Gary Burton
Reunion

The honor of the paternity of this happy reunion goes to the host, Gary Burton, the greatest vibraphonist of modern jazz, the only one comparable to the immense Milt Jackson and Lionel Hampton. However, it would be more logical to attribute the album to Gary Burton and Pat Metheny, as the Missouri guitarist is as much a protagonist as his former talent-scout. "Reunion" (1989), without taking anything away from the valid supporting players, is the fruit of the renewed encounter between two great musicians, who, although not playing the same instrument, showed from their first contacts that they had very similar ideas about how to interpret modern jazz. This led the older vibraphonist to incorporate the young but already promising Metheny into his Gary Burton Quintet from the early '70s, before sending him off to "mature" on his own, just as one would with a young soccer talent who goes to "cut his teeth" in lower leagues like Serie B, always under the watchful eye of the coach who discovered him, ready to reclaim him at the right moment. Needless to say, Pat Metheny, with his talents, spent little to no time in Serie B: at the time of this "Reunion," with his Pat Metheny Group, he had already far surpassed his mentor in fame and, according to Burton himself, also in technical ability, even though a direct comparison between the two is difficult. With this spirit, between the joy of someone who had the foresight to believe in great talent from the beginning, and a slight but well-controlled tinge of envy for the swift successes gathered by his protégé, this "Reunion" is born, featuring a selection of tracks characterized by the most refined jazz-fusion, with ample contamination from soft Latin rhythms.

A friendly contest of skill between the vibraphonist and the guitarist to see who can draw the most magical and colorful effects from their instrument, a competition with neither a winner nor loser. The velvety touches of Gary Burton, which seem as if there is cotton on the tips of his mallets, and the ethereal solos from Pat Metheny's guitar, notes without edges that sometimes appear to blend with those from Will Lee's rounded and powerful electric bass, are the defining features of the entire album. Pat Metheny also contributes greatly as a composer, with the rhythmic and Latin-flavored "The Chief" and especially with two splendid "ballads" like "House On The Hill" and "Wasn't Always Easy," both ideal for showcasing the sweet textures of the two solo instruments: the first more lively and featuring a rhythmic interlude that is a true invitation for a splendid vibraphone solo by Burton, the second with serene new age cadences and dream-like instrumental effects. The interest in Latin sounds is evidenced by the presence of tracks by two composers with clearly Hispanic names like Polo Orti and Vince Mendoza. The first delivers the splendid "Autumn," which opens the album with an elaborate but inspired bossa nova-jazz, the ideal backdrop against which the perfect solos of the two great soloists unfold, and where it is easy to imagine the sound of a sax like Stan Getz's (but there isn't). More intense from Orti are "Tiempos Felice (Happy Times)" and "Quick And Running," which closes the album in a festive frenzy of velvety sounds. From Mendoza come two other jazz-sambas, one brisk ("Will You Say You Will"), and one more reflective and calm ("Chairs And Children"). Even the three "supporting actors" of the quintet deserve more than a mention: Will Lee for his clean electric bass, meticulously following every curve of the soft and warm rhythms, drummer Peter Erskine for his equally crisp and brilliant contribution from the drums, which (let's not forget) accompanied the astounding acrobatics of the celebrated Zawinul & Shorter duo on various Weather Report albums, and is therefore well-prepared for endeavors of this nature. I leave Mitchel Forman for last, as his keyboards seem the most overshadowed of the quintet, dimmed by the two phenomenal Burton and Metheny, but he makes up for it by composing two of the best tracks on the album: the captivating "Reunion", a clear jazz-samba embellished with fantastic solos of vibraphone, guitar, and (at least here) his piano, and the imaginative "Origin," with its slightly "flamenco" introduction that allows an unusual acoustic guitar showcase by Metheny, transitioning into a soft ballad with a cushion of muted percussions, where the magical vibraphone of Burton and the clear "Spanish" guitar of Metheny engage in a competition of sweetness. At least as far as I'm concerned, it's the point of absolute excellence of this masterpiece which, while being a triumph of rhythms, rarely offers dizzying ones, probably to not scatter or overshadow even a little the purity of the two solo instruments' sound.