Vibraphonist
Gary Burton's place in the jazz firmament has long been assured, but he has no intention of sitting on the sidelines as others enter the field. Instead,
Burton has a knack for reaching out to younger players, thus leading to the title of his 2004 release,
Generations. More specifically, the title refers to guitarist
Julian Lage, a new talent on the jazz scene whose low profile can be attributed to the fact that he's a sophomore in high school.
Lage's cool sound, inspired by
Jim Hall, perfectly complements the lightness of
Burton's vibes, giving
Generations a relaxed, mellow sound.
Burton and
Lage are joined by pianist
Makoto Ozone, bassist James Genus, and drummer
Clarence Penn on well-worn classics like
Oscar Peterson's "Wheatland" and more recent classics like
Pat Metheny's "Take Another Look."
Ozone proves something of a linchpin between the lead players and the rhythm section, offering light, lovely solos on pieces like "The Title Will Follow" and a flurry of rhythmic chords on "Ladies in Mercedes."
Burton's predilection toward new ideas can also be discerned by his inclusion of a great deal of new material written by
Lage (three pieces) and
Ozone (two pieces).
Generations is another fine effort by
Burton, an excellent introduction to
Lage, and above all, a solid recording by a fine group playing in synchronicity. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford Jr.