Gary Burton, Pat Metheny, Steve Swallow & Antonio Sanchez: Quartet Live!

Back in the ‘70s, the vibraphonist Gary Burton led a distinctive band that included bassist Steve Swallow and a young guitarist named Pat Metheny. In 2005, the three musicians got together to play a show at the Montreal Jazz Festival — with Metheny regular Antonio Sanchez on drums — and they have continued to tour since then. Quartet Live! captures the foursome at a 2007 performance at Yoshi’s, a well-known club in Oakland, California. The group revisits a number of original compositions along with pieces associated with the vibraphone master. “Sea Journey,” which Chick Corea wrote for Burton’s band, displays the pianist’s gift for melody and groove. The composer and pianist Carla Bley also penned pieces for Burton; here she is represented by a mellow “Olhos de Gato” and by “Syndrome,” which contains hints of country and fusion. On “Walter L,” Burton goes bluesy and Metheny unleashes a dirty rock solo, while Duke Ellington’s “Fleurette Africaine” brings out the group’s quiet side. Quartet Live! closes with a 13-minute version of Metheny’s “Question and Answer;” Sanchez’s energetic solo is outstanding.