Gary Burton Quartet – Live In Utrecht – Dec. 30, 1976 – Gordon Skene Sound Collection –

Gary Burton Quartet this weekend. Trying to inject some calm (or at least sanity) into the weekend, adding a generous dollop of mellow and simmering with a side of serene. Forgive the food analogy, but Music offers a level of comfort, not at all unlike the proverbial bowl of Chicken soup served smack in the middle of a cold or the flu. It energizes and stimulates and it takes you to places far away from the present confusion and madness; any confusion and madness, no matter when.

It’s always been that way for me, and I suspect I am not alone in seeking the solace of the Treble and Bass Clef.

I remember hearing Gary Burton for the first time when Duster came out. Already his 10th album – but by 1967 he was heading into a lot of places that fit right in with the musical atmosphere of the time. It added further proof, at least to me, that there was a lot of music that had something to say and that the message was universal. Didn’t matter if you were knee-deep in Blue Cheer or The Mothers Of Invention, Gary Burton as well as the veritable army of Jazz musicians in the 60s who were active were a seamless and essential ingredient in broadening musical horizons. It’s a level of open-mindedness that has been the backbone of my musical journey, as it has with a lot of people, certainly colleagues and friends who would often show up at each others houses or at parties, beaming “hey, did you check this out?”

So Gary Burton has always been part of that “journey enriching” experience that I sometimes feel is missing from our current climate. But I am often surprised. 99.9% of what I am doing is what has been done for me by friends, people who shared an unwavering love of Music since I was old enough to go to a record store. It continues to this day – only now, it’s friends I have made via Social Media in distant places like Barcelona, Strasbourg or Warsaw beaming “Hey, have you checked this out?” – the journey is forever rich and continuously exciting. And in my own weird way, I am trying to do the same thing for you that’s been done for me.

Gotta share what you got – the world benefits.

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