Gary Burton and Chick Corea represented something of an institution in the jazz world before Corea sadly passed away in early 2021, leaving behind a huge hole in the world of inventive jazz as well as a staggering legacy that included 25 Grammys (and 67 nominations). Together, the pair carved out a mainstream spot for sophisticated music over a near-50 year collaboration (they recorded their first record, Crystal Silence, back in 1972), with barely a break across that period. The two pioneers of jazz fusion and eminent ambassadors for their respective instruments were highly sought-after on all kinds of stages, from the philharmonics to small jazz clubs to leading digital arenas, like NPR's Tiny Desk.
For this 1997 concert, they combined on the stage of the Munich Summer Piano Festival, playing tracks mostly from their album Native Sense, released in the same year. It was Burton's four-handed mallet technique that gave him the versatility to match Corea for intricacy and speed, and while often it was Corea who provided the rhythmic aspect and Burton who delivered texture and color, they switched roles at will in a telepathic dialogue that has a legendary place in the history of jazz.
