Virtuosi

Chronique

Vibraphonist Gary Burton and jazz pianist Makoto Ozone come together here for improvisatory duets based on classical music pieces. Some of the works are by composers who were very close to the world of jazz, such as Gershwin, Confrey, and even Ravel. Barber was familiar with Burton and his style of improvisation. Other works on the disc are based on more unexpected themes, such as Rachmaninov's Prelude No. 8 for piano and Brahms' Capriccio, Op. 76/2. Most of the pieces start off stating the original work without any changes, with the vibraphone just doubling the piano, and then move very naturally into improvisations centered in some way on the original piece. The harmonic line of the Prelude to Le tombeau de Couperin is kept throughout most of that improvisation. In the Brahms, past the middle section with a hint of Brazilian jazz, snatches of the original theme are developed just as Brahms would have done. The two instruments blend well together, and there is a real rapport between the two musicians, who complement and contrast with each other as inspiration strikes. Burton certainly impresses with the speeds he can reach using four mallets at once. And Ozone is no slouch either, easily handling the Rachmaninov and the first movement of the Gershwin Concerto in F. The one drawback to this package is that the liner notes by Burton do not follow the same order as the works appear on the disc. However, they do provide insights into how and why these particular themes were chosen, adding to the appeal of Burton's and Ozone's ability to build fresh, unique, and far-from-bland versions of these classics.

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