Euan Burton

“Too Much Love”

(Whirlwind Recordings WR4662)

Set for release on November 17th 2014 “Too Much Love” is the second album release on the Whirlwind Recordings label by Scottish bassist and composer Euan Burton, following 2012’s widely acclaimed “Occurrences” (reviewed elsewhere on this site). Previous releases have included the now seemingly deleted “Collective” (2006) and
2010’s “Forgotten Things”, a session co-led by pianist Tom Gibbs that also featured New York based musicians Gilad Heskelman (guitar) and Ari Hoenig (drums).

Originally from East Kilbride Burton studied on the Jazz Course at Birmingham Conservatoire before returning north. He has played with many of Scotland’s leading jazz musicians including saxophonist Martin Kershaw, pianist Paul Harrison and guitarist Graeme Steven. An in demand sideman he has also worked with saxophonist Julian Arguelles, pianist Kit Downes, drummer David Lyttle and guitarists Mark McKnight, Jonathan Kreisberg and Andreas Varady. His partnership with Belfast born McKnight has been particularly productive with Burton playing on McKnight’s 2009 album “Overnight” and the guitarist returning the favour by appearing on “Occurrences” alongside pianist Steve Hamilton, drummer James Maddren and British born, New York based saxophonist Will Vinson. 

Besides his busy jazz career Burton has also been a regular presence on the Scottish folk scene playing with such giants of the genre as fiddler Aly Bain, accordionist Phil Cunningham and harpist Rachel Hair. He has also done session work for Glasgow based pop group Texas and can be heard on the soundtrack of the Disney Pixar film “Brave”.

Burton originally conceived “Occurrences” as a suite but was later quoted as saying that he felt the individual compositions were strong enough to stand on their own merits, a statement supported by the fact that the pieces had numbers for titles rather than anything obviously descriptive. The new album would appear to be less obviously conceptual and to be just a collection of tunes although Burton describes his ideas behind the writing thus;
“The title comes from the notion that so many of the things that go wrong, or the mistakes people make, come from a place of either people having misplaced love or having so much love that they don’t know how to deal with it and channel it properly. I guess it’s a rose tinted way to look at certain darker and more upsetting aspects of life and this struck me as a good starting point for writing a new album, this idea of “Too Much Love”.

To perform his latest set of seven compositions Burton has turned to his long term associates on the Glasgow jazz scene to create a new quartet featuring the talents of Adam Jackson on alto sax, Tom Gibbs at the piano and Alyn Cosker at the drums. Gibbs and Burton go back a long way, their collaborations including the aforementioned “Forgotten Things” and Gibbs’ excellent solo album “Fear of Flying” (Whirlwind, 2012) which also featured Will Vinson and James Maddren.

It’s Burton’s talent as a composer that makes him stand out from other bass players. His writing is impressively mature and combines strong melodic themes and a well defined sense of narrative with the harmonic and improvisatory sophistication of jazz. His gift for melody and ear for a good tune has doubtless been honed by his involvement in the folk world and his work in the sphere of film music has similarly sharpened his narrative sense. Talking about “Occurrences” Burton was quoted as saying “I was trying to think like a film director or screenwriter in some ways” and there’s something of that quality again here.

Opening track “Prelude” introduces a classical element to Burton’s writing but the piece is typical in being highly melodic with languidly lyrical piano from Gibbs and tastefully restrained brushed drums from Cosker. But it’s the leader who takes the plaudits with his well articulated and eminently tuneful bass solo. Hitherto Burton has appeared rather reluctant to push his own playing forward, preferring to let his compositions do the talking, but he takes the first solo here followed by Gibbs on piano. Jackson’s soaring, pure toned alto ensures that the piece ends on an optimistic note.

“This World” is ushered in by Burton’s bass, this soon joined by Jackson’s wispy alto sax and Cosker’s mallet rumbles and cymbal shimmers. With the addition of Gibbs’ piano the piece slowly begins to unfold via Jackson’s long, thoughtful, delicately probing alto solo, the intensity gradually building and subsequently ebbing away again. After his relatively scant contribution to the opener this piece is essentially a feature for the saxophonist and his musings above a skilfully created modal style backdrop are thoroughly absorbing throughout.

Solo piano introduces “Rhapsody”, another piece with a title that implies a classical influence, something that is also referenced in Gibbs’ playing. His piano flourishes develop into a dialogue with Cosker’s cymbals before the whole piece soars skywards on the wings of Jackson’s alto and Cosker’s dynamic drumming. It’s dramatic stuff but there are moments of reflection too before a shift into more obviously jazz influenced territory with Jackson soloing fluently above a driving rhythm section as Burton and his colleagues cover an impressive amount of stylistic ground in the course of just one tune. The piece incorporates a powerful feature from Cosker, arguably Scotland’s leading jazz drummer.

“All That Is Left” is a beautiful ballad/threnody with a folk like melody that features some delightful ensemble playing. Jackson’s alto takes the lead but this is a real team effort with Gibbs’ sensitive piano accompaniment and Cosker’s filigree cymbal work also central to the success of the performance.

Following the reflective “All That Is Left” the next piece, “Krakow” presents a total contrast with its bright, breezy melody lines and vibrant rhythms. Jackson’s alto positively dances with Gibbs’ percussive, subtly propulsive piano the perfect foil. Cosker’s energetic but highly detailed drumming is excellent throughout as Burton contents himself once more with the anchor role.

As the title suggests “Fading Memories” is another excursion into more reflective territory. It’s the most freely structured piece on the album with Jackson’s sax keening above loose, fluid rhythms . Gibbs piano solo nudges at the avant garde but in the end Burton’s penchant for melody prevails.

And it’s that feel for a tune that distinguishes the closing title track, a lovely song like ballad that one could imagine somebody like Emilia Martensson adding voice and lyrics to. Gentle solo piano introduces the piece, the simple folk, like melody then being doubled by Jackson’s alto before bass and drums are added to the mix. The sax then begins to explore before gradating into exultant flight as Cosker’s dynamic drum commentary explodes and unfolds around it. The piece resolves itself with a quieter coda, overall it’s a structure that has been deployed in many classic pop songs. Burton takes the dynamic and makes it work for jazz.

As a long term admirer of Burton’s work I’m delighted to report that he has triumphed again with “Too Much Love”. The album works on every level, Burton’s compositions are as melodic, inventive and engaging as ever and the playing, on both a group and individual level, is superb throughout. Adam Jackson is a new name to me but I was hugely impressed with his contribution and Tom Gibbs again gives notice that he is a highly competent pianist, excelling as both soloist and accompanist. But for me Cosker is the revelation, he’s always had a reputation as a bit of a powerhouse but it’s his sensitivity and attention to detail allied to that nascent power that helps to make this an outstanding drumming performance.

Meanwhile Burton acquits himself well as a player but even more so as a writer. He also takes care of the majority of the engineering and production duties and impresses in this area too, a pinpoint mix emphasising all the details and nuances of the playing. “Too Much Love” is a brilliant realisation of Burton’s very personal vision.

The Euan Burton Quartet will be playing a handful of gigs during November 2014 including an EFG London Jazz Festival performance. Details below;   

13th November, The Blue Lamp, Aberdeen

14th November, lunchtime performance at Verdi Restaurant, Royal Albert Hall (part of the EFG London Jazz Festival)

19th November, The Jazz Bar, Edinburgh

20th November, Glasgow Arts Club

Additional details for the London show;

Euan Burton
Friday 14 November 2014 | 12:00PM
Royal Albert Hall / Verdi Café
Kensington Gore
London
SW7 2AP
FREE

Award-winning Scottish double bassist and composer Euan Burton launches his second album Too Much Love with fellow award-winning Scotsman Ryan Quigley as a special guest.

‘One of the brightest talents to emerge from Scotland in recent years’ (The Daily Telegraph)

http://www.efglondonjazzfestival.org

 

blog comments powered by Disqus