On this Memorial Day weekend, I would first hope we are mindful of the true meaning of Memorial Day, a time to
remember and reflect on the fallen who give their lives so we can enjoy
the freedoms and rights they believed in.
With that I highly recommend the TV special Hollowed Ground which runs on PBS stations on Memorial Days sometimes. It's very moving.
Hallowed Grounds.
This week music selection finds a double dose of legendary jazz vibraphonist, Gary Burton. First in one of my favorite duo pairing, Chick Corea & Gray Burton Hot House. This a 2012 release and the seventh duo recording, that start from "spur-of-the moment encore at a jazz festival in Germany in 1972" as Burton states in the inner notes, "which led to our first recording Crystal Silence, a couple of months later." Crystal Silence, the album, and especially the title tune, remain an absolute favorite of mine. Hot House finds the pair, choosing "a repertoire drawn form some of our favorite composers from the 1940's through the 1960s". It a joy join these two great on their shared music journey.
The second select is Gary Burton A genuine Tong Funeral. A CD reissue of a classic Burton album featuring compositions by Carla Bley recorded in 1967 and released on the RCA label. Its subtitledDark Opera Without Words. Critics have called it one of Burton's most intriguing recordings. This classic group includes guitarist Larry Coryell, and bassist Steve Swallow (who I believe was married to Carla Bley). This also include the Gary Burton Quartet Lofty Fake Anagram LP, recorded in 1967, with Booby Moses on drums. Some consider the true start of jazz fusion, that maybe up for debate, but there is no denying the good listening they offer. All the more appreicated since Gary Burton annouced his retirement a while ago.
Finally, there is no Warped Sky Stray Cloud, a combination of songs from old tapes and new renditions of original tunes written and played by me in the 1980s, today. I waiting for some home audio equipment order to be delivered. I'm hoping it will up the ante on the quality of my recordings. I had Tascam 4-track cassette ages ago, but the digital recording market has really advanced. The amount of tutorials online as mindblowing.
Stand tuned for th next installment. Enjoy the rest of your holiday.
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