The latest CD releases reviewed

CHICK COREA & GARY BURTON
The New Crystal Silence Concord **** 

"Dazzle" is among the attributes of Corea-Burton encounters, and there's plenty of it in this live release. Over two CDs, for all its brilliance, it might be too much of an undiluted good thing. But contrast is on the first, recorded in concert with the Sydney Symphony, where Tim Garland's skilful orchestrations seek to strike some balance between integrating all three elements and allowing Corea and Burton the space to do their thing, with Crystal Silence notable in a meeting more successful than not. As always, though, the real magic comes when Corea and Burton are left to their own devices, as they are on the second CD. Burton remains unfazed by the complexities of Corea's writing and both seem uncannily able, in effect, to finish each other's sentences in performance. And, well as Corea plays - and he is marvellous - Burton's vibes are a joy throughout.

MISHA ALPERIN
Her First Dance ECM ****

Alperin's compositions, like his superb piano, belong fully to neither jazz nor classical music; they're sui generis entities, whole and unique. His motifs, his way of reconciling constant harmonic surprise with something greater than logic - inevitability - reveal a singular creativity. On this beautiful album he offers five deceptively simple solo pieces alongside a series of arresting duets and a trio with long-standing colleagues Arkady Shilkloper (french horn/ flugelhorn) and Anja Lechner (cello). Although Jump is a stunning uptempo solo piece of great delicacy, and the opening Vayan mixes both the pensive and the quick, the mood is generally understated. But there is a spare, austere yet warm beauty to the captivating hesitancies of Her First Dance, the moody Tiflis and Lonely In White, the pointed meandering of Via Dolorosa and the absorbingly wrought piano-cello duet, Frozen Tears. A charmer. www.musicconnection.org.uk

STEVE NELSON
Sound-effect   HighNote ***

Vibes player Steve Nelson takes time out from Dave Holland's superior quintet for a relaxed blowing session with a blue ribbon rhythm section: Mulgrew Miller (piano), Peter Washington (bass) and Lewis Nash (drums). Nobody ventures outside the paddock and, apart from a momentary uncertainty near the close of a grooving You and the Night and the Music, the music is like eavesdropping on a chat between old friends who are, musically speaking, quality conversationalists. Moreover, despite the similarity of their instruments, Nelson and an in-form Miller are adept at not covering each other's lines. Nelson's three originals offer changes that clearly stimulate the dialogue, and the quartet's discourse also rewardingly embraces Ahmad Jamal's Night Mist Blues, Freddie Hubbard's Up Jumped Spring and the late James Williams's Arioso. One for fans. http://uk.hmboutique.com