The Burton/McPherson Trio: The Summit Rock Session at Seneca Village

The Burton/McPherson Trio consists of tenor saxophonist Abraham Burton, drummer Eric McPherson and bassist Dezron Douglas. Why it isn't called the Burton/McPherson/Douglas Trio is anyone's guess; the hope is that bassist Douglas' feelings weren't too badly hurt by the omission. He may have found solace in the outer jacket's addendum, "Featuring Dezron Douglas." In any case, this is the trio recorded live in June 2021 at Summit Rock in Seneca Village, an historic mostly African-American settlement in New York City's Central Park.

Although it is good to hear musicians performing in front of an audience, given all the restrictions made necessary by the pandemic, the session never really catches fire, melodically or improvisationally. The musicians are capable, the music respectable, but no more than that. While the visual element may have enhanced the audience's pleasure, that doesn't readily translate to an audio-only recording. What we have on the CD are three competent jazz musicians doing the best they can to please an audience, the result of which is an hour-long concert of fairly straight-ahead jazz that is generally passable but far less than special.

Burton—when he can resist the urge to lay siege to the upper register—is a decent soloist whose roots are deeply embedded in the contemporary mode, while McPherson and Douglas are efficient accompanists and well-schooled improvisers. There is nothing in their alliance that displeases. On the other hand, neither is there anything that sets them apart from the herd. As for the music, it is much the same —respectable but less than inspiring. Six of the concert's seven numbers are original compositions; the exception is Tadd Dameron's "If You Could See Me Now," the only theme that entices the ear and lingers in one's memory for more than a moment or two. It also produces Burton's finest solo of the afternoon and perceptive statements by Douglas and McPherson.

There are one or two tunes that open in mid-phrase, and several that fade into the distance as the audience shows its appreciation. As noted, it's a good concert with nothing negative to dim its luster—and others may find it brighter and more pleasing than this observer.

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