Crossover of the unexpected kind is more and more the name of the game with the Boston Pops these days. In jazz stars Chick Corea and Gary Burton, Keith Lockhart and company found partners willing to hold hands with the Pops even as they put their own music on the line doing it.
For Chelsea native and pianist Corea and vibraphone master Burton, fusion pioneers both, Tuesday night’s Pops concert at Symphony Hall meant hoping the orchestral arrangements wouldn’t knock out of whack the delicate duet balancing act they’ve been perfecting for 35 years.
Fortunately, except for moments when Tim Garland’s arrangements of Corea’s pieces teetered on the brink of overkill, this particular mainstream fusion worked.
The Pops set the crossover tone in its opening set with peppy but standard covers of “Swing, Swing, Swing” and “Sweet Georgia Brown,” although violinists Tamara Smirnova and Bonnie Bewick captured the possibilities of flying high on a fine “Skylark.” The orchestra’s interpretation of Gershwin’s “An American in Paris” was a fitting stage-setter for the risk-taking to come.
The event kicked off JazzFest for the Pops, which extended the theme by showcasing several excellent young Berklee College of Music students after the concert in the Symphony Hall rear reception area.
Usually the Pops-meets-jazz features more predictable matchups, such as the JazzFest conclusion tomorrow and Saturday with singer Dianne Reeves. But both Corea and Burton are indomitably adventurous spirits whose work together sets off complex, often subtle improvisational fireworks; the trick for Lockhart, Garland and the orchestra was to not smother their guest stars’ glow.
The jury was still out on how successful that was during the opener, “Love Castle,” which cried out for a lighter orchestral touch to give Corea and Burton’s warm exchanges a hearing.
The pair was left with more space to explore the multilayered “Brazilia” and a spare, gorgeous “Crystal Silence.” And the orchestra and jazzmen were in sync for the exuberant Spanish-tinged closer, “La Fiesta.”
Corea even got up to dance and salute, maybe with a hint of irony, during the flag-unfurling encore, “The Stars and Stripes Forever.” By that time he was likely feeling a little giddy. He, Burton and Lockhart had actually pulled off their walk on the somewhat wild side.
Some of the most memorable moments from Evening at Pops are celebrated in this new Broadway's Best at Pops DVD which will make a great addition to your Pops collection.
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By Bob Young
Usually the Pops-meets-jazz features more predictable matchups, such as the JazzFest conclusion tomorrow and Saturday with singer Dianne Reeves. But both Corea and Burton are indomitably adventurous spirits whose work together sets off complex, often subtle improvisational fireworks; the trick for Lockhart, Garland and the orchestra was to not smother their guest stars’ glow.
