Jon Burr Band – Just Can’t Wait – Live at Birdland DVD + Bennett Studio Sessions CD set JBQ Media 205 (www.jonburrband.com) ***:
(Burr, bass; Jon Davis, piano; John Hart, guitar; Anthony Pinciotti, drums, Houston Person & Joel Frahm, saxes; Ty Stevens & others, vocals)
This is a true DVD + CD, with the Live DVD pretty much duplicating the 14 tracks of the CD session, in fact added one track, but changing the order. (I’ve received some others lately where the DVD is merely a very short promotional video about the artist similar to those sometimes sent to reviewers only but now made part of the commercial release.) Burr is a terrific bassist and on the couple numbers where he gets to briefly solo he really shines. He has played with Stephane Grappelli, John O’Connor’s Hot Swing Trio, Eartha Kitt, Stan Getz and Sir Roland Hanna.
Unfortunately, after viewing the Birdland DVD I had little interest in hearing the CD as well. Both are totally compositions written by Burr, not bad but without the variety and change of pace of some standards. Secondly, there are no all-instrumental tracks at all – not a single Gypsy jazz number – just one vocal after another, featuring Ty Stevens and three female vocalists. Stevens is first rate and delivers many different song moods with aplomb. However, the first female singer leans more toward the country music genre than jazz, the second is not quite ready for prime time, and one tune is sung by Burr’s 13-year-old daughter. I’m afraid the latter was a mistake. The 16:9 video with Dolby 5.1 sound was excellent; one felt a real part of the Birdland audience.
– John Henry
