprinceofjazz Many believe this is the beginning of jazz rock, Duster certainly fuses rock and jazz styles, but I must confess I was disappointed at first listen, It doesn't sound all that ground breaking to me, it actually sounds dated a bit to my ears, Just a quartet session, With Burton on Vibes, Larry Coryell on Guitar, Roy Haynes on Drums, and Steve Swallow on Bass, an impeccably played chamber jazz of sorts, Coryell does play in a rock style, but he sure isn't riffing it up like on many of his own early 70's albums, Burton's Vibes are traditional and safe in the jazz zone, I don't feel much of a rock vibe here at all, just a little bit, I was expecting this otherworldly masterpiece of fusion, But in the end, it was just a start I suppose?, The ground breaking wouldn't happen until Miles Davis Got the Electric instrument bug, and Tony Williams Larry Young and John McLaughlin formed Lifetime at about the same time, who were all apart of some of the early Davis experiments.

So, was Duster really the first jazz rock album? well, maybe technically it could be considered that, but it doesn't feel like to me. I think the Coming together of jazz and rock was a spontaneous happening, younger rock and jazz musicians intermingling together, the British Invasion of America and the biggie, Miles Davis was being left behind, his music was considered an antique, a relic of the past, he was also running out of money, and Miles wanted desperately to have the fame of young blacks, I think the popularity of Sly and the Family Stone and Jimi Hendrix had a profound effect on him, Miles was the right guy at the right time to bring these elements together, Miles's greatest attribute may have been allowing these young talents to feel their oats, he did not attempt to stifle their growth, I think it would have been interesting to have heard Burton and Coryell play with Davis. Duster was a nice listen, but not all that memorable.

snobb Gary Burton is widely known as a leading jazz vibraphonist who produces quality melodic and accessible contemporary jazz albums, as well as several duets with Chick Corea. I believe not everyone knows his other face - an experimental jazz musician.

"A Genuine Tong Funeral" is possibly the best illustration of how different Burton's music was forty-something years ago. OK, it was a different time and different world, and grass was greener...

This album is based on Carla Bley's suite "Dark Opera Without Words" (Carla plays piano and organ on Burton's recording as well). Burton's music on here is dark and complex, but also melodic and quite an accessible listening at the same time. "Tong Funeral" features an excellent team of leading jazz artists of the time (Steve Lacy and Gato Barbieri on saxes, Steve Swallow on bass and Larry Coryell on guitar as well as others). Musically this album is an organic mix of avant-garde jazz, experimental jazz orchestral music and early jazz fusion. Burton's vibraphone isn't a very casual instrument, but it fits perfectly to the mix.

A great example of how accessible and pleasant avant-garde jazz can sometimes be.

Slartibartfast I have a few albums that have Pat Metheny and Gary Burton working together and this is one of the best. Perhaps it is due to the album being made up of only Carla Bley compositions. At the time this was recorded, 1975, Gary had been on the scene for a while and Pat was still an up and comer. I don't want to slight Mick Goodrick's, Steve Swallow's and Bob Moses's contributions to the ensemble, but it was the first two that drew me to this album. Didn't hurt that I first heard it on the radio.

The music ranges from laid back to higher energy stuff, but most of it does have a dreamy quality to it thanks in no small part to Burton's vibes.