A Town Called Mallets

I finally got some sleep for at least a night, so before I go back to bed I am gonna toss this one up.

It's having its 45th anniversary today, but the music is so timeless the numbers just don't matter.

In truth this set could be issued by ECM any day, as one of those cool little boxsets they do, and it would fly off the shelves.

Obviously everyone should know who Gary Burton is.

That so many people still don't baffles the mind, what with his nearly 60 year career as one of the primary exponents of his chosen instrument.

Although he is retired since 2017, the strata to which he took the vibraphone set a standard for the instrument that all subsequent aspiring players will have to approach and absorb.

There isn't much to say about this concert -- supplied here in complete form from two consecutive France Musique rebroadcasts in 2018 -- except that it's as good as any I'm ever gonna put up here.

Gary Burton Quintet

Studio 104

Maison de la Radio

Paris, France

12.13.1975

01 Ictus/Syndrome

02 Vashkar

03 Desert Air

04 The Colours of Chloë

05 drum solo

06 Doin’ the Pig

07 I'm Your Pal

08 Turn of the Century

09 Airegin

10 Open Your Eyes, You Can Fly

11 Olhos de Gato

12 Como En Vietnam

13 Falling Grace

14 Vox Humana

15 Mevlevia

16 Las Vegas Tango

17 In Your Quiet Place

Total time: 1:46:36

disc break goes after Track 09

Gary Burton - vibraphone

Mick Goodrick - guitar

Pat Metheny - guitar

Steve Swallow - bass

Bob Moses - drums

digital capture of two 2018 France Musique analog FM rebroadcasts comprising the full concert

520 MB FLAC/December 2020 archive link

Look out for guitar gurus Mick Goodrick and Pat Metheny in this one... they just play their asses clean off.

I'll be back in 24 with the last of these four consecutive posts, with an ultra-milestone birthday of one of the ambassadors of the music of our age.

Don't miss out on this here show though, I am warning you. Keep the vibes good!--J.