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.