Gary Burton Like Minds CD

Gary Burton has assembled his "dream band" for LIKE MINDS. With his former protege Pat Metheny, duet partner Chick Corea, favorite drummer Roy Haynes and legendary bassist Dave Holland, Burton has formed an ensemble of staggering proportions. Giants all, this is more than a collection of "all-stars;" it is a cohesive entity. The music is performed as if by one mind and soul with five equal divisions.

The recorded results are stupendous to say the least. Original compositions by Metheny and Corea abound, as do two from Burton himself. Metheny's "Question and Answer" gets the proceedings off to a nice start as the rich sonorities provide an elegant backdrop to some fine soloing. Corea's delightful "Windows" is a deceptively intricate waltz that makes for some nice interplay between Burton and Metheny. Although he's not a prolific composer, Burton's own "Country Roads" and the jumping title track provide evidence enough that he is a master in this area as well. As an added treat, Gershwin's "Soon" shows just what masters of this stature can do with a great old standard. Finally, Corea's racing "Straight Up And Down" is a burning ending to this dream of a session.

Liner Note Author: Gary Burton .

Recording information: Avatar Studio A, New York, NY (12/15/1997-12/17/1997).

Photographer: Gildas Boclé.

Personnel: Gary Burton (vibraphone); Pat Metheny (guitar); Chick Corea (piano); Roy Haynes (drums).

Audio Mixers: Don Murray ; James Farber.

Entertainment Weekly (11/6/98, p.89) - "As all-star as this easy swinging set gets...it's remarkably cohesive and ego-free. High-qualtiy material...as well as compact improvisations, add to MINDS' considerable luster." - Rating: B+
Q (3/99, p.93) - 3 Stars (out of 5) - "....with Chick Corea and Pat Metheny, arguably his most succesful collaborators and perfect foils for him in terms both of timbre and musical disposition..."
CMJ (11/23/99, p.33) - "....features first-chair talent in every position....It's an all-star session that bristles with the scintillating contributions of each talented player - one of Burton's best albums..."