2nd August 2013: 4 Star Concert Review In from Herald Scotland for Euan Burton’s Performance at the Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival, featuring Walter Smith III

A 4 star concert review has just reached us from Herald Scotland for bassist Euan Burton’s recent performance of Occurrences at the Edinburgh Jazz and Blues festival, which featured top musicians including  Adam Jackson on alto sax, Tom Gibbs on piano, James Maddren on drums and the excellent Walter Smith III on tenor saxophone as a special guest. 

Euan Burton released his debut WWR album Occurrences in May 2012 and has led many concerts performing the music since release. This recent concert saw a slightly different line up compared with the album, with Herald Scotland stating that Walter Smith III “immediately showed an affinity for the suite” and that “it was a case of Smith joining rather than starring in [the concert]”. Herald Scotland continued with saying that “Smith’s tenor fitted in naturally alongside Adam Jackson’s fine alto playing” and that Tom Gibbs piano playing was “consistently imaginative”.

Occurences is a seven part suite with Burton creating a melodic narrative through the story arc of the album and each member of the group playing key roles as the music unfolds. The group consisting of his long term collaborators– all with highly visible international profiles in their own right– including London born, New York based saxophonist Will Vinson (Gonzallo Rubalcaba, Aaron Parks), fast rising Irish Guitar sensation Mark McKnight (Seamus Blake, Sam Yahel), acclaimed Scottish pianist Steve Hamilton (Gary Burton, Earthworks, Tommy Smith) and James Maddren (Kit Downs Trio, Gwilym Simcock Trio) on drums.

In a world addicted to speed and turnover, artists who carefully and conceptually craft their music are a welcomed rarity. On Occurrences Burton has done just that, and the results are powerful. He has given us a body of work that not only reaches to jazz audiences, but an open invitation to all lovers of music, song and story.

The release is available from the Euan’s album page, and check out the album promo video here. We have featured below part four from Occurrences.