Search - Gary Burton, Larry Coryell :: Duster

Abundantly listenable.

Tom Brody | Berkeley, CA | 02/10/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The album appears to be configured for popular listening. There are no thorny Coltranesque sequences. There are no lengthy "blowing sessions." Some of the pieces are quick paced, but not as driving and insistent as a typical be-bop piece. Gary Burton's music is adventuresome, but it will not alienate listeners who have unadventuresome ears.



BALLET starts with a short, jerking episode. The jerking episode is like the shifting of gears, shifting up, shifting down. The guitar vamps behind the vibes. There there is a stunning guitar solo. Larry Coryell's guitar playing sounds like Howard Roberts' playing. Bass solo. The piece ends with the same jerking sequence, reminding one of an industrial robot. FIVE STARS.



SWEET RAIN is slow, containing undulating waves of vibrophonic pastels. If Debussy had written jazz, it would have sounded like SWEET RAIN. The guitar solo is slow enough for any beginner to learn. FOUR STARS.



PORTSMOUTH is quick-paced. The tune is an excellent one and an original. The guitar vamps behind the vibes. Drum solo. The initial tune is repeated. FIVE STARS.



GENERAL MOJO is moderate paced, with Nashville overtones. Larry Coryell appears to be emulating a Nashville steel guitar. Bass solo. FOUR STARS.



ONE, TWO, 1, 2, 3, 4. is fast and starts with a guitar solo. Larry Coryell then urges feedback from the amplifier, invoking the rock'n'roll genre. The guitar solo then becomes a little silly. It consists in strings of fast notes, going up, going down, that any beginner with a couple of years' experience can put together. Vibe solo. TWO STARS.



SING ME SOFTLY is slow, staring with a guitar tune. The guitar tune is comprises of little, jabbing tunelets. Vibe solo. Then comes a swaying, swinging episode. The initial tune is repeated. FOUR STARS.



LITURGY is moderate paced. It sounds like normal, typical jazz, perhaps what one might expect from the combination of Milt Jackson and Joe Pass. FOUR STARS.



RESPONSE is another slow piece. It blankets the listener with sheets of bell-like sounds. This piece is like SWEET RAIN. THREE STARS.



I saw the Gary Burton Quartet in 1968, where Gary Burton opened for a little known folk-trio called "Cream." The show was at the Fillmore in San Francisco. Shortly thereafter, I bought the vinyl version of this album."

Best of Gary Burton's RCA era

T. Bombara | San Francisco, CA United States | 03/03/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"All of Gary Burton's RCA albums are worthwhile. This one comes out a notch above the others however, slightly better tunes, especially General Mojo's Well Laid Plan, and the great Roy Haynes on drums. Very few albums sound like this one, and Burton quickly abandoned this sound. Appeals to rock and jazz listeners with it's compact song construction, tasteful and concise solos and an instrumental lineup like few others. You will not regret purchasing this one, don't concern yourself with the brief length. In fact, you'll find it bursting with ideas. I still can't believe no one has mined this further. Jazz rock without the funk. Trust this."

A little timeless gem from a young Gary Burton

David Nobel | North Dartmouth, MA USA | 12/10/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I first heard this album shortly after it came out in the late Sixties--on vinyl, of course. It was a revelation, and listening to it gave me goose bumps--still does. Magic happened on this session, from beginning to end, on many different levels. Like so many artistic endeavors born during that era, "Duster" is one, huge outside-the-box risk, all the musicians utterly vulnerable, utterly committed. One almost holds one's breath at the impossibly fragile thread of creativity that holds it all together. Yet it succeeds, and profoundly so. Some called it "fusion", but it isn't really-- no driving rock rhythms or funk--no special effects, no signal processing, no overdubbing or audio tricks (everything is essentially straight miked). Just something absolutely new and fresh musically, unlike anything that came before and, with the exception of the group's equally magical follow-up effort, "Lofty Fake Anagram", pretty much unlike anything after as well. What makes this so special and different? The intimacy; the playful, unpretentious musicality; the achingly beautiful lyricism, jazz rhythms and chops freed to sing, to soar beyond any previous stereotypes of the genre. This is jazz that is not afraid to have the heart of a child. There is also a wonderful and delicate sense of balance, each instrument contributing, but sublimating itself to the whole.And then there is that awed, coltish sense of wonder and the thrilling vibe that is created when great musicians are fully "on", at their peak, in perfect communication without words. I find the creative interplay between Burton and bassist Steve Swallow particularly inspired.I think the ideal way to listen to this is quietly, late at night, alone or with a special friend or two. But however you do it, do listen."