This session fell at the end of an East Coast tour, and, immediately following it, Burton Greene (1937, Chicago, IL) had to get back to Amsterdam where he has been living since the‘70s. Burton, Roy Campbell (1952, L.A, CA), Lou Grassi (1947, Summit, NJ), and Adam Lane (1968, Brooklyn, NY) arrived around 8 p.m. the night before the session, caught a late supper, got up reasonably early, and were in Gilbert Hall by 10 a.m.

I was really looking forward to this recording, which will probably surprise Burton as I'm sure he thinks I always hassle him about producing his recordings. And, to some extent, perhaps I do. The truth is, I greatly enjoy much of his work, consider his CIMP recordings among the most rewarding of his career, and feel that, since the mid 1990s, hiswork has been increasingly interesting and focused. It may be that he is at a creative apex at this time. The focus of Burton's work over the past few decades has been evolving to this point and people are noticing and responding. At these times, I think it's important that those efforts be carefully and accurately documented: a mandate that Burton deserves and I take seriously. It's a feeling I know I share with many, including Adam, who, earlier in the Spring expressed to me how good he felt about CIMP recording Burton, and in particular this group as, in Adam's words, "He's really in a very unique point in his playing." Adam also mentioned to me that the band "is smokin'."

That things were very together with the band was further confirmed by Burton a few days before this date when he was discussing with me recent performances with the quartet in Boston, Burlington,Philadelphia, and New York City.

It's been many years (1985) since Burton has recorded Jazz with a quartet and you'd have to go back to 1969/70 to find him paired with a trumpeter. His choice of Roy Campbell is a good one as this is Roy's genre and strength. Roy, as witnessed by those in attendance, is not reticent to express himself through his horn or vocally in dealing with the group and the music dynamic. Originally, this was not billed as the Burton Greene-Roy Campbell Quartet, but it appeared that way along the tour, and, as Burton told me, "Roy has a lot to say about which music gets played. I must say, mostly we agree with each other's tastes." I might add that Roy has the reach and range this music demands, a broad view of music, and a nice collection of "trumpets."

And so there we were, together in good weather, a freshly tuned Steinway concert grand and fourcooperative and creative minds with an impressive body of work behind them ready to help Burton and Roy document the state of their art on July 29, 2004.

Soundchecks and setting up took a bit of time. Burton wanted a specific configuration and, while much of the mark was hit the first time out, themicro-tuning (move the piano three inches here, bring Roy in a foot, then place the bass, change the mic angle a degree or so, move a music stand that's inadvertently baffling a sound source, etc.) needed to achieve a good sound balance added to the length of the sound check. The music began to come together during a sound check on Careful. Burton got into a very strong piano exposition after which he caught my eye with a shy smile and nod. Not bad for a guy who was cursing me out just two and half hours earlier. But that's just another ingredient of the whole story and the whole story here is the music.

And for those who like to note openings and closings, the group opened with the ambitious Angels of Sirius, one of Burton's moody episodic pieces which creates, within its own self, a separate cocoon of color, space, and movement; the quartet members acting as both soloists and colorists. It's a piece that starts tentatively and arrives after the journey, surefooted and triumphant, but also reflective of its passage. And they closed with—what else—Epilogue.

Cross generational and cross cultural, but universal, as good music is.

Robert D. Rusch - June 30, 2004

BurtonGreene can also be heard CIMPs 182, 251.

Roy Campbell can also be heard CIMPs 166, 210, 229, 245, 255, 267, 280, 292, 300.

Adam Lane can also be heard CIMPs 263, 281, 306.

Lou Grassi can also be heard CIMPs 116, 123, 144, 156, 161, 169, 182, 184, 201, 207, 219, 226, 227, 242, 262, 266, 271, 278, 291, 297.

In addition, the work of all four artists can be found on various Cadence Jazz Records.