Vibraphonist Gary Burton’s entire career as a musician has been about thinking outside the box and exploring new frontiers in jazz music. You May Also Like: Pat Metheny, Gary Burton + Danny Gottlieb, “Hommage” (2015): One Track Mind Gary Burton in Nashville: 1960’s Tennessee Firebird was a fusion album likeRead More

Listening to this record before I even read Melvin Jones’ liner notes, I already knew what he meant by the title of this debut album by him. It’s an album that has many shades of jazz on display, and the constant is the pure, malleable trumpet voice of Jones. SoRead More

I don’t know if it’s a trend of not, but lately I’ve noticed a lot more unconventional trios in jazz. By “unconventional” I mean without the bass player, and the usual premise I’ve heard for doing this is to allow more freedom. Trying out uncommon configurations is an interesting andRead More

Even in Steely Dan’s misfires, there was a high level of sophistication and craftsmanship. But I still don’t care much for this song.