Gary Burton, Makoto Ozone - Virtuosi (2002)
EAC Rip | APE (image+.cue, log) ~ 283.32 Mb | 01:09:45 | Covers
Jazz, Post Bop | Label: Concord Jazz – CCD-2105-2
This CD features Gary Burton's vibes and Makoto Ozone's piano in ten classical duos with jazz improvisations. The two styles have never merged with more soul, spirit, or, well, virtuosity, and the material is rich and varied enough to please fans of both. It begins with one of Maurice Ravel's most popular compositions, Le Tombeau de Couperin, which in these masterful hands sparkles as it flows, reminding listeners why Ravel's harmonies inspired so many jazz musicians. The collection includes a thunderous Rachmaninoff prelude leavened with swing and a Latin feel, a Brazilian take on Brahms, the lush and passionate tango "Milonga," a gorgeous, extended medley from the opera Lakme with a familiar second part (arranged by Jay Kennedy, who worked on four of the tracks here), and a Samuel Barber gem where it's hard to tell the original from the improvisation.