The New Crystal Silence

Performer: Chick Corea
Engineer: Buck Snow; Brian Vibberts
Producer: Chick Corea; Gary Burton
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Personnel: Sydney Symphony Orchestra. One of the most beautiful jazz discs of the 1970s remains CRYSTAL SILENCE, a 1972 collection of inspired, melodious duets by vibraphonist Gary Burton and pianist Chick Corea. In 2007, the two masters revisited their earlier triumph with the two-disc THE NEW CRYSTAL SILENCE. Disc one finds the duo in an orchestral setting, recorded live in Australia with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. While performing with a full orchestra might seem to defeat the purpose of a duet, it works out remarkably well. Since the `60s, both Burton and Corea have been crossover/fusion experts, and the subtle, well-thought-out arrangements accent the duo's playing, never competing with or overwhelming it. Disc two is just the two fellows swinging some Corea gems and a few standards. The pianist's bebop-flavored jabs dart happily through and around Burton's sparkling, crystalline lyricism. This is lovely stuff throughout--witty and heartfelt, creative yet accessible.

Down Beat (p.77) - 4.5 stars out of 5 -- "Corea and Burton communicate at rarefied levels of technique and imagination through five Corea originals and three standards. Both deploy their massive gestural arsenals without inhibition..." JazzTimes (p.83) - "What has always made this duo magical comes flooding back with 'Bud Powell,' the opening track....They spontaneously intertwine complex ideas at high speed, responding to one another with the reflexes of superstar athletes Mojo (Publisher) (p.111) - 5 stars out of 5 -- "Tim Garland's symphonic arrangements, recorded at the Sydney Opera House, coax the understated exhilaration of Corea/Burton favourites like 'La Fiesta' and 'Crystal Silence' to explode into heart-racing, widescreen drama." Record Collector (magazine) (p.92) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[I] convincingly demonstrates that the passing years have not diminished or dulled Corea and Burton's respective musical imaginations. Sensational stuff."

Chick Corea took the piano in new directions following the monumental achievements of McCoy Tyner and Bill Evans. His pioneering electric piano playing with Miles Davis helped shape the sound of fusion in the late '60s. He then turned to acoustic, free-form improv with the group Circle before forming the seminal fusion band Return to Forever. Throughout his lengthy career, Corea has drawn on bebop, Latin, rock, and classical influences to make his mark as both a soloist and a composer.

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