''A Genuine Tong Funeral'' is an album by vibraphonist

Gary Burton Gary Burton (born January 23, 1943) is an American jazz vibraphonist, composer, and educator. Burton developed a pianistic style of four-mallet technique as an alternative to the prevailing two-mallet technique. This approach caused him to be he ...

featuring compositions by Carla Bley recorded in 1967 and released on the

RCA The RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded as the Radio Corporation of America in 1919. It was initially a patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse, AT&T Corporation and United Fruit Comp ...

label in 1968.Gary Burton discography
accessed November 21, 2011 It features Burton with Bley herself on keyboards and conducting an expanded ensemble consisting of trumpeter

Michael Mantler Michael Mantler (born August 10, 1943) is an Austrian avant-garde jazz trumpeter and composer of contemporary music. Career: United States Mantler was born in Vienna, Austria. In the early 1960s, he was a student at the Academy of Music and V ...

, trombonist

Jimmy Knepper James Minter Knepper (November 22, 1927 – June 14, 2003) was an American jazz trombonist. In addition to his own recordings as leader, Knepper performed and recorded with Charlie Barnet, Woody Herman, Claude Thornhill, Stan Kenton, Benny Goo ...

, tenor saxophonist

Gato Barbieri Leandro "Gato" Barbieri (November 28, 1932 – April 2, 2016) was an Argentine jazz tenor saxophonist who rose to fame during the free jazz movement in the 1960s and is known for his Latin jazz recordings of the 1970s. His nickname, Gato, is Spa ...

, soprano saxophonist Steve Lacy, baritone saxophonist Howard Johnson, guitarist Larry Coryell, bassist

Steve Swallow Steve Swallow (born October 4, 1940) is an American jazz bassist and composer, known for his collaborations with Jimmy Giuffre, Gary Burton, and Carla Bley. He was one of the first jazz double bassists to switch entirely to electric bass guitar. ...

and drummer Bob Moses.

Reception

The

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

review by Scott Yanow awarded the album 4½ stars, stating: "One of vibraphonist Gary Burton's most intriguing recordings... The music is dramatic, occasionally a little humorous, and a superb showcase for Gary Burton's vibes".Yanow, S
Allmusic Review
accessed November 21, 2011

Track listing

''All compositions by Carla Bley.'' # "The Opening / Interlude : Shovels / The Survivors / Grave Train" - 6:37 # "Death Rolls" - 1:36 # "Morning (Part 1)" - 1:43 # "Interlude : Lament / Intermission Music" - 4:28 # "Silent Spring" - 7:58 # "Fanfare / Mother of the Dead Man" - 2:51 # "Some Dirge" - 7:47 # "Morning (Part 2)" - 1:17 # "The New Funeral March" - 2:40 # "The New National Anthem / The Survivors" - 6:34 *Recorded in New York City in July 1967.

Personnel

– vibraphone *

– trumpet *

– trombone, bass trombone * Howard Johnson – tuba, baritone saxophone * Steve Lacy – soprano saxophone *

– tenor saxophone * Carla Bley – piano, organ, conductor * Larry Coryell – guitar *

– double bass * Bob Moses – drumsOn the album's original release Moses was credited as "Lonesome Dragon" at his request due to creative disagreements with Bley; they later reconciled and Moses became a vocal supporter of her music. See Ethan Iverson
A Lifetime of Carla Bley
The New Yorker, May 13, 2018

Reception

Track listing

Personnel

References

Further reading