Lofty Fake Anagram

by Scott YanowThe second recording of guitarist Larry Coryell as part of the Gary Burton Quartet (which included the vibraphonist/leader, bassist Steve Swallow and drummer Bobby Moses) is more memorable for the sound of the group than for any of the eight originals by Burton, Swallow, Carla Bley or Michael Gibbs. In fact, the closest piece to a "standard," Duke Ellington's then-recent "Fleurette Africaine," has the catchiest melody. But it is the interplay between Burton and the rockish Coryell in this early fusion group (predating Miles Davis' *****es Brew by two years) that makes this session most notable.