CD1
Who is Gary Burton?
1. Storm
2. I’ve Just Seen Her
3. Fly Time Fly (Sigh)
4. Conception
5. Get Away Blues
6. My Funny Valentine
7. One Note
Gary Burton – Vibes
Clark Terry – Trumpet
Bob Brookmeyer – Valve trombone
Phil Woods - Alto sax
Tommy Flanagan – Piano
John Neves – String bass
Joe Morello, Chris Swansen - Drums
Jazz Winds from a New Direction
8. All the Things You Are
9. Three-Four, The Blues
10. Move
11. Always
12. Riot-Chous
13. Relaxin’
Hank Garland – Guitar
Gary Burton – Vibes
Joe Benjamin – Bass
Joe Morello - Drums
Subtle Swing
14. It’s Love, Of Course
15. Not for Me
16. Pop Goes the Weasel
17. Unless You’re in Love
18. Rainy Afternoon
Hank Garland - Guitar
Gary Burton – Vibes
Bob Moore – Bass
Bill Pursell – Piano
Doug Kirkham - Drums
CD2
New Vibe Man in Town
1. Joy Spring
2. Over the Rainbow
3. Like Someone in Love
4. Minor Blues
5. Our Waltz
6. So Many Things
7. Sir John
8. You Stepped out of a Dream
Gary Burton - Vibes
Gene Cherico - Bass
Joe Morello - Drums
After the Riot at Newport
9. Relaxin’
10. Nashville to Newport
11. Opus de Funk
12. ‘S Wonderful
13. Round Midnight
14. Frankie and Johnny
15. Riot-Chous
16. Last Date
Buddy Harman - Drums
Chet Atkins – Guitar (tracks 10, 14)
Boots Randolph – Alto sax, tenor sax (tracks 9-11, 15)
Gary Burton – Vibes (tracks 9-12, 15, 16)
Hank Garland – Guitar (tracks 9-12, 15)
Brenton Banks – Piano, violin (tracks 9, 11, 12, 13, 15)
Floyd Cramer – Piano (tracks 10, 11, 14, 16)
Bob Moore – Bass (tracks 9, 11-16)
Anita Kerr Singers – Vocal chorus (track 16)
This generous double CD includes the contents of four original LPs and selections from a fifth (Subtle Swing). The compilation appears under the
name of vibist Gary Burton and it is particularly valuable in containing some of his earlest recordings. But it is also valuable in its inclusion of some
of the few jazz recordings that guitarist Hank Garland made before his tragic car accident in 1961, which virtually ended his career. Up to that time, the
Nashville-based guitarist had worked mainly in rockabilly and country music contexts, notably accompanying Elvis Presley as well as such artists as the
Everly Brothers, Roy Orbison and Brenda Lee.
So what was Hank Garland doing playing jazz? He had worked for such people as Charlie Parker and George Shearing, so he was experienced in that field, and
Gary Burton was actually a sideman on Hank’s albums Jazz Winds from a New Direction and Subtle Swing. We might also enquire: why was Gary
Burton playing with a country musician? It may be that Hank Garland offered Burton his first recording opportunities, but Gary seems to have always had a
taste for country music, having moved to Nashville at the behest of saxophonist Boots Randolph. (who is best known for his tune Yakety Sax). This
mixture of jazz with country music flowered spectacularly in his 1966 album Tennessee Firebird, which is still one of my favourite Burton albums.
Why will nobody reissue it, as it is a marvellous amalgam of jazz and country?
Who is Gary Burton?
from 1962 features an all-star group including the likes of Clark Terry and Bob Brookmeyer, who have worked well together on several recordings. Terry is
especially lyrical in My Funny Valentine. The opening Storm doesn’t sound stormy but is a waltz which has the air of an Elizabethan
dance. Gary Burton may not have developed his technique to the remarkable heights he later reached but he was already a practised player.
Jazz Winds from a New Direction
(1960) is by a quartet fronted by Garland and Burton, with Joe Morello’s drums very much to the fore. Hank Garland mostly plays single-note lines but
accompanies Gary’s solos with helpful chords. His playing shows what an accomplished musician he already was. The group sometimes sounds like the George
Shearing Quintet, which is no bad thing.
This collection includes half the ten tracks from the 1960 Hank Garland Quintet LP Subtle Swing, recorded in Nashville. The general mood and style
are similar to the Jazz Winds album, although Joe Morello is absent.
I have already reviewed the 1961 album New Vibe Man in Town
together with six tracks from Jazz Winds.
After the Riot at Newport
was another 1961 album, this time released under the group name of “The Nashville All-Stars”. It arose when a riot at the Newport Jazz Festival meant that
the band’s booking was cancelled. They decided nonetheless to record themselves playing in the open air behind a mansion rented by RCA for the festival.
Boots Randolph and Hank Garland composed the tune Riot-chous specially for the occasion, and it was recorded again later that year on theJazz Winds LP. Both performances contain excellent solos from Burton and Garland. Chet Atkins played on a couple of tracks, including Nashville to Newport, which Chet wrote for the recording.
Many of the musicians were closely associated with Nashville but they were still enthusiastic about jazz. One of the most countrified performers was Floyd
Kramer, who wrote Last Date, the final track on the second CD, a million-seller hit. It has a definite country feeling but Gary Burton seems
entirely at home on it without needing to show off.
In a lecture to American students, Gary Burton said “The vibes and guitar is a wonderful sound combination”. The recordings with Hank Garland prove the
point, particularly as both men could boast top-class musicianship and technique. The sound quality tends to be variable on some tracks of this compilation
but it makes good value for money and will please any jazz fans with eclectic tastes. A nice touch is that the inner sleeves of the two CDs reproduce the
covers of the original LPs.
Tony Augarde
www.augardebooks.co.uk
CD Reviews
él by Cherry Red
