Description
The Gary Burton Quartet recorded "Lofty Fake Anagram" in 1967 and "A Genuine Tong Funeral" in 1968. These two albums were recorded after Burton's "Duster" album. "A Genuine Tong Funeral" is a quirky, mordant jazz opera that owes as much to Kurt Weill as to Charles Mingus. Besides Burton, guitarist Larry Coryell, and bassist Steve Swallow, the free-spirited drummer Bob Moses makes his appearance on "Lofty Fake Anagram". Other Bley stalwarts include saxophonists Gato Barbieri and Steve Lacy, who pop in and out of the vivid cartoon-like musical narrative. The shaggy Moses is key to the musical feel of "Lofty Fake Anagram". With the exception of Duke Ellington's "Fleurette Africaine", the writing isn't quite as strong as the previous date's - there's nothing here on the level of Mike Gibb's "Sweet Rain" or Bley's "Sing Me Softly Of The Blues" or Swallow's pop-like "General Mojo's Well-Laid Plan". However, Burton and Co. are in peak form. Larry Coryell naturally played like
This two-fer brings together two key Gary Burton Quartet works of
the the late '60s. After 1967's DUSTER, the Quartet went on to
collaborate with composer Carla Bley on A GENUINE TONG FUNERAL, a
quirky, mordant jazz opera that owes as much to Kurt Weill as to
Charles Mingus. Besides Burton, guitarist Larry Coryell, and
bassist Steve Swallow, the free-spirited drummer Bob Moses makes
his appearnce, having replaced veteran Roy Haynes. Other Bley
stalwarts include saxophonists Gato Barbieri and Steve Lacy, who
pop in and out of the vivid cartoon-like musical narrative. The
shaggy Moses is key to the musical feel of LOFTY FAKE ANAGRAM, the
official follow-up to the outstanding DUSTER. With the exception of
Duke Ellington's Fleurette Africaine, however, the writing isn't
quite as strong as the previous date's--there's nothing here on the
level of Mike Gibb's Sweet Rain or Bley's Sing Me Softly Of The
Blues or Swallow's pop-like General Mojo's Well-Laid Plan. This
time the bassist contributes General Mojo Cuts Up, a chance-based
exploration along the same theme. Still, Burton and Co. are in peak
form. Larry Coryell naturally played like a rock guitarist while
retaining all the harmonic sophistication of a jazz musician. Here
his playing is just as fluent and innovative, as is that of the
Quartet as a whole.
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