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Jon Burr Band – “Just Can't Wait” project
18 original songs – 2 volumes
All songs by Jon Burr
All Lyrics by Jon Burr, except
* Laurel Massé, co-author
**Tyler Burr, co-author
The Jon Burr Band plays Eden By The Sea:
The Jon Burr Band plays Sea Breeze:
The Jon Burr Band plays Snowfall:
Volume 1:
1. Eden By The Sea*: Yaala Ballin, Vocal; Joel Frahm, Sax; Ted Rosenthal, Piano; Jon Burr, Bass; Anthony Pinciotti, Drums
2. Dancing With A Stranger: Ty Stephens, Vocal; Joel Frahm, Sax; Loston Harris, Piano; John Hart, Guitar; Jon Burr, Bass; Dave Gibson, Drums
3. It’s A Girl*: Laurel Massé, Vocal; Joel Frahm, Sax; Ted Rosenthal, Piano; Yotam Silberstein, Guitar; Jon Burr, Bass; Anthony Pinciotti, Drums
4. I Understand You’re Leaving Me: Ty Stephens, Vocal; Bob Mintzer, Sax; Jon Davis, Piano; John Hart, Guitar; Jon Burr, Bass, Anthony Pinciotti, Drums
5. It’s Only Love**: Tyler Burr, Vocal; Joel Frahm, Sax; Ted Rosenthal, Piano; John Hart, Guitar; Yotam Silberstein, Guitar; Jon Burr, Bass; Anthony Pinciotti, Drums
6. Song of a Broken Word*: Laurel Massé, Vocal; Joel Frahm, Sax; Ted Rosenthal, Piano; Yotam Silberstein, Guitar; Jon Burr, Bass; Anthony Pinciotti, Drums
7. Snowfall: Hilary Kole, Vocal; Bob Mintzer, Sax; Jon Davis, Piano John Hart, Guitar; Jon Burr, Bass; Anthony Pinciotti, Drums
8. No Place to Go: Yaala Ballin, Vocals; Joel Frahm, Sax; Ted Rosenthal, Piano; Jon Burr, Bass; Anthony Pinciotti, Drums; Carlos “GoGo” Gomez, Bell
Volume 2
1. Been Here All Along: Ty Stephens, Vocal; Dominick Farinacci, Trumpet; Mario Cruz, Sax; Loston Harris, Piano; Jon Burr, Bass; Dave Gibson, Drums
2. Another Kind of Love: Hilary Kole, Vocal; Bob Mintzer, Sax; Jon Davis, Piano John Hart, Guitar; Jon Burr, Bass; Anthony Pinciotti, Drums
3. Sea Breeze: Yaala Ballin, Vocal; Anat Cohen, Sax; Jon Davis, Piano; Howard Alden, Guitar; Jon Burr, Bass; Anthonly Pinciotti, Drums
4. Rainbow Over Harlem: Ty Stephens, Vocal; Dominick Farinacci, Trumpet; Mario Cruz, Sax; Loston Harris, Piano; Jon Burr, Bass; Dave Gibson, Drums
5. Please Tell Me: Yaala Ballin, Vocal; Joel Frahm, Sax; Jon Davis, Piano; John Hart, Guitar; Jon Burr, Bass; Anthony Pinciotti, Drums
6. The Place Within: Laurel Massé, Vocal; Joel Frahm, Sax; Ted Rosenthal, Piano; Yotam Silberstein, Guitar; Jon Burr, Bass; Anthony Pinciotti, Drums
7. Tears of Old: Hilary Kole, Vocal; Bob Mintzer, Sax; Jon Davis, Piano John Hart, Guitar; Jon Burr, Bass; Anthony Pinciotti, Drums
8. Nobody Said It Was Easy: Ty Stephens, Vocal; Houston Person, Sax; Loston Harris, Piano; John Hart, Guitar; Jon Burr, Bass; Dave Gibson, Drums
9. Just Can’t Wait: Ty Stephens, Vocal; Houston Person, Sax; Loston Harris, Piano; John Hart, Guitar; Jon Burr, Bass; Dave Gibson, Drums
Recorded in part at Nola, Jim Czak, Engineer, and finished and mixed at Bennett Studios, Alessandro V. Perrotta, recording and mix engineer. Mastered by Jon Burr @ jbQ. Executive Producer: Jon Burr. Produced by Jon Burr and Suzi Reynolds. Cover design by Jon Burr; Art direction by Suzi Reynolds. Cover and instrument photos by Andrew Lepley.
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JON BURR Charlie Mingus asked him to sit in on bass at the Villlage Vanguard at the age of sixteen. Tony Bennett critiqued his lyrics. Chet Baker and Stan Getz played his songs. Stephane Grappelli, Hank Jones, Buddy Rich, The Hot Swing Trio and a host of others hired him to play in their bands. Singers love him – Tony Bennett, Barbara Cook, Rita Moreno, Eartha Kitt, and many others have hired him - and now, after learning beside the masters of American music, he’s found his voice as the bandleader/composer/bassist/producer of the Jon Burr Band.
Jon’s original songs are “melodic, accessible,” “toe-tappers,” “gorgeous,” and have “the feel of new standards.” Jon is a “technical master*” on the bass whose work inspires those around him. “I’ve found that the bass is a great place to lead a band from,” he says…”you’re always in the music, can give it pulse and direction, and stimulate the others to reach deep in the material. There can tend to be a level of restraint imposed on the music when the leader is a singer or soloist…I run a liberated band, and the only thing I ask is that the others dig in and have fun with the material.”
In partnership with his brother Bill, Jon produced 18 of his songs in studio sessions in 2007, and in ‘08 continued in production with another 11 titles in his own studio. The partnership also produced the “Live at Birdland” DVD, featuring the Jon Burr Band in action, performing 15 of the titles “at the highest standards of musical performance.” The studio sessions and the DVD have been packaged into Just Can’t Wait, a CD/DVD combo pack, released on the jbQ Media label, and now available at CDBaby, Amazon.com, FilmBaby, and iTunes.
*quote attributions published on website – www.jonburr.com
Here’s what the critics are saying:
Review of “Jon Burr Band; Live at Birdland” in AllAboutJazz.com:
Burr ... went beyond a Buddy Rich, Tony Bennett or Stan Getz because he was the songwriter and lyricist as well as a performer. Burr simply dared to take that extra step of creating and presenting original, unfamiliar material. These artists really had respect for the music... Throughout, it was clear this was not an ego trip but a group of musicians performing with a common goal of creating the best music with the highest standards of musical performance. Finally, someone had the courage to try something new within the traditions of jazz and popular music." -Greg Waters/AllAboutJazz.com
Review of “In My Own Words” in Jazz Times:
This is a terrific recording, a first class quartet under the leadership of a fine bassist, Jon Burr. Bassists have a way of surprising people when they come out of the rhythm section role and reveal a talent for composition, arrangement, and the balance and direction of an ensemble. There is a feel here not unlike that of vintage Steps Ahead: certainly Rich Perry's tone on tenor recalls Michael Brecker, and the leader's supple sense of time in ensemble playing matches up well with that of Eddie Gomez. Burr's solos bring out a voice very much his own, however, a voice we hear more of in the even dozen engagingly melodic compositions that he has contributed to the session. Bill Charlap on piano and Terry Clarke on drums round out the band - and the result is as well-rounded as one might ask. -Bill Bennett/Jazz Times
And, in Bassics magazine:
An impressive debut recording featuring NYC bassist Jon Burr as leader. Working with pianist Bill Charlap, saxophonist Rich Perry, and drummer Terry Clarke, Burr explores the heart of mainstream jazz. But this talented group is not working over standards; twelve of the thirteen compositions are Burr originals. Gorgeous is the word for them. From the contrapuntal "Blear" to the evocative, Horace-inspired "Silver Water," Burr's melodic gift is omnipresent and roams from the sweet to moody. "Lament" and "Snowfall" are particularly staggering compositions.
Burr's is the kind of work that makes you think jazz isn't being made in the obvious places, by the "young lions." Even though he's a well-known bassist on the New York scene, Burr seems to have escaped notice by the major U.S. jazz labels. The reason why escapes me.
- Philip Dawdy, Bassics Magazine,Vol VI, 2
In the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
“It is the latter efforts – “Nobody Said it was Easy” and “Three for Al” – that best summarize this happy-fingered program. The melodies are hummable, the tempos are toe-tappers…”
In the New York Post, in a review of a Roland Hanna concert:
"..a terrific Burr original, ..Rainbow Over Harlem'...
Chip Deffaa, New York Post
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
"Bassist Jon Burr's "For All" sets a soaring violin melody above a jaunty
stepwise bass to create a mood of ultimate cool.." - Wayne Lee Gay, Ft. Worth Star-Telegram
South Bend Tribune
“Hot Swing's bassist Jon Burr contributed a beautiful tune called "Lament" to the program” - Jack Walton, South Bend Tribune
Performance reviews:
"Newcomer Jon Burr...is a technical master, for whom ..In a Sentimental Mood' and ..Blue Monk' were perfect frameworks." - Leonard Feather, Los Angeles Times
"Burr erected solid foundations and filled his accompaniment with clever embellishments as well. His unaccompanied ..Makin' Whoopee' was a playground of swings and slides and received one of the evening's biggest ovations." - Bill Kohlhaase, Los Angeles Times
"Could hardly have asked for better...Burr was always where he needed to be, his bass lines filled with big, fat bottom notes, his solos bringing the perspective of a high-technique, contemporary improvisational style to a straight-ahead jazz setting.” - Don Heckman, Los Angeles Times
"...backed by...Jon Burr on bass, the music radiated effortless joy and ease." - Peter Watrous, New York Times
"Burr...proved the bass a solo instrument of energy and grace in the right hands." - John Farrell, Pasadena Journal-News
"...gifted is New Yorker Burr, [a] young-looking bassist with [a] sense of subtlety and clever good taste...music that is elegant, fluid, and filled with the joy of life." - Ron Banks, The West Australian
"...bassist Burr, who had a couple of splendid solos..." - Leonard Feather, Los Angeles Times
"..Burr, in typically alert form, adds to the momentum and texture with his exceptionally nimble accompaniment..." - Mike Joyce, Washington Post
“ No less gifted is New Yorker Burr, an absurdly young-looking bassist with the same sense of subtlety and clever good taste. Their partnership produces music that is elegant and filled with the joy of life” – Ron Banks, The West Australian
If you'd like to hear from us about performances, events and upcoming releases, please join our mailing list (click here!). Thank you for your participation!
It seems to have fallen to me to say first here that this an excellent sound, and an ambitious project. My expectation is that there will be many others to follow after me. ~b
