Chick Corea and Gary Burton @ CSPAC
Pianist Chick Corea and vibraphonist Gary Burton are both jazz giants in their own right, but they have forged a musical partnership that is one of the most special and enduring in music, regardless of genre. Last night's sell out crowd in the lovely Dekelboum Concert Hall at the University of Maryland's Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center no doubt had high expectations, but as it cheered the two masters as they took the stage, no one had any idea the audience would be in for such a treat. Burton and Corea guided the listener through two hours of absolutely sparkling performance, which not only met any expectations, but far exceeded them in what was the finest jazz performance we have seen so far this year.
The collaboration between Corea and Burton began with a duo performance at a German jazz festival in 1972, which in turn led to the recording of the seminal album, Crystal Silence. They have released five more albums as a duo since then, in addition to performing at least once every year and embarking on a major tour every decade or so. This latest iteration of their alliance came towards the end of a tour that began over a year ago in order to celebrate the 35th anniversary of Crystal Silence, as well as their most recent release, The New Crystal Silence, a 2-disc set that also features Corea and Burton performing with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
Just watching the two perform provides a great deal of insight into what makes this such a fertile pairing. They are both gifted composers and brilliant instrumentalists, but they each come from a different, yet perfectly complementary space in terms of personality and playing style. Corea was the joker on stage and less formal of the two. Sporting bushy and unkempt hair, he came on to the stage wearing jeans, a bright yellow T-shirt, and a grey overshirt. There is a tremendous wit in his playing. Burton, on the other hand, appeared in tailored black shirt and pants, and looked very much like the music professor he is. His stage manner was more reserved and his playing was passionate, but always subject to a certain intellectual sophistication.
The night began with the shimmering intro to "Love Castle" and then went into "Native Sense", both off the 1997 duet release of which the latter song is the title track. The highly syncopated and rhythmic performances revealed the depth of the simpatico that exists between these two gentleman, as their sense of phrasing, meter, and dynamics was absolutely flawless. In addition, the line between soloist and accompanist was blurred, because both players share a very conversational approach to playing in this context. The first set concluded with "No Mystery", a song that proved the perfect vehicle for the two. Burton's four mallet technique, in particular, was an absolute joy to behold.
The set list not only delved into the the pair's 35-year history, but also into the history of jazz, their respective solo catalogs, as well as new material. The group paid tribute to Bud Powell, through a song creatively titled, "Bud Powell", Bill Evans ("Waltz for Debby"), and Thelonious Monk ("Sweet and Lovely"). A highlight of the second set was the moody arrangement of two preludes by Russian classical composer, Alexander Scriabin. After closing the second set with the Latin jazz fireworks of "La Fiesta" and opening the encore with a return to Monk, the concert ended with Corea picking up a pair of mallets and joining his comrade on the vibraphone for a lighthearted and playful rendition of the infectious, "Armando's Rhumba".
At one point during the show, Corea joked and said, "We're gonna play a bunch of music you'll never hear on the radio." Well, that is radio's loss, because the two standing ovations that ended the evening prove that last night's audience will not soon forget what they saw and heard.