Gary Burton has had many stellar moments over the years, and in the 1990s, one of his finest achievements was
Astor Piazzolla Reunion, a heartfelt tribute to the late Argentinean tango innovator and bandoneon master. Having toured and recorded with
Piazzolla in the 1980s,
Burton clearly had a strong appreciation of his legacy, and that appreciation comes through in a major way on arrangements of "Tanguedia," "Romance Del Diablo," and other gems by
Piazzolla (whose risk-taking approach to tango generated as much controversy in tango circles as
Charlie Parker,
Ornette Coleman, and
John Coltrane did in jazz). But as passionately as
Burton expresses his love of
Piazzolla's distinctive music, the vibist's own identity doesn't become buried or obscured. The CD's only major flaw is "Mi Refugio";
Burton has taken
Piazzolla's 1970 solo performance of that
Juan Carlos Cobian classic and overdubbed his vibes to make it sound like they're performing a duet. Even if
Burton had the best of intentions, the end result is deception and cheap, crude exploitation. But otherwise, this album is outstanding. ~ Alex Henderson