Gary Burton & Chick Corea
(ECM)
2009 marked the 40th anniversary of the launch of ECM, one of the most consistently credible and crucial record labels in modern jazz. And since its humble beginnings as the brainchild of German record producer Manfred Eicher, the Munich-born imprint has delivered us some of the most elegant, advanced-thinking jazz laid to wax from such legends as Keith Jarrett, John Abercrombie, Don Cherry, Pat Metheny, Charles Lloyd and Jack DeJohnette to name just a few.
However, one of the label's all-time cornerstones has got to be the 1972 collaborative LP between vibe master Gary Burton and piano great Chick Corea. 1972's Crystal Silence is one of ECM's very first official releases, but also said to be one of the very first jazz duo albums ever recorded as well. And a most beautiful one at that, as Burton and Corea's respective instruments and the impeccable skills they accompany combine to form one voice in an eloquent conversation of virtuosity into which any fan of jazz should eavesdrop. This beautifully simple four-disc box set collects the entirety of the Burton-Corea duo's recorded output for ECM, including 1978's Duet album and their classic live double LP In Concert, Zürich, October 28, 1979, which features two live cuts, "I'm Your Pal/Hullo Bolinas" and "Love Castle", that appear on CD for the first time ever. The set also features liner notes from Swiss journalist Peter Rüedi and writer Steve Lake that give a great overview of this colossal collaboration.
Crystal Silence: The Complete ECM Recordings is chamber jazz at its finest and some of the most relaxing music you could find.
Standout Tracks: "Arise, Her Eyes", "Senor Mouse" (live version), "Falling Grace", "Radio", "I'm Your Pal/Hullo, Bolinas" (live) RON HART
