Burton Greene Trio

Burton Greene
For Burty: 10 Études by Silke Röllig
Disk Respect 02

Still continuing to fight the good musical fight as he settles into his ninth decade, American expatriate pianist Burton Greene, 83, is still improvising with the same vigor and insight as he did during his first session in the early 1960s. Some say Free Jazz keeps you young and another reason for Greene’s creative longevity may be a half-century residency in Amsterdam, away from the US Jazz business and working with innovative Europeans.

Greene occasionally gigs in the States as on the trio disc here from Brooklyn in 2003 where he played a alongside younger musicians Adam Lane who leads his own bands and drummer Dave Brandt who has recorded with Ras Moshe. The 10 études Greene interprets on the other CD are by German composer Silke Röllig, while three tracks are duets between the pianist and a German-born, Dutch expat, flutist Tilo Baumheier.

Invested with New Thing energy, Greene, Lane and Brandt hit with responsive power at the beginning and keep it up throughout with double stroked drumming, waterfalls of piano glissandi and thick bass string strokes. While identified with Energy Music, the pianist also has a chance to demonstrate his studied adaptability. The concluding title tune is a ballad featuring echoing bass string sweeps and gentle piano comping, while “Gnat Dance’ is a speedy Bebop-style number. The latter includes twanging bass pops and drum pitter patter and a piano solo that maintains the groove as Greene quotes snatches of “Frère Jacques”, “La Marseillaise” and other tunes. But the disc’s centerpiece is “Carnival of Mother Kali”, a more than-18 minute arrangement of a Raga Mala by Ali Akbar Khan. Not that this version would be confused with a classical Indian composition for sarod. With shrill squeaky string whistles and a metronomic piano line, the exposition stretches the theme in many directions while maintaining its repetitive rhythm. After Lane injects a jagged broken chord variation, Brandt contributes a tabla-like buzz, interrupted by further keyboard dynamics. The subsequent section joins near-the-scroll string squeaks, subtle cymbal pops and harder keyboard emphasis, with the final sequence leading to a droning chromatic climax.

If Peace beyond Conflict demonstrates Greene’s skill in the American Jazz and Indian Raga idioms, then For Burty is dedicated to a classic of the European music canon. Short solo piano pieces designed to showcase artistic and technical practices. While a few sections of the 10 études are a bit slow moving and overly proper, gentle swing permeates most, especially with quicker cadences. Expositions taken at adagio and andante tempos flow best it seems, with “For Burty 8: Funky Dunky” almost living up to its title as Greene introduces a soupcon of Southside Chicago rent party freedom to the bright and quick movements. A track like “For Burty 3” is performed taken with a jumpy, start-stop near-Ragtime syncopation as well, while in contrast “For Burty: Drama Queen” expresses its drama in formalistic downward moving repetition. Even the concluding ‘For Burty 10: Epilogue” relies more on lively note cascades presaging a simple melody than any attempt to recast earlier themes. The balance supplied by Baumheier’s speedy sucks, whistles and trills punch up gentle piano notes which threaten to make the narrative too pristine elsewhere. Tandem connection is best demonstrated on the concluding track. As flute trills bush up against keyboard exploration that sinks lower and evacuates notes between the keys, the double counterpoint creates a compelling fusion.

These CDs prove that creation of profound improvised music doesn’t end after receiving the first old age pension cheque. It appears that Greene and others of his age and ilk could still have years of creativity ahead of them,

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing: Peace: 1. Sylosophy 2. Carnival of Mother Kali 3. Gnat Dance 4. Peace Beyond Conflict

Personnel: Peace: Burton Greene (piano); Adam Lane (bass) and Dave Brandt (drums)

Track Listing: Burty: 1. For Burty 1. 2. For Burty 2. 3. For Burty 3 4. For Burty: Drama Queen 5. For Burty 5. For Burty 5. For Burty 6. For Burty 6 7. For Burty 7: Positiva 8. For Burty 8: Funky Dunky 9. For Burty 9: 12 Tones for Your Bones 10. For Burty 10: Epilogue 11. For Burty 11* 12. For Burty 12* 13. For Burty 13*

Personnel: Burty: Tilo Baumheier (flute)* and Burton Greene (piano)