Search - Gary Burton :: Ring

A classic collaboration

David Starns | South Louisiana, a stone's throw from the swamp | 03/01/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"When I was in college, there was a jazz club in New Orleans called "Rosies." At the time, I was new to the world of jazz, and was hungrily taking in every new experience I could find. One night, I bought tickets to see the Gary Burton band. All I knew was that he played vibes. Man, oh man. It was a life-altering experience for me. The band was a four-piece: Burton, the as-yet-unknown Pat Metheny, Steve Swallow and Bob Moses. I was floored; it was a whole different kind of jazz from anything I'd heard before. Each member of that group just blew me away, but what I remember thinking about, for days afterwards, was the compositions. Burton had announced, several times, "we're going to play one now by a composer named Eberhard Weber." They were amazing pieces--dripping with atmosphere, equally catchy and challenging. I became obsessed with finding recordings of Weber's music.Though I eventually discovered and grew to love Weber's solo albums, "Ring" was the first recording of his music that I found, and it was a great introduction. If you're a fan of "Passengers," you'll like this one. This is ECM at its best, a classic collaboration between a great composer/soloist (Weber) and a brilliant interpreter (Burton). In some ways, I tend to like Burton's versions of pieces by Weber, Carla Bley, Swallow and Mick Goodrick even better than the composers' original versions. He always starts with strong material and then transcends it.Anyway, if you like mid-70's ECM (their prime, if you ask me), you will be well-pleased with this amazing album."

A delicate yet rich vein in jazz

A. Dutkiewicz | Norwood, South Australia Australia | 10/25/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Just fantastic. This combination of musicians in Burton's Quintet of Mick Goodrick (g), Pat Metheney (g), Steve Swallow (b) and Bob Moses (d) - each of whom have wonderful cvs in terms of their own records - plus Eberhard Weber to complement Swallow's bass gives the record some added vibrancy and wonderful colour.Burton plays the vibroharp with superb delicacy which tops off the spirals of harmonic sound. Each track shifts in mood seamlessly from the one before - with writing credits to Goodrick, Mike Gibbs and Carla Bley before an interpretation of Weber's Colours of Chloe rounds off the record.An all time favourite jazz record, for a quieter mood. A classic ECM release."

AMAZING!!!!!

Jack Mazzotti | 06/03/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"this should have 10 stars

this is closer to progressive rock than jazz but it is neither"