Gary Burton (foreground) and Chick CoreaForty years is a long time in any professional relationship, but among musicians, such a partnership is exceedingly rare. However, that is precisely the level of collaboration that exists between vibraphonist Gary Burton and pianist Chick Corea. They have toured as a duo every year since 1972. Each is a master artist in his own right, but when the two pair up, something special happens.
“There seems to be a natural synergy of the ways we like to make music that just always works and is a lot of fun to explore,” Corea said during a recent interview with DCist, explaining the repartee that exists between he and Burton.
The two will be performing tomorrow night in the warm setting of the Sixth and I Historic Synagogue, performing material from their latest album, Hot House. The album was recorded to celebrate Burton and Corea’s four decades of playing together. Realizing the occasion deserved something a bit different, the two decided to record songs that were influential to them as they rose through the jazz ranks in the 1960s. Hot House features compositions by Kurt Weill, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Thelonious Monk and The Beatles.
“It’s a format we had been discussing for many years,” Corea said. “I then arranged the pieces to suit what I love about the duet format we had created.”
Some of the tunes on the album also feature the excellent Harlem String Quartet, which will also be performing with Corea and Burton at tomorrow night’s show. In addition to songs off of Hot House, the program will include music from Burton and Corea’s Lyric Suite For Sextet, and album released in 1982, as well as newer pieces written for the present six-piece ensemble.
At it’s core, a Burton/Corea performance is all about the very high-level, yet always playful interaction that takes place between these two jazz legends. As the two have evolved individually, so too has their alliance.
“The rapport and trust has increased, and the fun factor is up to,” Corea said. “We, as artists, are always creating. This is the source of art and music of course – the creativity of the artists and their desire to communicate to whoever will listen and participate.”
The Washington Performing Arts Society presents Chick Corea and Gary Burton with the Harlem String Quartet on Saturday, November 10, 2012 at the Sixth and I Historic Synagogue. 8 p.m. $62.50 + fees.
